Libraries officials across the commonwealth are pulling at their hairs as they read Governor Ed Rendell\u2019s budget.
\nWith the governor\u2019s signature on Thursday, all state funding for libraries across Pennsylvania will be cut 50 percent \u2013 totally devastating for a library that has embarked on a $625,000 building project.
\n\u201cThis could not come at a worse time for Tyrone-Snyder Public Library,\u201d said Chuck Banas, director of public relations and publicity for the library. \u201cNot only are we clawing at every piece possible to get into the new building and raise funds, but now, we\u2019re facing a possible 50-percent cut in funding used to operate the facility. It could be a tragedy.\u201d
\nLast year, the library used an operating budget of $146,845 to keep the library in full motion with all its programming. Approximately one-third of that, or $49,832, was supplied by the state. The other percentage is gained through local municipalities, fundraising organizations and fundraisers themselves.
\nAccording to Lynne Nearhoof, the problems the library will face if this proposed budget is passed, are immense. These include staff cuts, limited library hours and cuts for purchases of new materials. She said government sponsored programs, such as PA Power Library, Access Pa and the Family Literacy Annual Grant, used for the Summer Reading Program, have already been slashed from the budget.
\n\u201cThe problem here is that we have to go into our campaign for operating expenses in May,\u201d said Lynne Nearhoof, director of the library, noting the cuts would not directly effect the building project because state-funding is mandated for operational expenses and programming. \u201cWe have already been canvassing the town for the building project, so we\u2019re concerned and wondering if people will be able to give both times. We just don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen there.\u201d
\nNearhoof said the scene was different for the past three years with Tom Ridge in the governor\u2019s chair.
\nShe explained that Ridge gave libraries a \u201cgreat infusion of money\u201d after a Philadelphia Inquirer journalist did an extensive piece on the state of the Pennsylvania library system compared to that of other states. The results were staggering.
\n\u201cWhat the writer found was that we ranked near the bottom in almost all the categories he investigated,\u201d said Nearhoof. \u201cWhen Ridge saw this, he decided it was time to get the Pennsylvania system up to higher standards.\u201d
\nShe said Ridge gave libraries a three-year plan.
\n\u201cAt the same time, he gave us money and put restrictions on it so it would be used properly,\u201d said Nearhoof. \u201cHe made all the libraries increase their hours of operations. We went from 40 hours a week to 47.
\n\u201cHe also insisted that we had to hire additional staff,\u201d she continued, \u201cso we added two part-timers.\u201d
\nNearhoof said Ridge also required libraries who received an increase in funding each year, to increase the number of books and material available to the public by five percent over what was spent the previous year.
\n\u201cSo all that allowed us to keep on growing,\u201d said Nearhoof.
\nBut now, officials must wait until a decision is made on the budget before deciding what to do next. Most are hoping the 50 percent cut is reduced to a smaller percentage.
\n\u201cTuesday, this is all going to be looked at again,\u201d said Nearhoof. \u201cNobody thinks it\u2019s going to stay at 50 percent. We\u2019re just waiting to see how it shakes down. Even if it\u2019s ten percent, it\u2019s still going to be hard for us.\u201d
\nNearhoof said the state Library Association, which oversees all public-funded libraries in the state, feels Gov. Rendell is pro-library because of his efforts in the Philadelphia system. She said that although he did not get them money, he did help them overcome their roadblocks.
\nIn a letter over the signatures of District Center Libraries Executive Director Deborah A. Weakland and District Consultant Amy M. Horell and addressed to Rep. Larry O. Sather, it states that Rendell\u2019s proposed budget \u201cwould cripple those entities that have empowered your constituents in many ways.\u201d
\nThe letter states that services provided by the libraries include tools for job searching and educational research tools, Internet access, literacy programs, story hours for children, interlibrary loans and personalized reference service would be effected.
\n\u201cPublic libraries play an integral role in the education of our youth,\u201d the letter reads. \u201cPennsylvania public libraries have become increasingly important places (and sometimes the only places available) where ever-growing numbers of your constituents come to change their own lives.\u201d
\nIn an effort to curtail Rendell\u2019s proposed budget cuts, libraries and the PLA have embarked on a letter-writing mission asking the governor to veto the budget, and asking state representatives and state senators to support the local constituents\u2019 desire to keep the libraries operating full steam ahead.
\nPostcard-sized letters, like the one accompanying this article, are available at the library. Nearhoof said those interested in showing their support can stop by the library and fill out the card.
\n\u201cWe are sending them out everyday now,\u201d said Nearhoof. \u201cPeople can also pick them up and take them home to fill out and send on their own.\u201d
\nThe postcards will be mailed to Gov. Rendell at Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 225 Main Capitol Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120; Hon. Robert Jubelirer, 535 Main Capitol Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120; and Hon. Jerry A. Stern, 210 Ryan Office Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Libraries officials across the commonwealth are pulling at their hairs as they read Governor Ed Rendell\u2019s budget. With the governor\u2019s signature on Thursday, all state funding for libraries across Pennsylvania will be cut 50 percent \u2013 totally devastating for a library that has embarked on a $625,000 building project. \u201cThis could not come at a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news-in-the-tyrone-pennsylvania-area"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47084\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}