Library State Aid Funding In Trouble

Tonight the Florida House and Senate are going into conference.  State funding for libraries is in serious trouble.  Libraries need the current funding of $21 million just to keep their heads above water.  ANY cut in State Aid will impact the federal dollars too.  This is serious.  Please send out a message to everyone you know to support maintaining the State Aid funding. Libraries are busier than ever and adult literacy groups depend on them.   Here is the link for more information and to send a message online, but you may want to try some different but fast ways to get their attention.  Again, decisions will be made very soon--in a day or so maybe.

 If you want to follow the process, here are links below.  We'll be posting more for context.  Here is the email from the Legislative Chair of the Florida Library Association.
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Public Library & MLC Funding - Legislature's Budget Conference Process


For those interested in watching the House and Senate Transportation and Economic Development (TED) Appropriations Conference Committee’s deliberations which may include discussion of State Aid to Public Libraries and Library Cooperative program funding, that meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 and should be available from the House “Broadcasts” page - http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/HouseCalendar/broadcast.aspx . I checked with the Florida Channel folks and they confirm that they will be covering the conference committee meetings this evening.

At this meeting, the House conferees will offer their initial funding positions and there will likely be some discussion. The session may run late as they have scheduled it from 5:30 midnight. I anticipate that the House position will be posted on the web on the “House Budget Conference Documents Page” - http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/publications.aspx?publicationType=Committees&DocumentType=Budget%20Conference%20Documents&SessionId=64&Session=2010               at some point prior to the meeting.

We are expecting to get bad news when they take up State Aid funding. The current year funding is $21.2 million which is also the federal Maintenance of Effort amount Florida needs to provide in order to be eligible to receive Library Services and Technology Act dollars. The Senate budget included $15 million and the House had a place keeper $500,000 amount. With respect to the Library Cooperatives Program, the House has $1 million, the Senate has $0, and we are requesting $1.2 million, the same amount as this year. Their positions are likely to change this evening.

Thanks for your interest and support!
Charlie Parker –
Chair
FLA Legislative Committee