The Library Needs Money

Yesterday evening the Goleta City Council met to decide, among other things, whether to raise the special library tax by 3.5%. The resolution passed. The council members made some positive comments about the library. Jim Downing, Goleta's representative on the county library committee, asked that the increase be doubled. The response was that the council was prohibited by Proposition 218 from increasing the tax more than the cost of living.

The city's budget for 2007-2008 projects revenue from the library special tax to be $212,843.

Here is a quote from the document online (see the link above) which gives background on the resolution:

"However, overall costs for the upkeep and maintenance of library operations and the facility continue to run at a deficit. The aging building continues to require expensive repairs, including a new roof scheduled to be installed this year, which will cost around $100,000. Staff will return to Council shortly to address the concern over the library budget and service levels, and discuss potential solutions to the deficit problem."

On July 17 the County Board of Supervisors approved an increase of the special library tax for the unincorporated areas served by the Goleta Library. This increase was projected to bring in $158,087.

Last spring when I met with the Santa Barbara Library Director who administers the Goleta Library I was informed that the County of Santa Barbara pays $6.21 per capita to fund county libraries. The Goleta Library is supposed to serve approximately 90,000 people. If my calculations are correct that should provide $558,900.

That makes a total of $929,830 in revenues.

BUT, in March I asked the Goleta librarian for statistics on the Goleta budget. The projected expenses for FY2007 amounted to $1,153,008. This means a deficit of $223,178!

Okay, I'm sure that the finances are more complicated than I have outlined. These figures may not be accurate. I have tried to get the facts from online documents and by asking the librarians. Corrections and comments are welcome

So, what does a librarian do when expenditures exceed income? One seeks further financial support or one cuts services. Librarians hate to cut services. Service is what librarians live for.

As property owners in Goleta my husband and I pay $19.63 a year for the special library tax. There are three people living in our home. Therefore the county pays $18.63 a year for our library service. That means we pay $38.26 a year for the privilege of using our library.

You may say, "Well, that buys 1 book." The irony of it is that only about $30,000 of tax money goes to the books and materials fund for the library. The Friends of the Library raise about $40,000 a year to add to that amount. However, even if the book fund was increased there might not be enough room to shelve the new purchases.

To me, it is a disgrace that the library doesn't get enough financial support. In a subsequent entry I will explore what others have said on the topic.