WLA States Opposition to Budget Repair Bill

The Wisconsin Library Association opposes the proposed Budget Repair Bill and affirms the collective bargaining rights of public employees.  

In times of challenge and rapid change, it is important to examine our traditions to find sources of strength and stability.  Governor Scott Walker quoted Wisconsin’s State Constitution recently to remind us of the important Wisconsin tradition of “frugality.”  There is another Wisconsin tradition, however, the tradition of “fairness,” that also needs to be taken into account.  

The concept of fairness, like frugality, has had a long history of bipartisan support in this state.  Wisconsin has supported fairness through protecting the rights of workers, requiring open and ethical government practice, and supporting strong institutions of public education to help everyone fully participate in our state’s economic and social life.   

Wisconsin’s school, technical college, university, and community libraries have supported the values of both frugality and fairness throughout the long histories of these institutions.  Libraries help us save money by providing a means to share library materials, databases, equipment such as computers, and visiting authors and performers.  Sharing these valuable resources as a community costs much less than purchasing them as individuals.

Libraries extend the power of this local sharing through cooperative networks that give the users of local libraries access to the collections of other libraries.  Our success in sharing these educational resources is a model of efficiency and frugality.  The importance of library service is most evident in difficult economic times like these.  Library use has soared during the current recession as fewer people are able to purchase these services on their own.

The ultimate goal of libraries is not frugality, however, but fairness.  Extending the critically important opportunity for education to all of our citizens is what libraries are all about and what motivates librarians and library workers to come to work every day.  We understand that Wisconsin will not move forward without educated citizens and that real economic and social progress won’t be possible unless all Wisconsinites move forward together as we have done in the past.  

The Budget Repair Bill is certainly frugal, but it is also certainly unfair.  The bill has been promoted as a means of making the compensation of public employees fair when compared with the private sector.  Librarians will be glad to direct legislators to the many studies which prove that public employee compensation including pensions and health insurance is below compensation for comparable private sector jobs, both nationally and in Wisconsin.  Inaccurately portraying public employees as being overpaid is unfair.  It is also unfair to include sweeping policy changes in the areas of collective bargaining rights, Medicaid eligibility, and the sale of public assets in an emergency bill designed to strictly limit debate on these important issues.

The Wisconsin Library Association supports the Wisconsin traditions of frugality and fairness.  We are proud to stand with those who oppose this unfair legislation.
--Ron McCabe, President-elect, Wisconsin Library Association

WLA President Rhonda Puntney on Library Legislative Day and More

As you are all aware and as reported in last week's American Libraries Direct, the Wisconsin Library Association postponed our annual Library Legislative Day scheduled for this past Tuesday due in part to the events occurring in Madison the past two weeks. 

This was not a reflection of our position regarding the budget reform bill proposed by Governor Walker.  WLA executive director Lisa Strand, chair of the library development and legislative committee Paul Nelson, and WLA president Rhonda Puntney all felt that our message about the importance of ALL libraries in our state would be overlooked and lost during the budget repair discussions.  Also, many legislators either did not respond to requests for appointments or canceled appointments altogether.  Monday's inclement weather was also a factor.  The state assembly met Tuesday and much of the Capitol building was closed off to the public.

The next biennial budget will be introduced in early March, and WLA will reschedule Legislative Day during the month of March once the budget has been made public.

The WLA executive committee and the WLA board of directors have unanimously passed a motion opposing the governor's budget repair bill.  WLA vice president Ron McCabe has testified on behalf of WLA's membership at the Wisconsin Senate joint finance committee hearing on February 15.  His testimony follows here.   We have been encouraging our membership to participate in the rallies.  Many of our members have attended the rallies and informed the WLA office and shared their experiences on Facebook.

In addition to this, it is imperative that you continue to make phone calls and send emails to legislators promote the value of ALL libraries and library staff, and to secure adequate funding during this next biennium.  WLA is staying focused on direct communication with elected officials at the local, state and national level on a continual basis to show to them the impact libraries have in their local schools, universities and communities.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at rpuntney@lakeshores.lib.wi.us if you have concerns or comments.

Thank you,

Rhonda K Puntney

2011 WLA President

WLA President-elect Ron McCabe's testimony to Joint Finance on 2/15/11:

"I'm Ron McCabe, Director of McMillan Library, the public library in Wisconsin Rapids, and President-elect of the Wisconsin Library Association.  Our association supports the collective bargaining rights of public employees.  Many of those working in libraries, like myself, are not members of a union.  We share, however, a concern that this bill will reduce the quality of the services that libraries can provide to the citizens of Wisconsin.

Like other public organizations, public school, technical college, university, and community libraries are only as good as the people we can recruit and retain to work in these institutions.  We recruit nationally for professional staff.  Any long-term policy to reduce and suppress public employee compensation, like the bill before you, damages our ability to staff these important institutions with those capable of providing high-quality educational services.  

Managers have many tools for reducing expenditures when this is needed.  We feel that forcing all state and local agencies to balance their budgets by suppressing the compensation of public employees is not in the long-term interest of Wisconsin or Wisconsin's libraries."

ALA Statement in Support of Workers' Rights to Collectively Bargain

 Note: On 2/28/11, the WLA Board voted unanimously to endorse ALA's Statement in Support of Worker's Rights to Collectively Bargain.
2/24/11
The following is being widely distributed by ALA’s Public Information Office and is on the ALA website:
CHICAGO - As thousands protest proposed collective bargaining legislation in Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana, American Library Association (ALA) President Roberta Stevens released the following statement in support of those standing up for workers’ rights.
“While governments are facing financial challenges, addressing deficits should not serve as an opportunity to strip away the hard-won right of workers to collectively bargain,” said Stevens.
“As library visits continue to soar, with job seekers and families turning to our libraries to gain new skills and free access to education resources, the value of library service and staff should be recognized and protected.
“The ALA supports library employees in seeking equitable compensation and recognizes the principle of collective bargaining as an important element of successful labor-management relations. We affirm the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively with their employers, without fear of reprisal. These are basic workers’ rights that we defend for thousands of academic, public and school library professionals.”
The American Library Association is the voice of America's libraries and the millions of people who depend on them. With more than 63,000 members, the ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world and represents all types of libraries and librarians.

Roberta Stevens

President, American Library Association

POSTPONED: Library Legislative Day

Library Legislative Day, which had been scheduled for Tuesday, February 22, is postponed due to weather and logistical factors related to the large crowds rallying about the governor's budget repair bill. 

While the crowds protesting (and in some cases, supporting) Governor Scott Walker's budget repair bill have been very well-behaved, we knew that access to the Capitol would be a bit challenging. Initially, offices were accessible, but over the weekend, Capitol Police restricted access to just two entrances and regulated the numbers of people moving in and out of the building. 

We don't know whether those restrictions will continue or not, but we didn't want to risk your traveling to the event only to be denied access. Finally, we were concerned that our message about libraries would be lost in the hubbub surrounding the budget repair bill. Even legislative staff, as tireless as they have been working, are exhausted and may have a difficult time devoting their attention fully to your visit.

Please stay tuned about plans to reschedule Library Legislative Day.

Thank you for your patience!

WLA Urges You to Vote No on Gov. Walker's Budget Adjustment Proposal

WLA urges you to contact your state legislators and urge a "no" vote on Governor Scott Walker's Budget Adjustment bill that seeks to end collective bargaining as we know it and decimate public employee unions.  This bill could be rushed through the legislature as early as this week! 

In short, public employees are asked to contribute 50 percent of their pension contribution (about 5.8% of pay) and pay 12.6% of the cost of their health insurance premiums. Perhaps more importantly, however, the governor's proposal would limited collective bargaining for most public employees to wages, and total wage increases could not exceed a cap based on CPI unless approved by referendum.

In addition, employers would be prohibited from collecting union dues, and members of collective bargaining units would not be required to pay dues. This part of the proposal does nothing to address the state's budget deficit. Unions operate on the premise that because the union's work benefits all workers, all workers should contribute dues. Without this requirement, it is difficult to see how public employee unions will have the voice they've had in the past.

The governor's proposal would exempt only law enforcement, fire employees and state troopers and inspectors.

The legislature's Joint Finance Committee is expected to act tomorrow, Tuesday, February 15 at 10:00 a.m. The Joint Retirement Systems Committee is expected to meet at 2:00 p.m. News reports indicate that there will be a public hearing in Joint Finance.

Please contact your state legislators today to urge them to vote no. If you are not sure who represents you, go to the Wisconsin State Legislature's website to use their "Who Represents Me" form.

Governor Asks for Delay in Releasing 2011-13 Biennial Budget

According to a report in the Wispolitics Budget Blog, the Senate has adjourned after approving a joint resolution to give Governor Walker until March 1 to release his 2011-13 biennial budget. The budget was to have been introduced on Tuesday, February 22. Speculation is that the savings proposed in the budget repair bill for this biennium are needed to meet the goals of the next budget.

Buckstaff Faces Foreclosure

The Oshkosh Northwestern reports on the financial troubles facing Oshkosh-based Buckstaff, a well known library vendor with about 100 employees. Buckstaff has long exhibited at the WLA Conference.

Not Official But Some More Good News -- National Archives Library

Update on the National Archives Library Information Center

In the last couple of days there has been much concern about the status of the National Archives Library Information Center (ALIC). The National Archives will be putting out an official statement on the issue, but in the meantime I was able to speak with David McMillen the External Affairs Liaison at the National Archives. He assured me that the library is not closing and the collection would remain accessible to the public. There are going to be changes to the library. Due to budget constraints the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) will be merging library services with other services. This means that:

    * The library will remain open and staffed and public access will remain
    * The library collection will remain intact (with the exception of the bound serial set being moved because the library has purchased an online version).
    * Like most libraries facing budget cuts, acquisitions will be substantially reduced.
    * Seven positions will be reassigned, not laid off. Some of those people may be providing library reference within a different unit, but it is too soon to say where people will be assigned.
    * The records management process with the Government Printing Office will not be affected by this merge.

Jessica McGilvray

Assistant Director, Office of Government Relations

A Little Good News for a Very Stressful Week

Good work, everybody! Because of ALA’s unprecedented grassroots efforts this week on amendment #35 to H.R. 1 (the Continuing Resolution to the FY2011 budget) was defeated! This victory for libraries is undoubtedly due to the strong grassroots efforts of librarians and library supporters all across the country.

As you recall, late Monday evening U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ-5) introduced an amendment that would eliminate all funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) including funding for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), the primary source of federal dollars to libraries.

Today, as the U.S. House of Representatives wraps up floor debate on HR 1, Rep. Garrett has made it clear to us that he is no longer “pushing” for a vote on his amendment. Once the House passes H.R. 1, - likely today or tomorrow - the budget will be sent over to the Senate where they will have the opportunity to make amendments and vote on this year’s budget bill.

Even though we overcame this amendment, our work is not done. H.R. 1 still has to be approved by the Senate and signed by the President. Please tell your friends, library users and advocates that their voices will be needed on library issues in the weeks and months to come.

Also, libraries face cuts in President Obama’s FY2012 budget request sent to Congress on February 14. In his request, President Obama cuts funding to LSTA by $20 million as well as consolidates Improving Literacy Through School Libraries with other literacy programs in the Department of Education. ALA needs you to continue your calls to Congress in our fight to protect library funding in FY’12.

This is only the beginning; libraries will continue to be threatened in the next Congress. Now, more than ever, we need your participation on May 9-10, 2011 at ALA’s National Library Legislative Day in Washington D.C. where you will have the opportunity to meet with your members of Congress and explain to them why cutting library funding would be short-sighted. To register for NLLD, please go to www.ala.org/nlld.

Kristin Murphy

Government Relations Specialist

American Library Association - Washington Office

1615 New Hampshire Ave. NW, First Floor

Washington, D.C., 20009-2520

Phone Number: 202.628.8410

kmurphy@alawash.org

Take action for libraries! Visit our Legislative Action Center at http://bit.ly/legaction

Renew, Energize, Sustain: WAAL 2011 Registration is Open

Registration is open for the 2011 Annual Conference of the Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians. Renew, Energize, Sustain will be held April 26-29, 2011 at the Ramada in Stevens Point, WI.

Hear Wednesday's keynote speaker Melissa Cragin discuss current research in the field of digital curation and learn more about instructional literacy from keynote Char Booth on Friday.  Breakout session topics include embedded librarians, circulating iPads, and IT experimentation.

Melissa Cragin

Char Booth

We encourage everyone to register early via the online registration system.  Links to online registration as well as a PDF print registration form are available on the conference Web site at http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/waal/conferences/2011/registration.html.

Deadline for early, discounted registration is April 8, 2011.

Remember to reserve your room at the Ramada in Stevens Point.  Call the front desk at 1-800-998-2311 and request the conference rate - $89 single/$99 double occupancy.

For more information and additional registration details and costs, visit the conference Web site at http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/waal/conferences/2011/index.html.  Register early to take full advantage of these discounts!

Federal Legislation Critical to Future of Libraries

ADVOCACY URGENTLY NEEDED: House considering two amendments critical to the future of libraries

This week, the House of Representatives will consider two amendments to the FY2011 Continuing Resolution that are critical to libraries – one that would eliminate all Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funding including Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding and another that would halt all funding for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) orders seeking libraries and bookstore records of U.S. citizens.

E-mail via Capwiz or call your representative at (202) 224-3121 today and tell him or her to oppose Amendment #35 to the Continuing Resolution!

Amendment #35, submitted by U.S. Rep. Scott Garret (R-NJ), seeks to zero out the Institute of Museum and Library Services, eliminating all federal funding specifically for libraries.

Message to Your Representative:

• Libraries are essential to every community, and federal funding is critical for ensuring library resources and services remain available to their constituents.
• LSTA supports all kinds of libraries including school, academic, and public libraries.
• Public libraries are the primary source of no-fee access to the Internet and are active in assisting the public with online job searches, e-government services, and lifelong learning.

E-mail via Capwiz or call your representative at (202) 224-3121 today and tell him or her to support Conyers’ amendment to the Continuing Resolution!

This amendment, sponsored by U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), would halt all funding for FISA orders seeking libraries and bookstore records of U.S. citizens. Currently, this vote is scheduled for this Thursday, February 17.

Message to Your Representative:

• Vote YES on the Conyers amendment to the FY2011 Continuing Resolution to halt funding for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) orders that would seek library and bookstore records of U.S. citizens;
• The Conyers amendment seeks to protect individual privacy and personal reading records from inappropriate access by law enforcement;
• Like previous reader privacy bills, this amendment has bipartisan support;
• Law enforcement access to the reading habits of individuals should be held to a higher legal standard in order to protect civil liberties and the right to read and access information.

In the weeks to come, extending your advocacy efforts to your senators as well as continuing to reach out to your representatives will be vitally important to protecting the future of libraries. Questions as well as reports and feedback from your calls and e-mails are welcomed. Please contact Kristin Murphy or Lynne Bradley at the ALA Office of Government Relations, Washington Office

State Superintendent Tony Evers Urges Caution on Budget Adjustment Bill

Saying, "We need to make tough decisions, but we must be careful not to abandon fairness and a sense of decency in the name of boldness," State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers urged caution in a letter to the co-chairs of the legislature's Joint Finance Committee. See complete text of the letter...

Natl Library Legislative Day Stipend to be Awarded

The White House Conference on Library and Information Services Taskforce (WHCLIST) and the ALA Washington Office are calling for nominations for the 2011 WHCLIST Award. Each year, the award is granted to a non-librarian participant in National Library Legislative Day (NLLD). The winner receives a stipend of $300 and two free nights at the NLLD hotel). This year, NLLD will be held on May 9 and 10 in Washington, D.C.

WHCLIST has been an effective force in library advocacy nationally, statewide and locally since the White House Conferences on Library and Information Services in 1979 and 1991. WHCLIST has provided its assets to the ALA Washington Office to transmit its spirit of dedicated, passionate library support to a new generation of advocates. Both ALA and WHCLIST are committed to ensuring the American people get the best library services possible.

The criteria for the WHCLIST Award are:

• The recipient should be a library supporter (trustee, friend, general supporter) and not a professional librarian.
• Recipient should be a first-time attendee of NLLD.

Representatives of WHCLIST and the ALA Washington office will choose the recipient. The ALA Washington Office will contact the recipient’s senators and representatives to announce the award. The winner of the WHCLIST Award will be announced at NLLD.

Application materials are due April 1, 2011.

To apply for the WHCLIST award, please submit a completed NLLD registration form; a letter explaining why you should receive the award; and a letter of reference from a library director, school librarian, library board chair, Friend’s group chair, or other library representative to:

Kristin Murphy

Government Relations Specialist

American Library Association

1615 New Hampshire Ave., NW

First Floor

Washington, DC 20009

202-628-8419 (fax)

kmurphy@alawash.org

Note: Applicants must register for NLLD and pay all associated costs. Applicants must make their own travel arrangements. The winner will be reimbursed for two free nights in the NLLD hotel in D.C and receive the $300 stipend to defray the costs of attending the event. The winner will be notified by April 7, 2011.

Economic Policy Institute Releases Report on Public Employee Compensation in Wisconsin

On February 11, 2011, the Washington, D.C.-based Economic Policy Institute released a briefing paper entitled, "Are Wisconsin Public Employees Over-Compensated?" The short answer: No. The report conclusion states, "Controlling for education, experience, hours of work, organizational size, gender, race, ethnicity, citizenship, and disability, both state and local public employees earn lower wages and receive less in compensation (including all benefits) than comparable private sector employees.

The report is one of a series of reports examining wages and total compensation for public employees.

DOA Declines Federal Grant to Expand Broadband Fiber to Schools and Libraries

On February 11, Michael Huebsch, Secretary of the Department of Administration, announced in a memo to TEACH customers on which WLA was copied, that the DOA would be declining the $23 million federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant intended to expand broadband fiber to Wisconsin schools and libraries.

Huebsch wrote, "Following extensive examination of complex technical issues, and review of multiple alternatives, DOA, the BCN (BadgerNet Converged Network) vendors and the NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) have exhausted all practical options. Accordingly, the BTOP grant cannot be implemented and DOA will be declining the award. Despite declining the grant, the DOA is happy to report that it will be immediately moving ahead with new BCN pricing and a new 5 year BCN contract extension which will allow DOA to meet its TEACH customers bandwidth needs."

DPI officials estimate that, if the contract extension is successfully negotiated, schools and libraries may be able to receive bandwidth increases similar to what was expected as a result of the failed federal grant. However, the loss of the grant is still regrettable because it means finite future capacity for these important institutions and their communities; copper wire can only provide so much bandwidth. In addition, libraries that were counting on the federal grant to pay for new routers to handle the increased bandwidth will have to seek new funding to cover those costs.

Budget Adjustment Bill to Include Major Changes for Public Employees

On Thursday, February 10, Governor Scott Walker released details of his budget adjustment proposal for the current biennium, calling for limits on collective bargaining for most public employees, at the same time requiring them to contribute 50% of their annual pension contributions (roughly 5.8% of salary) and pay at least 12.6% of the average cost of their health insurance premiums. In addition, the proposal would modify pension calculations for elected officials to be the same as for teachers and call for a report on possible changes to the Wisconsin Retirement System and state health insurance plans. The governor also proposes to repeal collective bargaining authority of Medicaid home health care workers, family child care workers, employees of UW Hospitals and Clinics and UW faculty and academic staff.

For a more detailed summary of the proposed budget adjustment bill, see the Wheeler Report.

ICMA Releases Report on Public Library Innovations

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) has just released a report entitled "Maximize the Potential of Your Public Library" as part of its Public Library Innovations Project, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The report details the results of nine grant projects that connected local public libraries with other local government and community partners. The report describes six themes that emerged from the grant projects:

1. Library and local government leaders need to connect on community priorities.
2. Building partnerships is the key to innovation.
3. Leadership happens at all levels of an organization.
4. Successful partnerships require commitment to the effort.
5. Innovation occurs in communities of all sizes.
6. Not every effort will be successful.

The report suggests that "when libraries are actively involved in important and strategic issues, local governments have more assets and capabilities to address community concerns."

Happy 120th Birthday, WLA!

Today marks the 120th anniversary of the founding of the Wisconsin Library Association. On February 11, 1891, a group of individuals gathered in the office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction for the purpose of establishing a state library association. At that meeting, a constitution was adopted and officers were elected. They included K. A. Linderfelt, president; R. G.Thwaites, vice-president; and F. A. Hutchins, secretary-treasurer.

See:

http://heritage.wisconsinlibraries.org/2011/01/wla-is-one-twenty-in-twenty-on.html   

Also see: http://heritage.wisconsinlibraries.org/ for other recent posts to the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center website.

-- Larry T. Nix, Chair, Wisconsin Library Heritage Center Steering Committee and Library History Buff

2011 Governor's Archives Awards Nominations Accepted Through April 1

Nominations for the 2011 Governor’s Archives Awards are being accepted by the Wisconsin Historical Records Advisory Board (WHRAB) and the Wisconsin Historical Society through Friday, April 1^st. The three awards recognize archival achievement, innovation, and advocacy work with historic documents. These awards honor individuals, organizations, and formal programs that make distinctive contributions to historical records preservation and access. Award winners will be announced in June and will be formally presented an award during Archives Month in October 2011. Last year’s award winners include the La Crosse Public Library Archives Department; UW Forest and Wildlife Ecology Lab in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Science Services and Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine; and Susan Braden of the Hedberg Public Library. For more information, including guidelines and printable nomination forms, visit our website at: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/whrab/about_award.asp, or contact Kim Pittman at kim.pittman@wisconsinhistory.org.

--Russell Horton, Chair, WLA's Wisconsin Genealogy & Local History Round Table

Lac du Flambeau Libraries Awarded ALA Loleta D. Fyan Grant

Mary Mann and Terry O’Connor, in partnership with the Lac du Flambeau Public Library, have been awarded the 2011 Loleta D. Fyan Grant for a proposal entitled “Revitalizing Libraries in Indian Country: The Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Research Center.” The project team proposed to create a research space located within the Lac du Flambeau Public Library that will provide the most extensive, diverse and up-to-date multimedia sources on local, regional and national Native American culture, both past and present. Read more on the Wisconsin Valley Library Service Digital Lites blog.

Super Bowl Wager Between Brown County and Pittsburgh Library Directors

Lynn Stainbrook, director of Brown County Library in Green Bay, has made a friendly Super Bowl wager with Barbara Mistick, director of the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh. Lynn reports that she will be offering the following books:

• The Cheese Lover’s Companion: the Ultimate A to Z Cheese Guide to help Pittsburgh readers love Cheeseheads as much as we love Pittsburgh for sending us Mike McCarthy.
• Johnsonville Big Taste of Sausage Cookbook. Packer fans thrive on bratwurst and sausage, especially in below freezing tailgating weather. We’re sure that Pittsburgh fans will find it tasty.
• Quickie Makes the Team, a children’s book by a  Green Bay author who might have something to do with the outcome of the game on Sunday (Packer Donald Driver #80)
• B is for Badger, a children’s alphabet book in which P is for Packers (S is not for Steelers)
• Pro Tactics: Steelhead & Salmon: Use the Secrets of the Pros to Catch More and Bigger Fish. Lynn is confident our NFC Pros will use a few secrets to catch the Steelhead big fish.
• Escape; the Story of the Great Houdini. For the Steelers to win, they must pull some magic tricks to escape the Packer defense.
• When Pride Still Mattered – the biography of, and now Broadway play,  “Lombardi “. I understand the Steelers have a couple of his trophies. Pittsburgh readers might enjoy learning about the man those trophies were named for.
• Art of Towel Origami  - something for Steeler fans to do with their Terrible Towels and since the towels are made in Wisconsin,  if the Steelers win, we’ll hope that Steeler fans will keep buying the towels and providing revenue for Wisconsin.

 And from Pittsburgh, Lynn reports that their wager is:

• About Three Bricks Shy-- and the Load Filled Up: The Story of the Greatest Football Team Ever / Roy Blount, Jr
• City of Champions. (CD) / Jimmy Pol Coming Home. (CD) / Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers
• Fallingwater Cookbook / Suzanne Martinson
• It's The Neighborhoods (DVD) / WQEDLighthead  /  Terrance Hayes
• Pittsburgh: A New Portrait / Franklin Toker
• Steel City Confessions / Thomas Lipinski
• Steel Town / Jonah Winter
• The Baby Goes Beep – board book version – Rebecca O’Connell
• The Chief / Jim O’Brien

Go Pack Go!

Governor Walker's State of the State Address

Governor Walker did not share many details about what would be in his budget package, scheduled for release February 22, in his State of the State address Tuesday night. However, one sentence gave a glimpse of what's to come:  "Our upcoming budget is built on the premise that we must right size our government. That means reforming public employee benefits – as well as reforming entitlement programs and reforming the state’s relationship with local governments."