Legislative Agenda FY2017
Legislative Agenda FY2017
State Funding Cuts Are Putting
Library Resource Sharing At Risk.
At the heart of sharing resources is the State Aid to Public Libraries Program. It provides the basis for sharing across Massachusetts and gives access to 53 million items beyond what any single library owns. Plus, many libraries use State Aid to pay for Network membership.
How Sharing Resources Works
1
You need a book that your library doesn’t have
2
You search the Commonwealth Catalog & find your book
Funded through
7000-9506 and 7000-9101
3
It gets delivered right
to your local library
Funded through
7000-9401
4
You pick it up in a few days!
And It's Not Just Books -
It's Digital
And It’s Not Just
– It’s Digital
Boston Public Library (BPL) as Library for the Commonwealth gives everybody access to:
eBooks • Streaming Audio & Video • Music
Funded through 7000-9401
Commonwealth eBook Collections have even more eBooks
Funded through 7000-9101, 7000-9401 and 7000-9506 and local libraries
Digital Commonwealth has digitized collections from all over Massachusetts and around the world
that can be accessed free by everybody
Funded through 7000-9401
Research databases provide reliable information that you can’t find through a Google search
Funded through 7000-9401, 7000-9506 and 7000-9101
state funding that supports all of this is 30%**FY2016 as compared to funding high
State Funding Cuts Are Putting
Library Resource Sharing At Risk.
Some libraries will have to
drop network membership
Learn More
Delivery will be limited
Some libraries will drop out of the Commonwealth eBook Collections
Improvements to network infrastructure to increase internet speed in libraries will not happen
Mass. libraries are far below national bandwidth standards
Learn More
There comes a point when the only thing that you can do with less is less; we’re at that point.
Libraries don’t need BIG money,
they need ENOUGH money.
Library funding is .07% of the state budget
Line Item No.
Line Item
High
FY 2016 Budget
FY 2017 Request
Increase Request
7000-9101
Board of Library
Commissioners
$1,229,472
(FY 2001)
$1,077,431
▼ 12% from high
$1,225,000
▼  .4% from high
$147,569
7000-9401
State Aid to
Regional Libraries
$17,623,954
(FY 2002)
$9,938,482
▼ 44% from high
$10,940,475
▼ 38% from high
$1,001,993
7000-9501
State Aid to
Public Libraries
$9,989,844
(FY 2009)
$9,029,000
▼ 10% from high
$13,500,000
▲ 35% from high
$4,471,000
7000-9506
Library Technology &
Resource Sharing
(Library Network)
$4,420,235
(FY 2001)
$2,116,564
▼ 52% from high
$6,000,000
▲ 36% from high
$3,883,436
7000-9402
Talking Book Library
(Worcester)
$446,828
(FY 2016)
$446,828
$460,233
▲   3% from high
$13,405
7000-9406
Talking Book &
Machine Lending
(Perkins)
$2,516,693
(FY 2016)
$2,516,693
$2,592,194
▲   3% from high
$75,501
7000-9508
Mass Center for
the Book
$200,000
(FY 2016)
$200,000
$206,000
▲   3% from high
$6,000
$36,427,026
$25,324,998
▼ 30% from high
$34,923,902
▼ 4% from high
$9,598,904
A Word About Funding:
INTERDEPENDENT
Funding Will Repair
Resource Sharing

96% of the state funding to the MBLC goes right
back out to the libraries and residents they serve

We’ll use it to:

  • Make necessary improvements to network infrastructure, increasing bandwidth for all libraries.
  • Keep network membership fees affordable for all libraries.
  • Ease the burden on local communities; State Aid to Public Libraries funding goes directly to local libraries.
Why Resource Sharing Is Worth Saving

Residents love it! In 2014, they borrowed 6.5 million items that their own libraries didn’t have, used 7.9 million articles and media through research databases, and eBook circulation is up 34%.

It saves cities and towns money: Lawrence residents, for example, borrowed more than 45,000 items from other libraries. Without resource sharing the library would have to purchase these items, at an estimated cost of $450,000.  See what your library borrowed.

It’s a win-win: Bring home money to your community while strengthening the entire resource sharing system. Libraries can use State Aid in any way that benefits the library and funding Technology and Resource Sharing (Library Networks) helps to offset your local library’s network membership fee.  See what your library received in State Aid funding.

Funding Technology and Resource Sharing (Library Networks) = funding better technology in libraries.

It helps all of us: No matter where you live, your education level, or income, resource sharing gives EVERYONE equal access to information and resources.

Library Resource Sharing = Economy of Scale

Economy of Scale = Saving money while
simultaneously providing more

On average, libraries have local collections
that number in the thousands;
it’s only through resource sharing that residents
get access to 53 million items.