Sunday, January 20, 2008

Libraries do well at AEA267 Legislative Forum


Iowa's libraries were well represented at Saturday's Legislative Forum, sponsored by the Cedar Falls office of AEA267. Legislators present included Tami Wiencek, Bill Dotzler, Deb Berry, Jeff Danielson, Doris Kelly, and Bob Kressig. They got an earful about the Governor's proposed cuts to state funding for library services and all agreed that "the governor has his budget; the legislature has its budget."

Speakers on behalf of Iowa's libraries included Ken Davenport, consultant for the Northeast Iowa Library Service Area; myself, Mike Dargan, on behalf of the Iowa Library Association Government Affairs Committe; Ellen Neuhaus, ILA vice-president and president elect, and Thomas Kressler, a bibliographer for the University of Northern Iowa Rod Library.

My feeling is that we did well with the legislators who share our concerns for library services. However, now is not the time to let up on the pressure. If we're to defeat Governor Culver's proposed cuts to library services, we must continue to make our sentiments know to both the Governor and our legislators.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

NOTE: Wanda from the AEA 267 also spoke in support of libraries.

Below are Ken Davenport's comments:
"Thank you for your service as our legislators.
In the past I have come before you to present the case of public libraries in the communities you and I represent. In the last year, 64% of Iowans held library cards and, collectively, made some 16 million visits to public libraries.

I want to thank you for your past support and ask for your assistance this year.

As you probably know by now, the governor’s FY 2009 budget proposal cuts library funding in Iowa by 18%! That is $1,119,442! This would cut the following:
State Library $135,000;
Library Service Areas $259,442; and
Enrich Iowa $725,000.
The $725,000 cut to Enrich Iowa came from the infrastructure fund known as RIIF. The governor's proposal removes $1,000,000 from RIIF. $50,000 of that had gone to the LSAs, and the remainder ($950,000) to Enrich Iowa. Then, only $225,000 is put back in the general fund as a replacement for the $950,000 in RIIF funding that had been going to Enrich Iowa. This results in the $725,000 net loss to Enrich Iowa. As you can see this will affect libraries in a big way.
The overall budget has a 6% increase in spending and libraries are suffering an 18% cut. The end result would be that services to all of Iowa’s library users would be devastated. We want you to know that the governor’s budget cuts for libraries needs to be changed.

I would like to give you some representative examples of the kinds of services the programs present to local and rural serving libraries, this is by no means exclusive; if I tried that the card lady would come over and beat me with the time cards.
So as examples:

The State Library of Iowa provides the SILO system/database, over which 108,000+ interlibrary loans were made with a value of over a million dollars.

The Enrich Iowa cut of $725,000 represents 72,500 items in materials or
more materials than in all the collection of all the libraries in Black Hawk County excepting Waterloo(42 %)/Cedar Falls(57 %),
more than Waverly Public Libraries total collection (60K) by 19%
About the same as the collections of Ankeny (70K), Fort Dodge or Marshalltown (79K) libraries.

Finally the Library Service Areas:
This cut will end the library early childhood literacy program statewide. But I would like to point out it will also mean a cut of about $37,000 to the NE Library Service Area.
What that may mean, as an example, is the loss of the person at the Library Service Area who understands the Federal Education Rate program. Last year (2006/7) that amounted to over $72,000 this year (07/8) over $77,000 returned to NE Iowa that would otherwise have gone to other states. {Ran out of time & stopped here} Additionally the lost of that person would mean the loss statewide of the go-to person for Education Rate questions for libraries from the largest library to smallest & a number of schools & school related agencies. It seems foolish, to me, to lose $77,000 to save $37,000.
We ask of you the restoration of last years budget for libraries of $1,321,000 and a 6% increase ($79,000) to $1,400,000 which represents about 2/3 the increase in the costs of materials. (2007 Bowker Annual.Hardcover books increased 9.87%)
Thank you for your attention, I will be happy to answer any questions that you may have or find an answer for you."