Urgent Information from San Diego Public Law Library

Lights Out at the Law Library? Amended Assembly Bill May Leave the San Diego County Public Law Library in the Dark A recently amended version of Assembly Bill 2648 will be voted on by the Senate in August, 2002. Its passage could leave the San Diego County Public Law Library financially devastated and may mean the closure of its branches. Currently, county governments within California provide building space and electricity for county public law libraries. Under an amended version of this bill, which would apply only to San Diego County, the Law Library would be required to assume this burden. That means that the Law Library would be forced to drastically cut hours, staff, books, and probably close the doors of any branches. County public law libraries provide access to law materials to the public free of charge. They provide librarians to help people find laws and learn about how changes in the law affect them. Don't let this hasty, ill-conceived legislation take away these important services! Let your legislators know how much county law libraries mean to you. Please take a moment and write a letter to the legislators listed below, telling them how important the Law Library is to you and how it has helped you. E-mail and phone calls are not as effective as a letter. Since this bill may be voted on as early as August 5, we need you to get your letters out as soon as possible. Below is a list FAX numbers for Senators representing areas within San Diego County, in addition to Assemblyman Mark Wyland, the person who introduced this amended legislation. If you are outside the San Diego area, click here to find out who your Senator is. To view a copy of the letter that the Director of the Law Library sent to Assemblyman Mark Wyland, click here. Please be sure and send us a copy so we can keep your positive statement of support on file to make sure that future legislators don't try the same dirty tricks. Thanks! Write to: Senator Dede Alpert, District 39 1557 Columbia St. San Diego, CA 92101 FAX #916-327-2188 Senator Bill Morrow, District 38 27126A Paseo Espada Suite 1621 San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 FAX #916-446-7382 Senator Ray Haynes, District 36 6800 Indiana Avenue Suite 130 Riverside, CA 92506 FAX #916-447-9008 Senator Jim Battin, District 37 15708 Pomerado Road Suite N-107 Poway, CA 92064 FAX #916-327-2187 Senator Steve Peace, District 40 7877 Parkway Drive Suite 1B La Mesa, CA 91942 FAX #916-327-3522 Assemblyman Mark Wyland, District 74 221 Main Street, Suite 205 Vista, CA 92084 FAX #916-319-2174

We hope you've enjoyed our newsletter. We're hard at work on the next edition. In the meantime, please visit us online at: http://www.sdcll.org/. And come see us in person at one of our locations. For locations and hours please click here: http://www.sdcll.org/location.htm. For more information contact: Amy Hale-Janeke ahale@sdcll.org Media Coordinator / Reference Librarian (619) 531-3900