Libraries need funding
Ms. Zimmerlink’s commentary completely ignores the impact of Senate Bill 850’s funding cuts on all Pennsylvania public libraries. Senate Bill 850 proposed a 50 percent cut to the State Library. The State Library is a key resource for Pennsylvania public libraries. Programs that would have been cut include:
– Power Library, a service that is in every school district and state aided library. Fifty million searches were done in 2008.
– Reciprocal Borrowing Privileges, a service that allows patrons to access library materials from other libraries. Over 17,000,000 books were borrowed in 2008.
– Interlibrary Loan Delivery Service, a service that moves interlibrary loan books from library to library. Two million books were moved in 2008. F
– Federal LSTA Funds for public libraries to development juvenile and young adult collections.
– Finally, local library operating budgets would have been cut on average of 12.5 percent.
This would have forced public libraries to reduce service hours and cut staff and result in a loss of over 1,000 library jobs in Pennsylvania. These are just a few of the resources Pennsylvania public libraries would have lost with Senate Bill 850.
Resources that have allowed public libraries to minimize costs while maximizing service to patrons. It would be a tragedy to lose any of these services because public libraries cannot afford them.
Pennsylvania public libraries offer a great value for every public dollar spent. It is estimated that Pennsylvania local economies would lose $1,377,000,000.00 without local public libraries. It’s a far cry from the funding that the Commonwealth spends on state aided public libraries.
Meredith Hamilton
Brownsville Free
Public Library Director