Concentrated citizen action IS the way forward in this moment, and I agree wholeheartedly with Liza (and George and Bethany): the messages we use will have to speak to citizens well beyond our fields. It would be wonderful to galvanize a network in this moment that can articulate *clearly and with unified voices* that libraries, archives, and museums are NOT luxuries for the privileged; they are vital to the health and success of our nation and our world. Bethany, thank you as always for being such an articulate, thoughtful, thought-provoking and community-minded force in our field. As a citizen, I welcome others in NC who want to "caucus for mutual support" (to quote Liza's lovely statement) to let me know. All my best, k *Katherine Skinner, PhD* Executive Director, Educopia Institute http://educopia.org Working from Greensboro, NC [log in to unmask] | 404 783 2534 On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 1:24 PM, Liza Loop <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Dear Bethany, > > I will respond to your request for citizen action from here in Northern > California. You are *not* alone! > > In addition, may I suggest that it's time to compose some messages to > conservatives and military hawks to explain, in language meaningful to > them, exactly how these budget cuts will impact programs they value. We > need to go beyond "preaching to the choir" and encourage our opposition to > think more strategically, systematically and deeply. This action may > require research into funding that supports conservative scholarship as > well as local and religious history. > > Any colleagues in my geographical region who would like to caucus for > mutual support, please feel free to contact me. > > Sincerely, > > Liza Loop > History of Computing in Learning and Education (HCLE) Project. > www.hcle.org > [log in to unmask] > > On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 8:44 AM, <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> Thank you for this strong statement. It is a wonderful call to action. >> I'm acting. >> >> Michelle >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Mar 16, 2017, at 11:19 AM, Bethany Nowviskie <[log in to unmask]> >> wrote: >> >> Dear friends, >> >> Last night, the Trump administration released its new budget blueprint >> <https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-presidential-budget-2018-proposal/>, >> an advisory document that proposes increases in spending to military >> programs and national security, coupled with major decreases to—or the >> complete elimination of—many programs supporting scientific data >> and research, human health, and environmental safety; social uplift, >> education, and protection for the poor; international >> diplomacy, cooperation, and aid; and the arts, culture, history, and museum >> and library services. The House and Senate will now begin offering their >> own budget resolutions, and a long process of negotiation—informed by the >> will of the people, as expressed to our elected representatives—will >> ultimately result in Appropriations committee legislation setting funding >> levels for agencies and offices germane to the goals of the Digital >> Library Federation <https://www.diglib.org/about/> and its mission to >> “advance research, learning, social justice, and the public good.” >> >> These include—among many others—agencies and offices whose federal >> budgets the Trump administration proposes to *eliminate entirely*: the National >> Endowment for the Humanities <https://www.neh.gov/>, the Corporation for >> Public Broadcasting <http://www.cpb.org/> (which supports NPR and >> PBS), the National Endowment for the Arts <https://arts.gov/>, the Woodrow >> Wilson International Center for Scholars <https://arts.gov/>, the US >> Institute of Peace <https://www.usip.org/>, the Appalachian Regional >> Commission <https://www.arc.gov/about/index.asp>—and of course the IMLS, >> the Institute of Museum and Library Services <https://www.imls.gov/>. >> IMLS not only supports academic library and information science R&D >> programs that contribute to the development of a coherent and utterly >> necessary national digital platform; it also supports public programming >> and education in our nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 >> museums—themselves vulnerable to future budget cuts. Future reductions may >> also be proposed to the budgets of the National Archives, the Library of >> Congress, the Smithsonian Institution and other federally-funded keepers of >> records, culture, and national memory. >> >> Program officers and staff of public service organizations like these are >> prohibited by the federal Hatch Act of 1939 from engaging in some forms >> of political activity, thus curtailing their ability to advocate fully for >> the agencies to which they have devoted so much, while serving as agency >> representatives. *The DLF community must represent them, and—in our >> support for the myriad ways these agencies serve us—we raise our voices >> <https://www.indivisibleguide.com/> to represent the communities and >> publics we serve together. * >> >> Last month, in a national climate of growing division and rising >> fear, the DLF and its parent organization, CLIR, offered a statement >> outlining our community’s enduring values and our own “Deepening Resolve >> <https://www.diglib.org/archives/13504/>.” I spend my every day in awe >> of the imagination, drive, compassion, and expertise of DLF >> practitioners. I know the people who make up our working groups >> <https://www.diglib.org/groups/> and who staff our member institutions >> <https://www.diglib.org/members/> are resolute in their understanding of >> the power of digital libraries to serve—as we put it in the statement >> <https://www.diglib.org/archives/13504/>—”individuals and institutions >> that are both stalwart and vulnerable, people living now and generations >> yet to come.” The DLF community strives to build usable, welcoming, and >> respectful knowledge representation systems that embody “our shared, core >> values of enlightened liberalism and scientific understanding,” help us >> understand the past and imagine better futures, and advance “our mission to >> create just, equitable, and sustained global cultures of accessible >> information.” >> >> These are lofty goals. Like all things, they start in the local >> <https:[log in to unmask]>, >> the embodied, the world near to you. >> >> Regardless of your party affiliation or political creed (and in the >> understanding that diversity of thought is among our community’s great >> strengths)—if you share my concern about aspects of the current >> administration’s budget proposal and vision for libraries, research data, >> and cultural heritage in the digital age, I urge you to *contact your >> representatives <https://www.contactingcongress.org/> and make your views >> known*. Finally, I remind you that the DLF has very consciously redoubled >> its efforts <https://www.diglib.org/archives/13044/> to function as a >> flexible, pragmatic, and supportive framework for grassroots efforts of all >> kinds, relevant to our field. DLF members and non-members alike are invited >> to use us as a platform for effective community organizing >> <https://wiki.diglib.org/About_DLF_and_the_Organizers%27_Toolkit>. We >> are here for you, and for the futures you want to build. >> >> —Bethany (writing quickly and alone; Team CLIR/DLF and DLF Advisory >> Committee endorsements, additions, or productive dissent may yet come) >> This statement is posted online: https://www.diglib.org/archives/13694/ >> >> Bethany Nowviskie >> Director of the Digital Library Federation (DLF) at CLIR >> Research Associate Professor of Digital Humanities, UVa >> diglib.org | clir.org | ndsa.org | nowviskie.org | she/her/hers >> >> >> >> >> >> > > > -- > Liza Loop > History of Computing in Learning and Education (HCLE) Project. > www.hcle.org > [log in to unmask] >