Preamble to the Funding and Structure Task
For more than 100 years, the people of New Jersey have demonstrated a strong commitment to providing library services in their communities. More than 95% of New Jersey’s communities have voted by referendum to establish and fund library services.
The economic downturn of the past several years, however, has affected the state in profound ways. Many NJ residents lost their jobs. Libraries are often the face of government and a cost effective provider of safety-net services that help NJ residents to find employment and information in daily life. Support for public libraries, and the funding structures which maintain them, has been increasingly challenged by governing officials on both the local and state levels. Members of the library community have also questioned the viability of the current funding structure as a foundation for library funding in the future.
NJLA has studied funding and structure for public libraries several times over the past two decades. A 2003 study evaluated NJ public library funding and explored alternative options. At that time the decision was made to stay with the tried and true1/3 of a mill funding formula for municipal public libraries and existing legislation for joint, county and association library systems.
Over the past few years and especially in 2010, it became obvious that the challenges to public library funding were coming faster and with greater intensity. Legislation enacted between 2007 and 2010 addressed unique situations for libraries in municipalities with exceptional funding due to high ratables. Generally these few towns had very limited population. The special legislation created for anomalies has had the effect of weakening public library funding. NJLA President Susan Briant appointed another Task Force in May 2010 to revisit the issue.
The charge given to the Task Force was toassess the future viability of the funding formulas for the mandatory minimum funding of 1/3 mil for municipal libraries and 1/15 mil for county libraries. In addition, the group was asked to explore new options for funding and to make recommendations to the Public Policy Committee and to the NJLA Executive Board about how to assure stable and equitable local funding for NJ public libraries in the future. The Task Force was also charged with studying all proposed legislation regarding funding caps and their potential impact on library funding and to make any recommendations as deemed necessary.
NJLA’s Task Force began its work over the summer of 2010 with the goal of generating a report for the library community by November 2010. The members of the Task Force have reached the consensus that other options will be imposed by others if we are not proactive in introducing options that will work best to strengthen the library community and to afford equity.
NJLA believes being proactive in offering alternative solutions is a better course than awaiting better economic times. Although new funding models for libraries have been studied before, this time the urgency of the situation compels the library community to do a comprehensive assessment of feasible political options.
NJLA believes that the 1/3 of a mill formula is on borrowed time, although it has served us well for the most part. But there were inequities across communities, which created funding ceilings for some, particularly in the urban libraries. During favorable economic times, more than 2/3 of NJ public libraries were above the required minimum funding. During bad times, and especially now, libraries are being cut to the minimum funding with devastating consequences.
The question is –what type of new funding models could work in New Jersey?
Research in other states indicates success in creating library districts that depend on voters to affirm funding for library systems. In addition, the tremendous success of the Open Space Program in New Jersey also affirms the opinion that New Jersey voters will support local services which they believe are important to them and to their families.
The Task Force hopes to give flexibility to the library community by providing options beyond the current funding legislation. The goal is to permit local communities to explore new funding models for additional tax revenues on the local level.
Libraries are busier and more essential than ever. Offering flexible solutions to protect and grow libraries is imperative to sustain library funding in New Jersey for the future.
The members of the Task Force are : Keith McCoy, Chair; Norma Blake, Susan Briant, Leslie Burger, Chris Carbone, Cindy Czesak, James Keehbler, Eileen Palmer, Bill Paullin, Mary Romance, Victoria Rosch, Margaret Shapiro,Pat Tumulty, and Robert White.
3/28/11 SB Rev. 5/11/11