News from Illinois Library Association

Issue: # 24

July 17, 2009

The Illinois General Assembly finally adopted a fiscal 2010 state budget earlier this week, and ILA has been working to analyze the various budget bills to determine how the new budget will affect libraries. As mentioned in previous updates, July 13 ILA E-News and July 15 ILA E-News, this budget relies on lump sum appropriations (rather than specific line items) and affords the governor and the other constitutional officers tremendous discretion to spend and to cut budgets. We are working closely with the state library and will provide additional information as soon as it is available. However, at this time, it is too soon to know specifically what will be available for any individual library related program.

State Library to Receive $50 Million for Library Construction Projects

ILA has received numerous phone calls regarding the capital biils announced in the July 13 ILA E-News. Again, please click on the following link to determine if your library will receive funds from the state. The "All Projects pdf" at this link will provides the state agency granting the funds, the grantee, the grant's purpose, and the dollar amount. For additional information, please contact the appropriate state agency, in many cases, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

As you will note, page one, line one lists $50,000,000 to the Secretary of State for grants to public libraries for permanent improvements. As previously stated in the July 13 ILA E-News, "the Secretary's office will promulgate rules for how these funds will be disbursed and they are charged with compiling a report on library capital needs." Please be patient with the Illinois Secretary of State's office as they attempt to determine those rules and the timeline for the distribution of funds.

It is ILA's assumption that the Illinois Library Shovel-Ready Construction/Renovation Projects will be consulted in allocating these funds. As you might remember, on February 9, 2009, ILA released a list of Illinois library construction and renovation projects. The list was compiled by direct input of the Illinois library community. Thank you! We think it worked. The list was prepared in anticipation of possible federal economic stimulus funds or a state capital bill. The list provided the following projects briefly describe library construction/renovation needs across the state. More information was sent to the state library in March, for example, complete contact information, the project's readiness level, and more complete descriptions of the project.

In addition, ILA sent this information to our federal officials (Illinois Senators and Representatives in the U.S. Congress) and to state officials (Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, and
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director
Jack Lavin) for consideration. Since it was sent to these elected officials, you will noted that most of the libraries that received funds under Senate Bill 1221, Public Act 096-0039 (know as member initiatives) also appear on the ILA's Illinois Library Shovel-Ready Construction/Renovation Projects.

Again, ILA will continue to inform the Illinois library community of further developments and will offer further analysis as more information is know.

The News from Ohio Libraries

Doug Evans from the Ohio Library Council (OLC) sent ILA this report this morning. Here's what happened to library funding in Ohio. Today, the governor is expected to sign the 2010-2011 state budget that will lower the state's funding of public libraries from 2.22% to 1.97% of the state's gross general tax revenue. That cut, combined with the drop in funding due to the decline in the state's tax revenue during the first six months of the year, will result in a significant decrease in funding for the next couple of years. Here's our projections based upon the tax revenue estimates from the Office of Budget and Management (which have not been correct in each of three times that the figures have been revised already this year):

CY 2008: $450,578,990
CY 2009: $363,954,955 (-19.22%)
CY 2010: $327,655,279 (- 9.97%)

The funding decrease will be particularly devastating on the 70 percent of our 251 libraries that have no local support and rely solely on the state funding. We're projecting that some of our smaller, rural libraries may close or have to merge with other systems if they cannot generate local funding to supplement their state support.

If it's any consolation, the cut in funding approved by the legislature in the final budget bill is substantially less than the 30% cut proposed by the governor in June when the state faced a $3.2 billion shortfall in the new budget. The legislature's action is due in no small part to the overwhelming grassroots support that the libraries generated through patrons throughout the state. At one point, the volume of calls and e-mails to the governor's office and legislature actually temporarily crashed their phone and e-mail systems. (The governor is still very annoyed at us for creating such a stir but, what the heck, he's the one who suggested the cut in funding.)

Regardless, we're also seeing a decreasing percentage of a shrinking pie. The state seems focused on generating revenue via increased fees and other sources (i.e., video slot machines) that are not considered tax, so none of the new money comes to libraries.

The Ohio Library Council Board is reviewing the full impact that the cuts could have on libraries and the OLC -- since the majority of our revenue is comes from libraries' membership dues, which is a percentage of their state funding. The libraries are making huge cutbacks to their operations, including involvement in professional development. On the table today is the question as to whether we will even host our Convention and Expo this fall. Based upon data we've collected thus far, it will be a major loser whether we host it or not.

As with the libraries, we are in the midst of re-evaluating everything we do. Looks like fun times ahead.

In the News

Carpentersville Warrant Served on Library Trustee
To continue reading about this story, click here.

Sincerely,

Robert P. Doyle
Illinois Library Association

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