| |||||||||||||
|
|
| |||||||||||
Off the Shelf @ Your Library |
|||||||||||||
|
Show me the money! By Kathryn E. Pillatzki
This is the second in a two-part series that attempts to answer questions about how your public libraries are funded and operated. Part I: Who Makes the Rules? is available at the Times website, www.henrycountytimes.com. I am often asked who pays for the libraries. The simple answer is: you, the taxpayer. The detailed answer is that no single source provides all the funding to operate public libraries. Rather, financial support is cobbled together from many local, state, federal and private sources. The State of Georgia provides three grants: Systems Services Grants to help with maintenance and operations, a grant to help with the purchase of books and other library materials, and a grant to pay the salaries of professional staff. Some of this funding comes from tax revenue within the state. The rest comes from the federal level via grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. These grants are made to the state and distributed by Georgia Public Library Service, a division of the Board of Regents. The state salary grant pays the Director’s salary. In addition, the state provides funds to pay additional licensed librarians, based on county population. Currently, Henry County qualifies for three state-paid positions in addition to the Director. The rest of the library system’s employees are paid with local funds provided by the Henry County Board of Commissioners. However, all library staff, from the Director on down, are employees of the Library Board of Trustees. The Henry County Board of Commissioners provides funding for public libraries in their annual budget. In addition to paying the salaries of the majority of the staff, these funds are designated to pay for utilities, to purchase and maintain computer equipment, and to buy books, databases, magazine subscriptions, and other materials for public use. This funding comes from your county taxes and, to a lesser extent, from impact fees assessed on new construction. The question of library ownership is also a bit complicated. In Henry County, the library buildings (with the exception of the current Hampton branch) are owned by the county. They were built as SPLOST projects, and the county owns and maintains the buildings, including all upkeep and landscaping. The current Hampton building is owned by the Library Board of Trustees, while the Hampton library under construction is a SPLOST project and will be owned by the county. While the county owns the buildings themselves, the Library Board of Trustees owns the contents of the buildings. From time to time, Henry County Library System also qualifies for grant money from various sources. Sometimes the grants come from government agencies and other times from private non-profits or corporations. We also receive donations of books and monetary donations from individuals. Because library funding is complex, it is important to note that much of the money for library operations comes to the library system designated for specific projects. For example, money from the state for library materials cannot be redirected to pay for utilities. Money for books that comes from county impact fees cannot be diverted to pay staff salaries. A grant to pay for an adult literacy program cannot be spent on roof repairs. Failure to follow the terms of the funding source would result in the loss of future funding, and in some cases even legal liability. Any time it appears that a disproportionate amount of money is being spent in one area, it’s a safe bet that the funds came to the library with very specific strings attached. I hope this series has answered some questions about how your libraries work. Public libraries are funded by the taxpayers and exist to serve needs of the public. If you need more information, any member of your library’s administrative team will be glad to answer your questions. |
|||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
.gif){kind=spacer}
