Report on State Funding for Libr

Report on State Funding for Library Services 2009/2010

Here’re the final figures:

Program	FY 08-09 (as passed in July, 2008)	FY 08-09 Adjusted (after funds placed in reserve, 2009)	FY 09-10 (as passed in State House, Oct. 7, 2009)	FY 09-10 compared to FY 08-09 Adjusted	% Change
Office of Commonwealth Libraries (includes State Library operations)	$ 4,846,000	$ 4,591,000	$ 2,396,000	- $ 2,195,000	- 47.8%
Library Services/Visually Impaired & Disabled	$ 2,976,000	$ 2,976,000	$ 2,926,000	- $ 50,000	- 1.7%
Library Access (POWER Library, statewide card, interlibrary delivery)	$ 7,290,000	$ 7,000,000	$ 3,000,000	- $ 4,000,000	- 57.1%
Electronic Library Catalog (Ask Here PA, Access PA database)	$ 3,792,000	$ 3,542,000	($ 0 - programs merged into Library Access)	- $ 3,542,000	- 100%
Public Library Subsidy	$ 75,750,000	$ 75,137,000	$ 60,000,000	- $ 15,137,000	- 20.1%

Total – All Programs	$ 94,654,000	$ 93,246,000	$ 68,322,000	- $ 24,924,000	- 26.7%

With the Public Library Subsidy reduced 20.1%, the direct hit to Snyder County Libraries will be approximately $30,000 (less than previously feared). However, we’ll see significant reductions in many services provided by the other line items (Library Access, Electronic Library Catalog, Office of Commonwealth Libraries).

Some statistics about Library Access and Electronic Library Catalog use:

POWER provided 50 million searches in 2008 from 3,000 libraries – a 32% increase in one year.
For 11 years, POWER Library databases have been selected to help teachers teach and students learn content addressed in the PA Academic Standards, and higher PSSA reading test scores are correlated to these licensed databases.
Ask Here PA, an online 24/7 reference service, answers 10,000 questions per month, half of which are from K-12 students.
The ACCESS PA online catalog represents the combined collections of more than 3,018 school, public, academic and special libraries statewide – almost all available for borrowing.
Over 2,000,000 books have been shared through interlibrary loan to students and residents statewide.

Library Access, including POWER Library will be cut 57.1%.

Electronic Library Catalog (including Ask Here PA) will be cut 100% (the programs previously funded at $3.5 million merged into Library Access)!