Big gushing thanks to all who wrote, called and otherwise goaded congress and the senate into passing an omnibus spending bill that fully funds LSTA and increases funding to other important library programs.

Special thanks are due to our RI delegation - Senators Reed and Whitehouse and Representatives Kennedy and Langevin - who needed no prodding, but have long consistently championed library efforts. Please follow up your successful lobbying by communicating the thanks and encouragement our senators and congressmen deserve.

ALAs Washington Office lists the following highlights of the Omnibus bill that President Obama has signed:

• LSTA total is $215 plus administration for IMLS. This includes the long
  fought for $171.5 million for the State Grant.
• Improving Literacy Through School Libraries is $19.145 million
• GPO (Government Printing Office) got $141 million.
• Superintendent of Documents - $38,744,000
• Congressional Printing and Binding - $96,828,000
• Revolving Fund-$4,995,000
• The Library of Congress total was $607 million which includes enough
  money to complete the Talking Books transition. "

The additional funds in the LSTA program will mean an additional estimated $142,000 for RI libraries in FY 2009. The funding for completion of the Talking Books transition ensures that our Talking Books Plus will soon be able to provide digital resources to anyone in Rhode Island who is unable to read standard print because of a visual or physical handicap.

Howard Boksenbaum, MLIS
Chief Library Officer
State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
Office of Library and Information Services