Last week, First Lady Lori Shapiro joined Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin and Deputy Secretary for the Office of Commonwealth Libraries Susan Banks to tour the State Library of Pennsylvania and to highlight $70 million in new funding for local libraries in the 2023-24 budget. Local library directors state the announcement is related to the release of funds already budgeted earlier in the year.
According to the state budget, from 2022-23 to 2023-24, there is no change in the amount for the Public Library Subsidy appropriation of $70,470,000 or for Library Services for the Print Disabled at $2,567,000 or for Library Access at $3,071,000.
The budget item with a change, an increase for 2023-24, went to the State Library / OCL. For 2022-23, the amount was $2,238,000. For 2023-24, the amount is $2,484,000 — an increase of $246,000. District Library Centers will retain the minimum of $200,000 as per Title 24.
A new line item that would have provided $4.27 million for rural and small libraries was proposed by the governor but did not gain enough support to pass.
According to the press release from Harrisburg, the 2023-24 budget invests $70 million into the Public Library Subsidy, which goes directly to local libraries, library systems, and 29 district library centers. It also provides every Pennsylvanian access to statewide resource center libraries at the State Library of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the libraries of The Pennsylvania State University.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania public libraries are divided into geographic regions called districts. The Seneca District, named for the historic home of the Native American Seneca tribes, is located in Northwestern Pennsylvania and comprises seventeen member libraries in the counties of Cameron, Elk, Forest, McKean, and Warren. The District Center Library, Warren Public Library, provides services to all member libraries, including counsel, training, reference & information service, interlibrary loan and delivery service, and acts as a liaison between the District and Commonwealth Libraries.
Bradford and other community libraries within this district rely on much more than state funding.
Mary Grace Collier-Kisler, library director of S. W. Smith Memorial Public Library in Port Allegany, said, “The Seneca District was extremely fortunate to have a District Library Center, Warren Public Library, that was able to continue funding widely used district library resources at Warren Public Libraries expense: e-books and audiobooks, inter-library loan, e-resources and databases. There are 17 libraries in McKean, Cameron, Forest, Elk, and Warren counties that were bolstered by the Warren Public Library District Center from July to December 2023 during the budget impasse. Other library districts and systems in Pennsylvania had to suspend or pause district resources such as the ones listed. They had to lay off staff, reduce hours, and get loans to pay the bills without releasing the State Funding for public libraries that was due in July 2023.”
Rebecca Feightner, executive director at Bradford Area Public Library, said, “Legislative language from 2002-2003 stated full public library funding was $75,289,000. We are still not fully funded according to the state’s own 20-year-old standards. Even then, we are grateful for all of the funding we received, as it helps ensure equitable access to information and resources for all Pennsylvania residents and our communities.”
BAPL receives enough funding from the state to cover approximately 14% of its annual operating expenses and has been operating at a shortfall, according to Feightner, “above $100,000.” Reasons for the shortfall are numerous, including a $50,000 per year funding loss from the school district; however, the library continues to provide all the services possible to as many in the community seeking them as possible.
Collier-Kisler added, “Public library funding in Pennsylvania is very fractured and precarious. It is never really an absolute. In difficult economic times, when free public resources like libraries are needed the most, public library funding is one of the first to get reduced — not just at the state level but also at the local county and municipal level.”
She said residents who value libraries and their services must clarify to their local and state legislators, tell them your stories, let them know that support of public libraries is a must when you are considering voting for a candidate. She suggested that support does not have to be financial, public libraries just need voices to tell legislators how much public libraries are valued. Additionally, all social service and community organizations who use public libraries for meetings spaces and programming should also voice their support of public libraries, because, “If it doesn’t seem like residents support or use public libraries, they will always be one of the first resources on the chopping block.”
The press release continued, the State Library strives to be the government’s library and be viewed as a place where all three branches of government can come for research assistance and authoritative quality information. The library subscribes to over 90 online databases available to any state employee with a library card.
“Libraries are the cornerstones of their communities, and the State Library is the keystone of the Commonwealth,” said Secretary Mumin. “The recent renovations to this historic space have returned it to its former glory, and we look forward to re-opening the space to the public at the beginning of 2024.” During the visit, Shapiro and Mumin toured the newly renovated library spaces, including the main Reading Room, the closed stacks, the Digital Collections area, the Law Library, the Rare Collections Library, and the STEMLab — a makerspace devoted to hands-on science education and programming for children and adults.
The State Library will re-open to the public on Tuesday.
