More on Library Friends Activities

Sometimes patrons of the Pleasant Valley Free Library wonder what becomes of the money made from sales of donated books and other events run by the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library. The uses vary a lot, but all net income goes to support the Library in ways that exceed the regular budget, which is based on government funding (primarily at the Town level), income from fines, and direct donations. Some of the past Friends' support has gone to the computer in the Children's room, special sets of books such as travel guides, help with unexpected building repairs or improvements, ways to display books, and--when the Library had trouble meeting expenses--support for the regular budget.

The expenditures of the Friends are worked out in conjunction with the Library Director, who helps identify needs that cannot be funded from the regular operating budget.  Recently the Friends have supported purchase of a Nook eReader, which is available to demonstrate to patrons how to use such a device and how to borrow Library books using it, and a collection of activities for the Wii game player that can be used for healthful exercise.  This spring and summer the Friends have already agreed to sponsor a summer reading program for adults, a set of gift cards to be used in a Teen reading program, and the Battle of the Books, a competition of teams from various libraries based on reading specific titles.  There also will be a surprise that I am not allowed to reveal at this time.

At the meeting on Monday night (April 4) the Friends also agreed to purchase two bookcases, one just for media.  Also the Friends will pay for the manufacture of a new batch of sturdy canvas tote bags, which will feature the Pleasant Valley Library logo.  These will be sold for $6 each, raising additional money for library use.

The primary source of funding is sweat equity by volunteers and the annual book fair.  All year volunteers work in the basement of the Library, sorting and boxing donated books and media.  Several times each year some of these boxes are brought out for sales at holiday time, in late winter, and in September, but these small sales together bring in about half the income of the book fair, April 29-May 1 this year.  The book fair is a great opportunity to build up your own library at little expense, as well as to purchase perennial plants for the garden that alway thrive because they are adapted to the local climate.

There are a few other Friends activities each year.  On May 21, the annual sale of tomato plants started by the Friends will begin, just at the right time to set them out in your garden (or just by the doorstep if you have no garden).  These plants are started and donated by members of the Friends, not purchased for resale, so every cent spent by patrons goes back to the Library.  Last year the Mah Jong tournament was such a success, it is certain to be repeated this year.  And the Friends always are interested in new ideas for local fundraising.

If you are interested in joining the Friends, you can catch some of us at the Book Fair and we will be happy to accept the remaining Friends income--dues of $5 a year for the members.  But we value participation more than the dues.

Another New Library Concept

Today (November 30) there is a public meeting to discuss the plans for a replacement building for the Highland Library.  The Highland replacement building is not new, but a remaking of an existing structure. It would be four times the size of the present library and sited a few blocks from the current downtown location, adjacent to the Hudson Valley Rail Trail, but with no sidewalks--somewhat equivalent to relocating the Pleasant Valley Free Library halfway up West Road (although I believe that there are now plans for using Recovery Act money for new sidewalks). Financing for the Highland building would have to come from a $6.6 million bond that would need approval from the voters.

Two elements of this plan strike me as relevant to our situation in Pleasant Valley--the financing and the architect.

Highland can use a 25-year bond for $6.6 million  to pay the majority of the costs for refurbishing the building because it is a School District library instead of a free association library.  Pleasant Valley does not have that option, although we could get a long-term mortgage if we had the down payment; we might need to get the voters to approve a rise in operating costs for a mortgage. Surprisingly, when the bond is spread out over 25 years, the annual cost is not terrible.  The estimate is $78 a year for a household.  Highland has raised $200,000 outside the bond that would be the equivalent of a down payment for our situation.

Of course, no plan proposed for expanding the Pleasant Valley Library comes near the projected cost of the Highland library's $6.8 million.  We are hoping to keep our cost at less than half that amount, perhaps as low as $2 million.  Mortgage rates probably will not stay as low as they are now, but let's estimate a 30-year mortgage at 5%, which would for Pleasant Valley cost each household about $50 per year.  The total expenditure could be reduced with a 15-year mortgage, but the per household rate would rise to about $75 a year, the same general amount as for Highland households.

The other facet of interest is that the architect involved in Paul Mays, one of the several architects that Pleasant Valley has been interviewing for reworking plans for our Library.  He plans to be present at the meeting this evening to answer residents' questions about the plan, which seems like a definite benefit for the library and for the town.  Mr. Mays lives north of Albany, so he is taking a substantial trip to be present.

Good luck to Highland.

Some Clarifications (OK, maybe some are corrections....)

In my last post, I began by saying "Although it was close, the Pleasant Valley Free Library succeeded for the third time in getting voter approval of an increase in Town funding, despite the clear opposition of the Town Supervisor," which was true, but perhaps I should have said "For only the third time since 1999, the Pleasant Valley Free Library went to the voters asking for an increase, and once again the voters supported the Library.  Thanks to all." 


I also said "The vote was 1,344 to 1,203, a difference of only 141 votes.  If just 71 voters had failed to support the referendum, the funding would have failed and the Library would have been forced to cut services," but I should have said "If just 71 of the people who voted yes, had voted no, the funding would have failed."  A lot of readers offered me various improvements on my arithmetic, but I believe that if you think of yes votes turning to noes, then the arithmetic is right, although the wording may have been unclear.


In a previous post, there was an error, which I corrected in one place but missed in the second. Pleasant Valley has the 5th largest circulation in the county, but I misread a chart and thought it was the 8th, so the 8 in the following sentence should be a 5: " Pleasant Valley Free Library currently has the 5th largest circulation of libraries in the County, but the salaries of our total combined staff averages $71 per hour opened, while the next smallest average of those 8 libraries is $122 per hour (and the others are considerably higher yet)."


That same post also had a correct statement that confused some readers.  I said, "So what portion of the proposed $95,000 increase would go for increase in staff salaries: 4.2%--and that would go only as modest increases to staff that are being paid just about the minimum wage now."  Please notice that the  4.2% is the amount of $95,000 devoted to increase in staff salaries, or $3,990 for the whole year.  The actual budgeted increase for any one salary  is either 3% or lower, so that the total increase is 2.96% of the 2010 budget. 

Every Vote Counts in Library Referendums

Although it was close, the Pleasant Valley Free Library succeeded for the third time in getting voter approval of an increase in Town funding, despite the clear opposition of the Town Supervisor.  The vote was 1,344 to 1,203, a difference of only 141 votes.  If just 71 voters had failed to support the referendum, the funding would have failed and the Library would have been forced to cut services. Although the new level of funding, $360,000 per year, is expected to last for three or four years before needing a review, service cuts would have been required starting in 2011 at the old funding level, largely because both the State and County have reduced their support, taking $30,000 off the annual budget (partly in higher fees to Mid-Hudson caused by revenue loss at that level).

Our voters were more supportive of the Pleasant Valley Library, than our neighbors in LaGrange and Beekman, but again not by very much.  If only 147 more voters in LaGrange had voted "yes," that Chapter 414 proposition would have passed--more than twice as many voters in all made a choice on the LaGrange issue as in Pleasant Valley, so the margin as a percentage was about the same, just in the other direction. In Beekman, the vote went "no" by even a smaller margin.  If only 44 more voters had filled in the oval for "yes," their funding would have passed.  Certainly every vote counts.

The success of the Pleasant Valley Free Library is largely due to the efforts of the Board, with some excellent help from the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library and a few other citizens of the Town. By law, the Library staff cannot work on getting out the vote, but a major factor was the statistical background from Mid-Hudson that Library Director Daniela Pulice provided for the Board to use.  As in the two earlier Chapter 414 efforts, the leader was Library Trustee Steve MacNish.  But our real thanks have to go to the citizens of Pleasant Valley who continue to support the Library through what everyone knows are tough times.

Independence for Library Funding

An article in today’s Poughkeepsie Journal reported that the Supervisor of the Town of LaGrange opposes the proposition on the Town ballot that would increase LaGrange Library funding by 17%. This sounds like a lot until you learn that because of a low base tax, the total increase would impact the average household by just $14.21 a year, less than the cost of a quality paperback book. Another way of viewing the increase is also telling. In 2008, when library-funding support from the Town was completely at the Town Board’s discretion, the amount was frozen at $599,280, so there has been no increase in 2009 or 2010. Through the magic of compound interest, an increase of just 5.3% a year since 2008 would be equivalent to the 17% increase proposed for 2011 over 2010. The Town itself is proposing a budget for 2011 that would result in a total tax of $736.44 on a $323,000 home, so the proposed tax on a typical home with the Library increase would amount to $750.55.

Town Boards or Town Supervisors often oppose increases in library funding through direct approval by voters, which for free-association libraries in New York State is known as Chapter 414 funding. I do not think that this is always because they are opposed to libraries—although in some cases, the Board or the Supervisor clearly is—but more because they feel that they should control every aspect of the Town budget, rather than have voters in charge. I don’t have all the facts and figures to prove it, but my impression is that when local government is in charge of library budgets, for example in larger cities, library services are among the first to be cut when there is any economic downturn. Branches are closed and staff and open-hours are reduced. But when the voters are given a direct choice, they nearly always approve modest increases in library funds that permit maintenance or even improvement of library services.

The Pleasant Valley Free Library also is taking its case to the voters for a modest increase in funding so that current staff and services can be maintained in the face of reduced funding from the state and country and increased costs. The proposed increase in funding is from $265,000 to $360,000. Since this would be the first increase in four years, it is equivalent to an 6.3% increase each year over the base from 2007 to 2011, but because the Library commits to maintaining the same level of Town funding for at least another three years, by 2014 the rate of increase from 2007 will be just 4.5%, not much higher than the general rate of inflation and comparable to the rate of library-cost inflation. I expect the voters of Pleasant Valley to view this as a reasonable way to maintain their Library and that the proposition, which will come before voters on November 2, will be approved. My hope would be that the voters in LaGrange will also want to continue their own library services with a vote in favor of library funding.

Voters of Pleasant Valley Have Chance to Fund Library Operations

On November 2 the registered voters of Pleasant Valley, in addition to the opportunity to vote for a governor, two national senators, a national congressman, and many local politicians, will also be able to vote up or down on funding for operating the Pleasant Valley Free Library in the future. State law provides that free-association libraries can choose to be funded primarily through town taxes, provided the voters agree.  For the past ten years, this has been the foundation of income for the Pleasant Valley Library. The amount is fixed by the vote and remains the same annually until the next vote, which is engendered by a sufficient number of registered voters petitioning to be on the ballot.

Library funding will be on this year's ballot as a result of petitions from voters--actually on the back of the new paper ballots.  Be sure to look for it there and vote yes to maintain the services of the Library at the level you have come to know. Because of decreases in State and County funding combined with inflation, this Town tax increase is needed just to keep the same hours, staff, and new items that we now have.

Here are some of the questions you may have about the ballot initiative along with the answers.

1. How much of an increase is the library asking for?

We are asking for an increase of $95,000, which is roughly $26 per household per year; the cost of one large cup of Dunkin Donuts Coffee a month, or, fifty cents a week.  This means we will move from being 11^th in funding in the county to 10^th in funding. 

2. Why now?

When the library previously asked for an increase 4 years ago, the Library Board promised to make the money last for 3 years before making another request.  We have managed to stretch it for four years but now, in order to make up for the cuts in state and county funding an increase is necessary.  A library whose town support is 13^th county wide, such as ours is, cannot afford to keep up the circulation and programming level that we do without town support.  If the vote does not pass, the library is going to have to cut services.

3. Will any of this money go towards a new building for the library?

No.  None of the money being requested will go towards a new library.

4. Why can’t the library get the money somewhere else?

The library makes every effort to apply for grants when they are available, but there are almost no grants which will go towards a library’s operating budget. There is not much federal, state or county funding available for libraries.  In fact, most community libraries receive the lion’s share of their funding from the town they are located in.  Each library, therefore, is really a reflection of the support it receives from its community.  

5. What happened to state and county funding?

Between the state and county cutting of library support, our library has lost thousands in funding.  Also, the state and county paid for some state mandated services that they are no longer willing to fund, which will mean thousands in extra library expenses for services we are legally required to have.  Therefore, without changing anything, the library finds itself with a sudden deficit.  

Brief Report of April Board Meeting

The Trustees met from 6:00 pm today until about 7:45 pm.  Finances for the year are proceeding somewhat over budget at this point, but not in any alarming way--some expenses always occur early in the calendar year.  However, there was some alarming potential for future financial problems that may be caused by reductions in New York State funding to the Mid-Hudson Library System, since MHLS would pass costs along to member libraries. County funding for this year is likely to be 80% of what we have budgeted for this income. Marc Molinaro's office has promised us a member item of $5,200 to be used for making the Library first floor level.  Also New York State is requiring us (and other libraries) to pay $60 each so that they can make a minor and unnecessary change in the library charters.

Trustee Leigh Toth has had a conflict arise with meeting dates for the Board and has resigned.  The Board appointed Sally Harding, a previous candidate for an open Trustee position, to replace her.

The Building Expansion and Fundraising for Building Expansion committees have been recombined (fundraising was originally a subcommittee of Building Expansion.  They are going to have on April 17 a small conference of community leaders to advise the committee on the best direction for future activities; I will report on that in a later post.

A big event coming up soon is the annual Book Fair on April 30 through May 2. In addition to thousands of books available at very low prices, the Book Fair features a plant sale (mostly local perennials) and a bake sale.  Friday night, April 30, the Book Fair charges $5 for the privilege of early entry, but May 1 and May 2 are  free.  I'll add more details with another post later.

March Madness? The Library Version

Earlier this evening (March 18) we held the March Pleasant Valley Free Library Board meeting. It was the first meeting for our two new Board members, Donna Letteri and Sue Holland. Probably because the Board has moved the starting time for regular meetings up from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., there was a little time before the meeting got started that was used profitably in bringing the new members up to date on our plans for Chapter 414. We will need to get somewhat more than 600 registered Pleasant Valley voters to sign a petition asking for our proposal to be put on the ballot in November.  The proposal is to increase Town taxes by about the cost of a large cup of coffee per month, although when multiplied by the number of taxable units in the Valley, it is a more frightening sounding increase of $80,000.  The new Trustees wanted to know why we needed the increase.  The answer is partly inflation and significantly less funding by the State and County.   They also wanted to know what would happen if the vote in November goes against us. Library Director Daniela Pulice plans to give us a detailed list of services that will be cut or reduced.  Note that we would not lose the current level of funding if the vote fails, but that level is not sufficient to run the Library in the manner to which we are now accustomed. Indeed, another topic discussed during the regular meeting was what we are going to do if we lose another $5,000 in funding this year, which is beginning to seem likely. There is no fat in the present budget that we can turn to, although in the unlikely event that no maintenance problems surface, we might make it through.

The meeting format has long featured reports by the various standing and ad hoc committees of the Library Board, but this year the reports are in writing and delivered as much as a week in advance of the actual meeting.  Even with these at hand, we still find ourselves discussing matters of how to handle minor but annoying issues, such as how to remove the roots of some lilacs that were cut down last year to make room for the new sidewalk, to very large matters such as revising plans for expanding the Library building.  Not all issues are easily resolved, so for the expansion plans we hope to have a special meeting in April with the whole Board and that as the single topic.  This would be in addition to the regular April meeting at 6:00 p.m. on the third Thursday, April 15. Note that the public is always welcome to attend the regular meetings.

State Library Funding Going Down

New York State funding for libraries is going downhill--as are all economic supports (except legislators' salaries and perks). If the Governor's Executive Budget is unchanged, and for libraries it probably will not be changed, New York State library support will be back at 1998 levels, and this does not even take inflation into account.  Governor Patterson has proposed cutting $2.4 million from next year's budget. No other part of public education has been cut so often and so deeply.

New York library staff and friends of the libraries are lobbying intensely against the cuts. On March 2 nearly a thousand persons showed up in Albany to speak up in favor of at least maintaining library funding--fifty of those being from our own Mid-Hudson Library System. Although the final budget, if on time, will not be firm until April 1, the delegations were not encouraged to think that the legislature will restore full funding.

Of course, New York State is not alone in facing severe financial problems--most other states have similar gaps between their projected income and the amounts they have become used to spending. Our message to the states has to be that in a time of great joblessness, free public libraries are an essential part of recovery, giving out-of-work job seekers free computer time, self-help books, and even free entertainment from novels to DVDs of movies. Libraries need support from the state so that they can help restore normal personal incomes.

Campaign for New Library Funding begins

Steve MacNish, who for the third time is heading a campaign to increase funding of the Pleasant Valley Free Library through a vote by the citizens of Pleasant Valley, went before the Pleasant Valley Town Board this evening (March 3) to explain our plans to the Town Trustees.  This process, known as a Chapter 414 vote after the section of New York State law that instituted it, requires that a resolution asking for an increase in Town funding be signed by 10% of the voters (based on the number voting for governor most recently).  When signed and duly recording by the Town Clerk, the resolution is put before the voters.  If a majority approves, the Town adjusts its annual tax bill to provide the Library with the new level of funding.  Under this procedure, once a level is established, it can only be changed by repeating the same process. Our Library has used the Chapter 414 mechanism twice in the past ten years, getting a higher percentage of voter approval the second time than the first--winning both votes substantially. We ask for a medium amount for the period covered--in the first year or two the Town supplies slightly more money than we need to run the Library (along with the other Library funding from the State, County, Fines, and Donations). The excess is banked and then spent several years later as inflation catches up with the amount.  When that money is spent, the Library may be forced to ask the voters to support a higher level of taxation or else it will have to reduce services. Steve was backed up in his presentation by Library Trustees Bruce Donegan and Dave Kruger and Library Director Daniela Pulice.  Below is a slightly edited report from Steve on the presentation to the Town Board. Made it without any loss of limbs or bite marks.  Gave a short brief similar to the one I gave our Board last month.  Explained the $360K number that Daniela had determined is our target.  This translates to a $26 increase per household per year.  Cited LaGrange Library's $695K request, with the same circulation as our Library, three times the employees, and fewer hours of operation.  Explained where costs were going up and what reduced state and county funding impact us.  Answered questions with help from Daniela, Dave, and Bruce.  Town Trustee Chris Hart asked the toughest question - what do we lose if the referendum is voted down?  I indicated that fewer books, DVDs and other circulating items could be purchased, fewer hours open, charges for certain services now provided without charge.

Help Save Library Funds

I’d like to urge all readers of the blog to visit http://protectnylibraries.org this week and join more than a thousand other library supporters across NY in speaking out about the Governor’s proposed 5^th cut to libraries in two years. Friend the movement on Facebook, sign the petition and use the link  to cause the NYLA Online Advocacy Center to send a fax or email to your local NYS legislators.

Please share the ProtectNYLibraries.org web site with your friends, especially patrons of our Library as we march towards Lobby Day on Tuesday, March 2 

[http://midhudson.org/funding/advocacy/bus2010.pdf] 

Anything you can do to support NYLA in the next few weeks helps us make the case to restore library funding and fight the proposed cut when we are in front of Legislators on Lobby Day. For more information about Library Lobby Day, to register and information about the bus to Albany visit http://midhudson.org.

Financial Bones of the PVFL

The Pleasant Valley Free Library (PVFL) Board of Trustees has for several years divided the handling of its finances into two parts. One reason is that New York State has strict rules for separating capital expenses, such as expansion of the building, from operating expenses, such as salaries; taxes; purchases of supplies, books, and DVDs; minor repairs; utility bills; and so forth. Monies for capital and operating are kept in separate accounts at the bank, not just on paper.  But PVFL has gone farther than required by the State.  We have different Trustees in charge of monitoring each category--the treasurer, currently Kim Brennan, handles the operating budget and signs most checks for expenses, while the deputy treasurer, currently your faithful blogger, keeps track of capital and is available to sign checks when needed.

For obvious reasons (see last sentence of preceding paragraph) this blog has largely been concerned with capital expenses, especially those relating to the building and the fundraising efforts to enable an expansion of the building--remember that you can contribute to the building expansion fund via the Community Foundation. But this post and many to come will be devoted to the other side, operating income and expenses.

Expenses first: Last year PVFL spent about $309 thousand, primarily on salaries and benefits which amount to more than 60% of expenses, while the second highest expense category consists of both print and nonprint purchases of media (books, DVDs, etc.), about 20% of the total. The remaining 20% of expenses includes computers and computer services, utilities, repairs, and supplies.  In 2010 operating expenses are expected to increase by about 3%, mostly because of increases in the salary and benefits lines, some occasioned by keeping a full staff in place for the whole year.

The money that pays the operating expenses comes from a variety of sources.  A surprising amount comes from fines, more than 6% of the total, which is more than double all the income from State and County grants. But almost 90% of all operating income is money that was approved by the vote of residents of Pleasant Valley, which is collected by the Town--hidden in your Town tax bill--and then distributed to the Library.  This method of library funding in New York State is known as Chapter 414.

The current tax bill in Pleasant Valley is due to be paid by February 28.  I am looking at my bill right now, in fact. Almost half of that bill is County tax and almost 20% is support for the Pleasant Valley Fire District.  A third of the total is the Town tax, which includes, but does not break out, the Chapter 414 library funding. The total from all taxpayers of Chapter 414 money is $265,000.  I am not sure how many tax-paying entities there are in Pleasant Valley, but with a population of 10,000 citizens, we might have 2,650 tax bills. If that is about the right figure, then on the average each tax bill might include $100 for the Library.  It is a lot of service for very little money.

There will be more posts on this subject as the year progresses. The main points I want to make in this one are that 90% of the income for the PVFL comes from Chapter 414 funding and that this amounts to perhaps $100 per family per year.

Diminishing Help for Libraries

Everyone in the United States must know by now that the "Great Recession" has disproportionately affected (in this order) the jobless, the over-borrowed, and governments at all levels. Those of us who still are employed (about 83% of the ordinary workforce) and with manageable debt are in good shape personally, but still cannot escape the problems of local, state, and our national governments. Also I should mention that the owners of many small businesses are harmed by lower demand for their products.

Libraries are one example out of many where the problems of underfunded government entities hit the otherwise financial happy camper. Some libraries are government entities themselves, being either part of a special library district or, worse from a financial point of view, part of a local school district--worse because school funding may be more affected by the Great Recession than aid to libraries. Free association libraries like the Pleasant Valley Free Library are hit hardest if they have not previously obtained Chapter 414 funding, since the local Town government, with financial problems of its own, is very likely to cut library spending drastically. This is of course a disaster for the library. Libraries that have previously had the voters support level funding through Chapter 414 are in less trouble because that part of their income cannot by law be reduced. But even 414 libraries, including the Pleasant Valley Library, suffer from the need to deal with greatly increased patronage that stems in part from the Great Recession and also from cuts in other forms of aid, notably county and state aid.

In Dutchess County, aid this year will be 87% of what it was the previous year--not an enormous decline, although how that will trickle down from the Mid-Hudson system to local libraries is not yet clear. State aid in the Governor's budget for 2010-2011 will be reduced by 2.76%. In dollars, this is a reduction of $2.4 million from last year's total of $86.8 million in library funding. This may not seem like a lot, but if the Governor's proposal is in the final appropriation, it will be the fifth cut to libraries in State funding over the past two years.

Reductions in State and Country funds combined with inflation gradually erode the ability of a library to provide adequate services to the community. When combined with the increased demand for these services that is occurring, in part, because of the Great Recession, a library faces serious financial problems. At the Pleasant Valley Free Library we have extended the use Chapter 414 money that was to have lasted for three years into the fourth year, but careful hoarding of resources can take us only so far. The time is coming fast when our library will either have to get a mandate for higher income from the Town voters or cut services.

Looking Ahead to 2011

The Pleasant Valley Library, and all the libraries in Dutchess County, face serious trouble if the County Legislature fails to restore County funding for 2010 (see previous post). But whether or not we are supported by the County, the Pleasant Valley Library will need to do something to be able to operate in anything like its normal fashion in 2011. During the years 2007-2010 money from Town taxes has enabled our Library to be among the leaders in circulation, hours open, and services--although we continue to do so with less than half the staff of libraries with a similar circulation, thanks to our wonderful active corps of volunteers. We will still have the same level of Town funding at least in 2011, but experience has shown that expenses rise every year and that will not be enough. Without additional Town help starting in 2011, we will have to cut services and materials for loans.

New York State library law provides the remedy for this problem. As inflation or expanding population served necessitates increases in a library's budget, the legal remedy for a free-association library is to ask the voters of the Town to increase the funds, based on a law known as Chapter 414. The present 414 funding began in 2007 and was intended to be a level that could last for three years, but we stretched it to four by keeping spending low (the first 414 level was supposed to have lasted for five years, but we managed to keep that level for seven years). So we will have to run a 414 campaign in 2010 for a vote a year from now on a yet-to-be-determined higher level of Town funding.

I saw in the Poughkeepsie Journal this morning that Pleasant Valley Town taxes are already scheduled to rise by 8.9% in 2010. Although a typical 414 increase is considerably less than that--about the cost of one new book per year--you might think that the chances of getting the voters to approve increasing Library funding would be slim. The good news is that people all over the county love their libraries are are willing to keep them operating. In 2009, 24 out of 26 votes for increasing library funding in the Mid-Hudson region passed. The two losses were in Greenport by 18 votes and in Milton by 23 votes. So remember that every single vote is vital.

Hooray for 414!

Everyone agrees that library usage around the nation is rising in response to tough economic times--actually library usage was rising when the economy seemed fine, but now the rate of increase is itself increasing. For example, circulation in the Troy, NY, library system increased by 16% last year.  But circulation may go back down next year as a result of a different effect of the prolonged recession. Because the Troy Library failed in an effort to set up its own tax district a few years ago,  it remains dependent on whatever money that the City of Troy and the County decide to allocate to the library.  Times are tough in Troy, and the library budget for 2009 has been cut 16%, resulting in it's having to close two of three branches this year.  

Other libraries around the nation are experiencing similar problems.  The library in Muncie, IN, is closing three of its five branches because its budget was cut 42% despite usage going up 7%.  Similarly, in Phoenix, AZ, where the number of visitors to the library system increased by 8% last year, the administration is cutting hours and programs because of a 27% decline in funding. 

Library usage has also been going up for the Pleasant Valley Free Library  every year for the past nine years. These days more and more persons come to use the free computers or Wi Fi to look for work as well as to borrow DVDs or books to occupy their time, since many people are not working.  Our Library does not plan to cut hours or services, however, because of a New York State Law, known in library circles as Chapter 414, that protects Free Association libraries from loss of Town funds once funding has been approved by the Town voters. This puts a floor under the operating  income of the Library.

Of course, not all funding for libraries in New York State comes from Town taxes, even for Free Association libraries.  Pleasant Valley Free Library also derives some of its operating revenue from Dutchess County, from New York State, and from fines and occasional gifts, especially gifts from the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library. 

Currently, all libraries in the state face a loss in funding of 18% from New York State if the preliminary budget is passed.  Most of this loss affects us indirectly through loss of services from the Mid-Hudson Library System, although the Library does receive a small amount of operating funds from the State.  

Notice that this discussion has been about "operating" funds.  Operating funds constitute the approximately $300,000 per year that it currently takes for the Pleasant Valley Free Library to maintain the collection, pay the staff, heat and light the building, and so forth.  "Capital" funds are separate from the operating funds and do not come from the Town, the County, or--except as an occasional grant for a specific purpose--the State.  For example, the Building Fund for Library expansion, maintained by the Community Foundation,  is funded solely by donors.  In New York State, not only is there the Chapter 414 law that puts a floor under operating income, there are also various rules and regulations that segregate operating and capital for libraries.  The recent repairs and improvements for the Manse were funded by donations from the Sherman Fairchild Fund and from New York State and from accumulated donations to the Library in the past that have been preserved for capital needs.  The Friends also donate to the capital needs of the Library each year.   

Wall Street Journal Sees Value of Libraries in Financial Crisis

 The Wall Street Journal just did a long article about the value of libraries in the current financial crisis.  While I don't agree with one of its premises (that the public library once looked to be irrelevant in the computer age), I certainly agree with the conclusions. What follows is an edited-down version of the original article. 

"A few years ago, public libraries were being written off as goners. The Internet had made them irrelevant, the argument went. But libraries across the country are reporting jumps in attendance of as much as 65% over the past year, as newly unemployed people flock to branches to fill out résumés and scan ads for job listings.

"Other recession-weary patrons are turning to libraries for cheap entertainment -- killing time with the free computers, video rentals and, of course, books.

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Jim Carlton/The Wall Street Journal

Shamika Miller works on a computer at the Stockton-San Joaquin County Library in Tracy, Calif., a town that has been ravaged by mortgage foreclosures.

"At the Ferguson Library in Stamford, Conn., "it's not unusual for us to have 40 or 50 reserves on a popular book," says spokeswoman Linda Avellar. At the Randolph County Public Library in Asheboro, N.C., a 25% increase in visitors over the past six months from a year ago has been hard on 14-year-old carpeting that officials say needs to be replaced now rather than in six years, as planned.

"This isn't the first time library attendance has spiked in a downturn. The 1987 and 2001 recessions saw similar jumps, librarians say.

"The sheer numbers of jobless visitors are overwhelming some libraries at a time of funding cuts by cash-strapped local agencies. The library in Winter Park, Fla., reports a 25% increase in checkouts of its books and other materials over the past 15 months, even as its budget for stocking new items has been cut 12%.

"Some libraries are cutting their hours, reducing staff or even being closed altogether because of budget problems. The Schenectady County Public Library in Schenectady, N.Y., says it has had no money to replace four librarians who have left in the past two years. "As a result, we recently found that it is taking up to five days to reshelf books, as just one tiny example of the impact," says Karen Bradley, a reference librarian there.

"The Randolph County library in North Carolina can't afford to replace those rugs: "We are just going to have to live with the worn carpet for now," says Suzanne Tate, the library's director. An average of 230 people a day line up to use the library's 27 computers. To help manage the traffic, the library has taken to bumping users off if they try to stay on for more than the one-hour limit.

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Ian Fletcher/Randolph County Public LIbrary

An average of 230 people a day line up to use the 27 computers at Randolph County Public Library in Asheboro, N.C.

"But the patrons keep coming. "Many times a day there is a line of people waiting to get on one of our three computers," says Mary Wright, director of the Marks-Quitman County Library in Marks, Miss., who says many of the new patrons are laid-off workers from nearby casinos.

"Tracy library officials have ordered nine more Internet-access computers. For now, patrons have to line up at a kiosk to make a reservation to use one of the 11 existing terminals, says Kathleen Buffleben, the supervising librarian."

Counties Continue Library Support in Tough Times

After initially proposed decreases to libraries in some counties library advocates convinced county legislatures to either maintain - or in two cases - increase library funding for 2009.

The most serious situation was in Dutchess County, which would have been affected by a cut of 64% if the budget proposed by the County Executive had passed.  Instead, the County Legislature restored the full  $249,843, the amount distributed to libraries in 2008.  The trickle-down of the Country funding to the Pleasant Valley Free Library in 2008 came to $6,117, which is only 2% of the total income of the Library but a 2% that would be almost impossible to replace, so it would have to come off the top of discretionary spending--i.e. books and other materials. Note that the 64% cut, had it come to pass and been applied equally across the library system, would have reduced the $6,117 to $2,202.

The other nearby counties also maintained their faith in the power of the public library. In Columbia County the Legislature maintained library funding at the 2008 level: $65,000. The Greene County Legislature also maintained library funding at the 2008 level. In Putnam, the County Legislature included a $16,000 increase that brought the total county funds for libraries up to $368,116. The Ulster County Legislature also included a $15,000 increase for libraries, bringing total county funds to $90,000 for next year.

It is widely believed that libraries are among the few institutions that prosper in economic downturns (proprietary schools are another).  Certainly use goes up, so it would be counterproductive if funds went down. It is still not clear what will happen at the State level, but we can only hope that the New York State legislature understands the importance of libraries as well as the local counties do.

Chicanery in Clinton?

A month or two ago I reported that several of the libraries in Dutchess County had won votes that would produce a higher level of Town financial support.  I learned today that one of those votes was mysteriously reversed. I reported the original total as 583 votes in favor of raising the budget for the Clinton Community Library from $63,000 to $110,000 with only 527 votes against the higher figure.

A Clinton resident told me today that after that initial count some absentee ballots either appeared or disappeared--he was not certain which.  In any case, a clutch of absentee ballots were included in the new count, and all of them were against the rise in the Town allotment to the library.  The official count was changed from 583 for, 527 against to 561 for, 583 against. Thus it appears that somehow 22 of the original group of for votes vanished, while an amazing 56 against votes showed up from somewhere. 

The corrected figure appeared in a December 2 report in The Daily Freeman.  The Clinton Town Board, which had opposed the increase all along, had already budgeted $110,000 for the library, was reported as revising the contribution to the library down to $63,000 again.  

Unlike the current situation in Minnesota, where the discrepancies in absentee ballots are producing lawsuits and an unsettled Senate election, the question of what caused the change in the Clinton Library vote count will probably never be resolved.  If I learn anything more, I will report it.  Meanwhile if any blog readers have any information on the Clinton vote story, I would appreciate it if they would leave a comment.  

The Library Needs Your Help

I suspect that the persons who read this blog already are actively helping the Pleasant Valley Free Library in one way or another, but perhaps you can spread the word.  We are shorthanded! As terms came to an end, three valuable Board members are leaving at the end of 2008--Tracey Donaldson, Teri Miller, and Barb Shapley.  We have no replacements in the wings at this time.  Last month we also lost Trustee Rick Duvall because his profession and family do not leave enough time for him to participate fully in the work of the Library Board.  As a result of these changes, the Board of Trustees is below the level of membership required by our By-Laws, and five Trustees below our normal operating level (we were a Trustee short all of last year). Thus, if you are not already a Trustee, please consider joining.  You can email me at bryanhbunch@google.com with your interest and I will happily make sure that your name is given to the proper committee of the Board. 

I should say of Tracey, Teri, Barb, and Rick that all of them plan to continue to aid the Library in several ways, just not as Trustees.

In addition to needing Trustees, we also have become short of volunteers who help the staff run the Library. The most common volunteer job is shelving books.  I was once a professional shelver (summer job while in college) and I think it is an extremely enjoyable task for anyone interested in books.  I can number dozens of my favorite books that I first discovered while shelving them.  If you notice that the same book requires shelving frequently, for example, then you will be tempted to see why it is popular.  Also, you just discover books about great topics that you otherwise might never know existed.  The main requirement for work as a shelver is a good working knowledge of the order of letters in the alphabet.  

A Trustee is expected to attend one two-hour meeting each month  (currently on the third Thursday) and to participate in at least one committee, such as nominating, building and grounds, or publicity. Some committees also meet frequently, but others have no meetings; instead, the members take duties such as helping maintain the building.  Some trustees have specific posts--the Board currently lacks a Treasurer, for example.  

Governor Proposes 18% Cut in State Library Aid

Governor Paterson's budget proposes that New York State reduces aid to libraries by $18 million for the 2009 fiscal year.  If passed, this would bring Library Aid back to the level it had in 1993.  Last year library aid was cut from $102 million to $98.5 million, which was only a 3% reduction.  Although an $800,000 line item called Public Library Construction Aid was dropped, there remains a State-level fund of $14 million for library construction--which is not all that much when the $14 million is spread around the state. 

Although the main funding for the Pleasant Valley Free Library comes from Town taxes, State money is especially important in maintaining the services of the Mid-Hudson Library System. Furthermore, the State funds are significant in terms of the budget.