Public Service Matters

We just received some depressing news this morning. Governor Branstad gave his budget and program presentation to the Iowa General Assembly, and the cuts to libraries are going to run very deep. I understand that times are still tough, and that money is still tight. But I also understand the importance of public service and what Iowa's libraries mean to the communities they serve. Statistics over the last ten years show a large increase in patronage to Iowa's libraries. Library visits increased 40 percent from FY00, with 19,656,938 visits reported in FY10. That’s an average of 53,854 people walking into their local public libraries a day! To continually cut budgets of libraries is detrimental not only to the staff, but also to the patrons they serve. Public service matters. Period. People rely on our expertise, our skills, our materials, and our facilities to provide them services in tough times. The more our budgets are cut, the less we're able to serve.

To see just how deep the cuts are coming, here are the numbers that Mary Wegner, our State Librarian reported:

1. State Library. The proposed funding level of $1,219,799 represents a cut of 6% ($77,859) from the State Library’s mid-FY11 level of $1,297,658. If enacted, the FY12 State Library budget will be 19% below the FY11 legislative appropriation; 22% down from FY10; and 36% down from FY09.

2. Library Service Areas. The proposed funding level of $1,013,905 represents a cut of 10% ($114,717) from the Library Service Area’s mid-FY11 level of $1,128,622. If enacted, the FY12 LSA budget will be 12% below their original FY11 level, 30% down from FY10, and 37% down from FY09.

3. Enrich Iowa program for libraries. The proposed funding level of $1,688,316 represents a cut of 25% ($557,765) from FY11. All Enrich Iowa funding from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund (RIIF) is eliminated; RIIF funding was $450,000 in FY11 and $950,000 in FY10. If enacted, Enrich Iowa funding in FY12 will be down 39% from FY10.

4. Total state funding for libraries. The proposed overall funding level of $3,922,020 represents a cut of 16% from the mid-FY11 level and a cut of 28% from the original FY11 level.

Don't want to see this happen? Contact your local state legislators and the governor and let them know how important your libraries are to you. Your support is needed now more than ever.