skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Congress Considers Emergency Funding for Public Libraries

play audio
Play

Tuesday, July 28, 2020   

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Many Tennesseans depend on libraries for everything from paying bills, to Telehealth appointments, to completing coursework.

Earlier this month, lawmakers introduced legislation, known as the Library Stabilization Fund Act, that would provide $2 billion in emergency relief funding to libraries across the country, including at least $10 million for Tennessee.

Corinne Hill, Chattanooga Public Library executive director, said building maintenance, personal protective equipment purchases and other costly pandemic-related expenses have stretched her budget thin.

"The longer this goes on, the more strain we're going to feel on our budget. And we're definitely going to need help moving forward," Hill said. "And I think that the assistance that would come from the Library Stabilization Fund Act, we really have to have it if we're going to meet the increasing community needs and be able to reopen safely," she added.

She noted cash-strapped local governments are the primary source of funding for the 88 public libraries across the state, serving more than 3 million library cardholders. Time is running out for Congress to pass the legislation before the August recess.

Hill pointed out while many library services can be utilized online, individuals who lack internet access at home are being left behind.

"People who have access to high-speed broadband, move very, very quickly and seamlessly into our online environment," said Hill. "We saw a 46% increase in our e-book and audio-book downloads and a significant level of engagement with our online video programming."

Kent Oliver, Nashville Public Library Director, said residents who can't walk through the doors of their public library to job-search online are at a disadvantage, which has been worsened by the public health crisis.

"Those resources that are online are being accessed by people who have lost their jobs, and need a network to be able to job seek. People that need to put together resumes," Oliver said.

He said many people may not realize the range of job-related services libraries provide, including help with resume writing, online job searching and GED certification.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …


Organizations fighting wage theft said it harms affected workers and surrounding communities because the money withheld is not being circulated through the local economy. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021