Libraries across Iowa need your help! Please contact the Governor and your legislative representatives and tell them that a 1.1 million dollar cut to libraries is unacceptable in a state budget projected to increase by 6%
Governor Culver's proposed FY 2009 budget proposal cuts state library funding by 18%! That's $1,119,442. Should this proposal stand, the following programs or agencies will see cuts: State Library, $135,000; Library Service Areas, $259,442; and Enrich Iowa $725,000.
What does this mean to you?
First, libraries across the state will have substantially less money to spend on materials, programming and technology. Public libraries use Enrich Iowa monies to supplement and extend services. Without state dollars expect longer waits for books, fewer programs for children, less computer access, and diminished outreach efforts. In addition, state wide reciprocal borrowing could be in jeopordy.
Second, reductions to Library Service Areas (LSA) affects continuing education for library staff. Smaller libraries with the fewest resources will feel this reduction most deeply.
Third, the proposed reduction in State Library funds indirectly impacts public library budgets throughout the state. The State Library uses its monies, in part, to negotiate statewide acquistions of electronic databases that benefit all Iowans. The State Library can negotiate better prices and extend budgets for larger libraries and offers products that would otherwise be unavailable in smaller communities.
Fourth, Iowa currently ranks 30th in state support to libraries. A cut of more than a $1,000,000 would reduce funding to pre 1999 levels and place Iowa in the bottom tier of support for libraries. In addition, the propsed cut could jeopordize federal funds received by the State Library.
I sincerely hope you choose to contact the Governor and your local legislators. This is how to access them:
E-mail the Governor
chet.culver@iowa.gov
Write the Governor
Office of The Governor and Lt. Governor
State Capitol
Des Moines, IA 50319
Call the Office of The Governor
515.281.5211
Addresses for your legislators available online at:
Senate: http://www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/Legislators/SenateEmail.aspx
House: http://www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/Legislators/HouseEmail.aspx
or contact your local library for more contact information.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
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1 comments:
Here is what I had to say at our (Black Hawk County) Legislative Forum:
In the past I have come before you to present the case of public libraries in the communities you and I represent. In the last year, 64% of Iowans held library cards and, collectively, made some 16 million visits to public libraries.
I want to thank you for your past support and ask for your assistance this year.
As you probably know by now, the governor’s FY 2009 budget proposal cuts library funding in Iowa by 18%! That is $1,119,442! This would cut the following:
State Library $135,000;
Library Service Areas $259,442; and
Enrich Iowa $725,000.
The $725,000 cut to Enrich Iowa came from the infrastructure fund known as RIIF. The governor's proposal removes $1,000,000 from RIIF. $50,000 of that had gone to the LSAs, and the remainder ($950,000) to Enrich Iowa. Then, only $225,000 is put back in the general fund as a replacement for the $950,000 in RIIF funding that had been going to Enrich Iowa. This results in the $725,000 net loss to Enrich Iowa. As you can see this will affect libraries in a big way.
The overall budget has a 6% increase in spending and libraries are suffering an 18% cut. The end result would be that services to all of Iowa’s library users would be devastated. We want you to know that the governor’s budget cuts for libraries needs to be changed.
I would like to give you some representative examples of the kinds of services the programs present to local and rural serving libraries, this is by no means exclusive; if I tried that the card lady would come over and beat me with the time cards.
So as examples:
The State Library of Iowa provides the SILO system/database, over which 108,000+ interlibrary loans were made with a value of over a million dollars.
The Enrich Iowa cut of $725,000 represents 72,500 items in materials or
more materials than in all the collection of all the libraries in Black Hawk County excepting Waterloo(42 %)/Cedar Falls(57 %),
more than Waverly Public Libraries total collection (60K) by 19%
About the same as the collections of Ankeny (70K), Fort Dodge or Marshalltown (79K) libraries.
Finally the Library Service Areas:
This cut will end the library early childhood literacy program statewide. But I would like to point out it will also mean a cut of about $37,000 to the NE Library Service Area.
What that may mean, as an example, is the loss of the person at the Library Service Area who understands the Federal Education Rate program. Last year (2006/7) that amounted to over $72,000 this year (07/8) over $77,000 returned to NE Iowa that would otherwise have gone to other states. {Ran out of time & stopped here} Additionally the lost of that person would mean the loss statewide of the go-to person for Education Rate questions for libraries from the largest library to smallest & a number of schools & school related agencies. It seems foolish, to me, to lose $77,000 to save $37,000.
We ask of you the restoration of last years budget for libraries of $1,321,000 and a 6% increase ($79,000) to $1,400,000 which represents about 2/3 the increase in the costs of materials. (2007 Bowker Annual.Hardcover books increased 9.87%)
Thank you for your attention, I will be happy to answer any questions that you may have or find an answer for you.
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