Contact: Steve Zalusky


Manager of Communications, PIO


(312) 280-1546


szalusky@ala.org

NEWS


For Immediate Release


July 15, 2008

ALA Council passes resolution in support of the National Agricultural Library

At the American Library Association (ALA) 2008 Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif., the ALA Council adopted a resolution in support of the National Agricultural Library (NAL).

In the resolution, the Council urges the United States Congress to fund NAL for fiscal year 2009 at the $22-million level recommended by the House Agricultural Subcommittee. It also calls on ALA to raise awareness of the value of the four national libraries.

The NAL is the world’s largest agricultural library, providing collections, journals, databases and other data and information and services that help citizens establish successful agricultural practices.

It also provides guidance in such areas as gardening, animal husbandry, organic farming, pesticide management, ecological stewardship, water quality, invasive species, healthy diet choices and food safety.

Along with the National Library of Education, the National Library of Medicine and the National Transportation Library, the NAL is one of four national libraries responsible for collecting and organizing materials in support of research in their special fields. Although the costs of purchasing books, journals, database operations and management, delivery of comprehensive reference services and other library materials and services have increased as much as 12% annually over the last two decades, the NAL’s appropriated budget has remained essentially constant since 1995.

The President’s fiscal year 2009 budget estimate includes a $4 million reduction from the fiscal year 2008 budget estimate and $6 million less than the fiscal year 2007 actual budget for the library. This change will force NAL to eliminate nearly 60 positions by the end of fiscal year 2009.