91´«Ã½

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sari Feldman, president of the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½), thanks Senate signatories for the urging conference committee members to maintain an important literacy and arts program for underserved children in a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). She issued the following statement:

“We commend the bipartisan leadership of these Senators for understanding just how important literacy training is for children in need and for flagging the importance of maintaining this existing program to the attention of the conference committee. I’m proud that school libraries, among other entities, continue to transform for the 21^st Century, providing on-line tools, research and guidance that serves students and complements the work of teachers through the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program, providing books and childhood literacy activities to children and families in high need communities.”

Signatories to the letter include Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

The letter was sent to Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the committee.

About the 91´«Ã½

The 91´«Ã½ is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 55,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the 91´«Ã½ is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.