On March 1, my entire department drove to Albany to participate in Library Advocacy Day, which is when we try to convince the state government to fully fund libraries.
And when I say 'fully fund libraries' I actually mean 'to allocate in the state budget the full amount mandated by NYS Education Law to Library Aid.' Public library funding is a patchwork of different funding streams, and in no way is state government responsible for making sure each individual library is fully funded. (That's a whole other blog post, and in fact, a whole other blog entirely.)
Rather, the state allocates a certain amount of funding to libraries, some of which the local libraries receive in the form of Local Library Services Aid. Some is used to fund public library systems, which, in turn, provide services to its member libraries.
The amount mandated for Library Aid in New York State is $102.6 million. It sounds like a lot of money until you remember that it goes to help fund libraries across the entire state - and not just the public ones, either.
It's also only a tenth of a percent of the entire state budget.
Currently, the state allocates $91.6 million in Library Aid, which is not $102.6 million. So, we go to Albany and make a case for the other $11 million.
If you missed Library Advocacy Day and want to let the state government know that libraries should be fully funded, the New York Library Association provides a handy pre-drafted letter for you to send to your elected representatives.
You're welcome. And thank you.
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