Attention Florida Kossacks, Florida Libraries still need your Help and the deadline is tomorrow! This is a follow-up to an action diary I wrote last Thursday night, here. I've received word that legislators have been overwhelmed with voices asking for funds to be restored and the overall effort has been great, read about it here. Thank you. A big thanks to sboucher for giving me to tips on how to write an Action diary. In a nutshell, state aid funding has been stripped from the budget which means all public libraries can't receive any federal funding. Libraries will be closed - all over Florida. To get more details on how to help, click here
Note: Must of the legislators contacted stated that it is up to Governor Crist. Let's give a blue wave of concern to consider to the Governor. Remember, keep the messages positive!!!
Oh yeah, Governor Crist's email: Charlie.Crist@eog.myflorida.com
More details after the jump.
To sum up, last Thursday The Florida Legislature TED Conferees met April 30th and agreed to eliminate State Aid to Public Libraries funding completely from the state budget for the coming year. What does this mean? Well, almost all of the public libraries in Florida receive State Aid. Rural libraries receive more of it than urban libraries. Without State Aid to reimburse these rural library systems lose a good portion of their revenue to purchase materials, pay staff, etc. However, that is one of the very least amount of damage that libraries no longer receiving State Aid faces.
The bigger threat is the fact that if a library is receiving State Aid, they are ineligible to receive federal funding. This includes E-Rate. All eligible libraries in Florida use E-Rate. This is how it works, it reimburses libraries for any expenditures they have for network infrastructure (fiber, DSL, ATM, etc.), phone lines, hardware maintenance and so on. The percentage of reimbursement is based on the school district the library is in and percentage of students in it eligible for free/reduced lunch. For example, a public library in Orange county is eligible for 80% reimbursement since it has 80% of its students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Furthermore, E-Rate is in its 12th year and is funded by the highest percentage of need first. So if Orange county (Orlando) had an 80% student eligilibility of free/reduced lunch and Pinellas (St. Pete) had 60%, Orange County would be funded first.
Without State Aid the libraries also lose out on two more types of federal funding, Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant dollars and any stimulus funding. LSTA funding has been a real source of funds for libraries over the last few years since almost of their budgets have been cut. LSTA provides for libraries to purchase additional personnel, equipment, materials, network upgrades, training, and much more.
Here's a list of what Florida libraries did:
Citizens vote and participate in government – Libraries provide voter registration and serve as voting and early voting sites.
Lifelong learners pursue their interests and passion – Libraries provide learners of all ages the opportunity to learn & educate all citizens with their materials and staff.
Toddlers and preschoolers learn to read and prepare for success in school – Brain research and common sense demonstrate that children’s learning begins in infancy. Libraries help young children learn to read and help parents and caregivers learn to be their children’s first teachers. Children and parents actively engage in children’s learning – Whether individually or with their parents, children use homework assistance programs, tutoring, support for homeschoolers, and casual library experience to learn. Often, when exposed to libraries at an early age, children develop a love of reading that stays with them all of their lives.
Teens grow and thrive in a safe place to learn, socialize, and have fun – Teens are at a particularly vulnerable stage and libraries keep them safe and help them grow and develop by providing them with a safe environment for reading, computers, games and a place to socialize with adult supervision.
Floridians get essential government services otherwise unavailable to them – Using library Internet computers, library staff help residents conduct their EGovernment business with local, state, and federal agencies like the Department of Children and Families, the citizenship and immigration service, and the IRS just to name a few. Agencies are closing offices and forcing people to do business through websites, leaving libraries to provide help from a real live human. Job seekers and applicants are heavy users of library computers.
Floridians of all ages use technology and join in the technological revolution that changes all of our lives – To fully participate in our modern world and enjoy the benefits of the modern economy individuals require a computer and computer training. For many Floridians, the library is where they get computers, Internet access, help from staff.
Floridians find, connect with, and participate in their communities through their libraries – People want and need to interact with others. Libraries provide a public place, a "third place," in addition to home and work, where people connect with their neighbors and with folks who share common interests, through library programs, meeting rooms, and public spaces.
That's not a typo, I wrote "did". Due to the budget cuts within the last two years, libraries have cut down on their purchases, obtaining on what is essential. Even that was not enough, so many library systems have reduced or cut programming, hours, staff. A lot of libraries have had to close and that's with State Aid, E Rate, and LSTA grants available to them within the last year. I have heard a lot of people state that libraries should only have books and computers. Well that's what library systems are down to - If State Aid is not restored, the libraries systems will be forced to reduce hours, cut more staff, if not out right close. Regarding early voting - well, the library has to be open in order for people to vote.
Let's talk about what the cuts over the last two years have brought to those communities, crime. Studies have shown that when libraries reduce their hours or close, crime rates go up. Something else to consider is this: despite the reduced hours, staffing, materials, and programs, circulation of materials in most library systems has increased not decreased. More people are using the libraries now than ever before.
Losing State Aid and federal funding eligibility would be hard in any year. However, given the overall weakness of the Florida economy re: foreclosures, the tax base for funding is decimated. If these funds go away, so do the libraries because the cities, counties, and municipalities do not have the money to restore these services.
Again, thanks to all the kossacks who read, wrote, and reacted to my first diary.