to my LA friends, if you have a moment...

... I urge you to read below, and take the time to act upon it. I don't forward on this sort of thing very often, but this is something that means a lot to me.

(Most of the content of this post is taken from a letter from the Library Foundation of Los Angeles.)

Faced with a citywide budget shortfall, LA elected officials are proposing deep cuts to the Los Angeles Public Library department budget that will result in:

1. Reducing the book budget by $2 million This is a 22% cut from last year’s book
budget, and a 33% cut from two years ago. Ouch.

2. Closing the eight regional branch libraries on Sundays, due to a reduction of staff positions.

3. “Short-term layoffs” of Library staff, which may further reduce library service.

While I am not a public librarian and will not be directly affected by these budget cuts, I have friends who might be, and I strongly believe in the role of the Library as the cultural heart of the city and as an institution worth fighting for.

Now is the time to voice your support for this essential educational and cultural resource by asking the Mayor and City Council to reverse these devastating cuts to the Library's budget.

On May 1, the Los Angeles City Council is scheduled to hold public hearings regarding the proposed 2008-2009 City Budget.

I urge you to make your concern known to the Mayor and members of the City Council, whose contact information may be accessed here.

Here's what you can do:

· E-mail, fax or telephone the mayor or city officials, using this sample letter provided for your reference.

· Share these key message points as well as the sample letter with other friends and colleagues who in turn can serve as advocates.

Also, please feel free to forward this blog post on to anyone else you know who might be concerned by this.

Thank you for your support of the Los Angeles Public Library!

(Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.)