« Libraries 'will be decimated' | Main | Pennsville residents' message is simple: Continue funding local library »

April 17, 2010

Cranford Library Board requests keeping flat budget for 2010

nj.com
By Leslie Murray
April 17, 2010, 9:31AM
CRANFORD — In the hopes of bringing more residents through their doors and keeping cuts in state aid from stacking against them, the Cranford Library Board has asked to retain a flat budget for 2010, just over what the township is obligated to provide.

Library director John Malar asked the Township Committee this week to keep the library’s budget flat for this year, saying that more residents were turning to the Cranford Public Library for books, internet usage and research materials. According to state statue, municipalities are required to fund their local public libraries based on a percentage of the assessed property values. To that end, Malar and member of the Library Board of Trustees are asking that the committee keep the budget at the same level as 2009 and provide $15,500 more in funding than is required of the township.

While the items were not specifically discussed at the meeting, libraries across the state are hurting as cuts to state aid and new legislation take aim at public library budgets. According to releases from the governor’s office pot of state aid for libraries could be reduced by as much as 74% for the coming fiscal year. What’s more, proposed legislation in Assembly Bill A2555 calls for a new funding formula that leaves municipal funding to the discretion of the local government.

Defending the request, Malar said that any cuts to the budget would impact the services and hours that the library offers to residents. The only segment of the budget not tied to salaries or fixes costs and that offers any “wiggle room” is the book budget, an area that Malar said was essential.

In 2009, the Cranford Public Library spent $137,684 in the book budget, mostly by shifting funds from other line items to cover the over budget expenditure. For 2010, the library budget calls for spending $108,389 on books. Adding to budget strain Malar said the Cranford library will receive only half the amount of state aid this year.

“We usually get about $20,000 (in state aid) and we use all of it to buy materials,” Malar said.

While there would be $10,000 in state aid, the library would be hard pressed to continue offering the services and materials currently that more and more residents are turning to with a reduced budget, he said.

“2009 was the busiest year in the library’s history,” Malar told the committee. “I think that’s due to the economy. When the economy is down, library usage goes up for obvious reasons. It would be a shame at this point in time to not meet that demand when the demand is very real.”

Adding to comment, Board of Trustees President Patricia Pavlak said the public library would become all the more important as the Cranford school district makes cuts to the school libraries. A school librarian and media specialist herself, Pavlak said she’s been told her position has been temporarily eliminated and that school libraries will not receive funding.

“I can see students turning more and more to the public library for the up-to-date materials they need,” Pavlak said.

She added that public library programs continue to be well attended and have become a respite for residents who have cut their own budgets.

While there were some questions from the committee about the budget, including comments from Commissioner Mark Dugan about the necessity to continue to offer the use of some expensive research databases and tools, there was no final budget decision for the library for 2010. Offering his comment, Mayor Mark Smith said he and the commissioners understood the strain of a shrinking budget and a growing demand from the public.

“These are hard times for libraries. I don’t think we want to make them any harder,” Smith said.

Posted by tumulty at April 17, 2010 12:06 PM

Comments

Post a comment