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March 5, 2009

Library saying no to proposed cuts

The Glen Ridge Voice(

by Erin Roll - February 25, 2009)

The Glen Ridge Library is joining with its counterparts to protest a bill that could potentially take a bite out of library funding statewide.

The New Jersey League of Municipalities (NJLM) is encouraging the state legislature to lower the minimum amount of funding a municipality must give its library.

"Library funding is always tight," said Carol Harpster, president of the Glen Ridge Library Board of Trustees, "and we don’t support the cutbacks."

Under state law, libraries must receive at least one-third of a "mill," or approximately $33 for every $100,000 in property value, from their towns. The NJLM wants to lower the rate to one-sixth of a mill, claiming the current rate gives libraries more than they actually need.

The board of trustees signed a resolution declaring its opposition to the proposed cutbacks Feb. 11. They plan to present it to the council during its budget presentation, said Library Director John Sitnik.

The NJLM gave its official support to a funding cut during its annual convention last November. The proposal, submitted as A3753 to the state legislature, is backed by Assemblyman Vincent Prieto (D-32). This sparked an outcry from the New Jersey Library Association and libraries throughout the state.

The New Jersey Library Association (NJLA) and other libraries have stated that a funding cut amidst the current economic climate would have disastrous effects on their respective communities.

"We understand the concerns they’ve been raising," said Mike Cerra, a senior legislative analyst for NJLM. The NJLM’s goal is not to cut library funding, but instead to give municipalities more budget planning flexibility, he said.

"It’s a shame that we have to have this debate in the middle of an ‘economic crisis’," he said, claiming that a dialogue among government and library representatives would have been more appropriate a few years ago.

Sitnik said claims that most libraries are sitting on large surpluses are inaccurate: "We were lucky enough to have a surplus this year, which we are funneling to capital projects."

Contrary to what the bill claims, Sitnik said only a handful of libraries in New Jersey have a surplus. These libraries are in communities with a high number of ratables, such as Jersey Shore towns that experience high tourist traffic, or cities with substantial industry.

Glen Ridge does not have many ratables other than residential property, he said.

At least 126 libraries in New Jersey have signed official resolutions decrying the NJLM’s plan. Fifty-three of the 126 belong to the Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS), an inter-library loan consortium that includes Glen Ridge.

Harpster said it was anyone’s guess how the issue would resolve itself.

"It’s going to be up to (the NJLM)," she said.

Posted by tumulty at March 5, 2009 5:32 PM

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