Nevada Library Association

Plant Grassroots @ Your Library

Sara Jones (State Librarian), Susan Graf (Literacy Coordinator, State Library), Holly Van Valkenburgh (Consultant, Library Planning and Development, State Library), Cindy DeLanty (Asst. Branch Manager, Whitney Library), Scott Sisco (Interim Director, Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs), Eva Stowers (Librarian, UNLV Lied Library), Camille Randol (library patron) and Martha Gould (Chair, U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science) were among those urging Capitol Hill legislators to support libraries as part of the 28th Annual National Library Legislative Day held May 6 & 7 in Washington, D.C.  The event is sponsored by the American Library Association and other concerned organizations to raise awareness about the importance to local communities of federal funding through LSTA and other programs such as the E-rate discounts on telecommunications services for libraries.  Group members attended a full day briefing on issues prior to the day of visiting the legislators.  This year hot issues included: 

• FY 2003 Appropriations (funding the Library Services and Technology Act at $500 million and Co-sponsoring/supporting reauthorization of LSTA.
• Copyright:  Protect Fair Use (Distance Education--TEACH Act S.487, Database protection bill to ensure "fair use" of databases, and S2048  the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act introduced by Senator Hollings.)  For complete details on this issues, see the Washington Office site at www.ala.org/washoff.
• E-Rate & Universal Service--keep a good program working.
• Government Information: Improve and preserve access through E-goverment and Permanent Access through S803 introduced by Senator Joseph Lieberman.  Also supporting Representative Stephen Horn's "Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2002" (H.R. 4187).
• Increasing funding for Literacy through school libraries. 

The group, representing Nevada, met with Representative Jim Gibbons, Senator John Ensign, Senator Harry Reid and Heather Urban  (aide for Representative Shelly Berkley) individually on May 7 to seek support for library legislation now pending.  The group especially shared Nevada's LSTA success stories to let them know how important federal funding is to our library users in Nevada.

Eva Stowers, Camille Randol, Holly Van Valkenburgh and Susan Graf wait in Representative Berkley's office to meet with her aide, Heather Urban.

Holly Van Valkenburgh and Sara Jones discuss LSTA Success Stories with Representative Jim Gibbons.

Scott Sisco and Martha Gould with Representative Gibbons.  Note the Nevada Library Association pin on Rep. Gibbons right lapel!!!

Senator Harry Reid listens as Martha Gould thanks him for his continuing support of libraries in Nevada.

Discussing issues important to Nevada libraries are  (group at table) Holly VanValkenburgh, Scott Sisco, Susan Graf, Martha Gould, Senator Reid, Sara Jones and (seated on bench in background) Eva Stowers and Camille Randol.

The visit with Senator Reid allowed the group to see his impressive offices in the Capitol now that he is Majority Whip in the Senate.  He also arranged a tour of Statuary Hall so that members of the group participating in the new Nevada statue project (the subject of the statue is Sarah Winnemucca) could see the area.  The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol is comprised of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. The entire collection now consists of 97 statues contributed by 50 states. Forty-seven states have contributed two statues each. Three states are eligible to donate one additional statue to the Capitol: Nevada, New Mexico, and North Dakota.

Nevada's first statue

Patrick Anthony McCarran
Nevada (1876-1954)

Distinguished lawyer and statesman whose opinions as chief justice of the Nevada supreme court, 1917-1918, remain valued legal text.  Served as a U.S. Senator from 1932 until his death in 1954.

Susan Graf, Sara Jones, Holly VanValkenburgh, Cindy DeLanty and Camille Randol relax and enjoy a reception for the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, Monticello Room.

We even found time to do some sightseeing along the Capitol Mall.

The two days of National Library Legislative Day are packed with briefing sessions and visits to our state legislators and are rewarding to attend.  Next year's legislative day will be held May 12-13.  If you would like to get involved, please contact any NLA Board Member or Cindy DeLanty (delantyca@worldnet.att.net). 

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