Librarians from South Carolina urged Capitol Hill legislators to support libraries as part of National Library Legislative Day held May 2 and 3 in Washington, D.C.
Among those attending were Paul Dove, Francis Marion University; Tom Gilson, College of Charleston; David Goble, Director, SC State Library; Kitt Lisenby, Vice President/President Elect, SC Association of School Librarians; Quincy Pugh, President, SC Library Association; Dr. Curtis R. Rogers, Vice President/President Elect, SC Library Association; Elizabeth Shuping, Horry County Public Library; Todd Stephens, Spartanburg County Public Libraries; Bill Sudduth, University of South Carolina, Martha Taylor, McCants Middle School in Anderson School District 5; Ida Thompson, President, SC Association of School Librarians; and Rayburne Turner, Charleston County Public Library.
The group, representing South Carolina, met with members of the South Carolina Congressional delegation to seek support for library legislation now pending in Congress. After meeting with staff members of Senators DeMint and Graham, the 11 attendees then broke into two teams to meet with all six Congressional District Representatives: Henry Brown, 1st District, Joe Wilson, 2nd District, J. Gresham Barrett, 3rd District, Robert Inglis, 4th District, John Spratt, 5th District, and James Clyburn, 6th District.
The event is sponsored by the American Library Association, FOLUSA (Friends of Libraries USA), and other concerned organizations to raise awareness about the importance to local communities of federal funding and programs such as E-rate discounts on telecommunications services for libraries which, provides Internet access to South Carolina public libraries and schools. Additional key issues discussed with congressmen and staff were Reauthorization of No Child Left Behind to include verbiage regarding Library Media Specialists, Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program funding at $100 million, Network Neutrality, Copyright, Blocking and Filtering, Open Government Legislation as well as the PATRIOT Act/National Security Letters.
“Libraries are integral to an informed electorate,” said State Library Director David Goble. He also stated, “To ensure that South Carolina citizens continue receiving public library services, we must let Congress know the importance of libraries and library services at the local level.”
