The finance of public libraries is not always a bad picture

Citation

Fitzsimons, E. (2002), "The finance of public libraries is not always a bad picture", The Bottom Line, Vol. 15 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/bl.2002.17015dab.002

The finance of public libraries is not always a bad picture

The finance of public libraries is not always a bad picture

Keywords: Public finance, Library users, Public libraries, Library services

Like local news broadcasts that tend to develop’a formula, news items about public library finances are usually quite predictable. They tend to be either budget-cut stories or good-news stories, that is, the generous gift stories, and although the idea of a free library supported by public funds is part of the American credo, the good-news articles are about the libraries with active fundraising plans or "good friends". There are, to be sure, the "not-so-bad-news articles"; these announce a budget cut that is less severe than originally announced. This spring there were stories of all three types (bad news, not-so-bad news, and good news) about the New York Public Library.

First it was reported that the New York City libraries were facing a 15 per cent budget cut (Oder, 2002a). Mayor Mike Bloomberg had presented a budget on 13 February that cut a total of $39 million from the libraries' funding. He also proposed a 15 per cent cut for cultural institutions and 7 per cent for school budgets. The library systems – New York, Queens Borough, and Brooklyn – had already dealt with cuts of $16 million after 11 September and were planning for the new ones. This meant eliminating most Sunday hours and severely reducing the materials budgets. There was, to be sure, great concern among city council members, librarians, and library users. Many thought that this exceeded what was reasonable, and The New York Times published an editorial on 25 February demanding that the library cuts be limited to the level of the school budget cuts. In the past, mayor Rudy Giuliani's cuts had been reversed by the city council, but this year the city is facing a $4.76 billion budget deficit, and even those agencies that escape unscathed on budget time, such as the police and fire departments, are facing cuts.

In response to the proposed budget, in mid-May librarians and residents testified before city council, emphasizing the drastic effect that the reduced funding would have on library services (American Library Association, 2002a). On 28’May, the Long Island Newsday reported that Queens Borough public library director Gary Strong, who was looking at a $10.5 million reduction in funding, pointed out that most branches would be forced to drastically reduce morning and evening hours and literacy and children's programs; summer reading programs would be streamlined or eliminated. Paul LeClerc, president of the New York Public Library was quoted as saying, "we're not a frill, we are an essential service, and more than 30,000 children visit our libraries every day". Councilman Larry Seabrook (D-Bronx) predicted that the mayor would have a fight on his hands if the money wasn't restored. David Weprin (D-Queens) said, "we're going to fight for it because libraries benefit our most vulnerable citizens, children, and the elderly".

As a result of the lobbying by library supporters and a pro-library city council, the funding for the three systems will be reduced by 5 per cent rather than 15 per cent (Library Journal, 2002a). One of the high points is that the libraries will be able to support six-day-a-week services, and they will attempt to restore some of the collection and program enhancements that had been planned before the cuts.

At the same time, there were new projects for Brooklyn Public Library (BPL). The plans for the city's first Visual and Performing Arts Library (VPA), a $75 million, 150,000 square foot structure, were announced (Oder, 2002b). The VPA, which will be part of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), has the support of mayor Bloomberg. Groundbreaking is planned for 2005 and the opening for 2007. However, at this point BPL has only 10 to 15 per cent of the $75 million, and will have to launch a major fundraising campaign if the VPA is to become a reality.

The literature is full of similar news items; the’only differences are in the locations of the libraries, the names of the donors, and the amount of money received or lost. For example, in North Carolina, governor Mike Easley's office announced in mid-May that they would have to withhold the May and June aid payments for public safety and welfare, including $2.1 million in support for libraries (American Library Association, 2002b). This 15 per cent cut in the annual allotment was in addition to an earlier 7 per cent reduction. And FY 2002-2003 is not looking much better.

Likewise, in Arkansas, Department of Education director Ray Simon recommended eliminating the State Aid to Public Libraries program in FY 2003-2004 (Library Journal, 2002b). Ashley county librarian Henrietta Thompson spoke for many libraries throughout the country when she said, "we can function on what we get, but we can't ever do anything more than we are doing now. We will never be able to make any progress if we keep losing funds." Unless things change, her library will receive only about $8,000 of the $13,000 she had budgeted, and this was already down from nearly $22,000 last year.

Add the Spokane (Wash.) Public Library to the list. The library will be eliminating or freezing 13 positions, curtailing branch hours, and reducing the materials budget to cope with a 5.7 per cent cut (Library Journal, 2002c). In Los Angeles county the board of supervisors voted to restore $7.2 million of $8.4 million that was to be cut from the budget, which saved them from having to reduce hours of service by one-third or closing 15 branches (American Library Association, 2002c). However, there is still the possibility of cuts because the state budget is yet to be approved.

On the bright side, a widow who died last year left most of her estate, $1.2 million, to the Ventura County Library, specifying that the income from the bequest (about $60,000 annually) be used to buy books for her local branch library (Library Journal, 2002d). In Minnesota, the Mayo Clinic has promised $500,000 to the Rochester Public Library Foundation (Library Journal, 2002e, f). The pledge, which includes an initial gift of $250,000 and a promise of $50,000 per year for five years in matching grants, will expand services to youth, non-English-speaking patrons, and those without access to basic technology. It will also make it possible to enlarge collections. The young-adult area will be named in honor of the Mayo Clinic.

In Contra Costa county, CA, $1.1 million in matching funds from the county will make it possible to keep branch libraries open beyond the county's minimum of 29 hours per week (Library Journal, 2002f). The cities are required to match the county's contribution. Another $200,000 will be used to purchase books, and 50 staff members have been hired for the extra hours.

Although John Berry reminds us that "libraries are still, and should be, dependent on taxes", and that we should not "let the government off the hook" (Berry, 2002). There is a trend toward libraries establishing foundations with full-time development officers (Albanese, 2002). For example, the Public Library of Des Moines Foundation has been raising $350,000 per year and this amount is growing. These monies are used to augment the budgets for books, databases, and special programs. Berry is not alone in warning about fundraising backfiring. There has long been concern that aggressive fundraising will send the wrong message, and in the wake of success budgets will be even more severely slashed and the concept of public libraries as essential institutions will be lost. However many libraries are finding that just the opposite is true, and that fundraising – from establishing an endowment to setting up matching funds with a municipal, county, or state agency – raises the library profile rather than lowers it.

The tension between private fundraising and government support is likely to continue, and libraries will continue to seek to find the right balance. So, expect predictable news items to continue. Expect more items about successful partnerships, aggressive fundraising, bequests and large grants, lobbying for more generous public funding, and tales of woefully inadequate funding.

Eileen FitzsimonsFitzsimons Editorial Services, Chicago, IL, USA

 

References

Albanese, A.R. (2002), "Foundations for the future", Library Journal, Vol. 127 No. 9, p. 8.

American Library Association (2002a), 3 June, available at: www.ala.org/alonline/news/2002.html

American Library Association (2002b), 20 May, available at: www.ala.org/alonline/news/2002.html

American Library Association (2002c), 1 July, available at: www.ala.org/alonline/news/2002.html

Berry, J.N. III (2002), "Don't let the government off the hook" [Editorial], Library Journal, Vol. 127 No. 9, p. 8.

Library Journal (2002a), 1 July, available at: libraryjournal.reviewsnews.com/index

Library Journal (2002b), 17 June, available at: http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews.com/index

Library Journal (2002c), 29 May, available at: http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews.com/index

Library Journal (2002d), 27 June, available at: http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews.com/index

Library Journal (2002e), 5 June, available at: http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews.com/index

Library Journal (2002f), 15 June, available at: http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews.com/index

Oder, N. (2002a), "NYC libraries face 15 per cent cut", Library Journal, 15 March, available at: http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews.com/index

Oder, N. (2002b), "Brooklyn PL plans new arts library", Library Journal, 15 June, available at: http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews.com/index