The Friday Follow-up: What Federal Cuts Mean for STLS Members

Media outlets reported last week on the president’s proposal to severely cut federal agencies. Several of these agencies provide direct and indirect support to Southern Tier and New York libraries. Since this news, STLS has fielded questions from libraries about what this means for our membership.

To begin, I will highlight the agencies that benefit us most.

Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS)
This agency provides the most direct support to our members. It is done through the New York State Library – Division of Library Development (DLD). Our State Library provides NOVELny, which is the suite of databases our patrons access through our websites.

These databases contain hundreds of thousands of journal articles and information relevant to people of all ages. They are funded through LSTA grants provided by the IMLS to the State Library. With the exception of one central library database, these are the only ones our rural libraries can afford as a cooperative library system.

In addition to funding databases, LSTA grants support positions at the NYS Library – DLD. These librarians are essential to helping STLS administer many initiatives. They include: summer reading program, construction aid, annual reporting, chartering of libraries and legal support specific to education and municipal law.

Lastly, IMLS affords access to project grants for all New York libraries. New York State has received $4.5 million in project grants between 2014 and 2016.

Most members benefit from these two institutions. The NEA and NEH both support the New York State Council on the Arts and the Council for the Humanities. If your library has received a decentralized arts grant to provide art classes or offer music concerts, the NEA and NEH initially funded these programs.

A large section of our members receive these grants to subsidize their summer reading programs. It amounts to roughly $50,000 to Southern Tier libraries each year.

Moreover, NYS Council on the Arts and the NYS Council for the Humanities offer initiatives like Action, Community or Speakers grants that assist libraries with sparking civic dialogue. Some members obtain these grants yearly to the sum of $10,000.

Libraries in Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Yates counties were direct recipients of ARC funds in partnership with STLS. In 2016, STLS secured $150,000 in economic development funds to build fiber connections to 11 libraries in Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties.

We have also been selected in 2017 to receive the same level of funding to connect 12 more libraries in Steuben and Yates counties. In total, $300,000 has been provided by ARC to expand broadband capabilities that far exceed New York State standards to 23 members.

I wish I could provide better news about state and federal funding for libraries. Our membership worked tirelessly the last 8 weeks to undo our governor’s 4% cut. Last week, the NYS senate announced an $8 million add for libraries in its one house budget, which is a 4% increase over last year. However, the NYS assembly proposed a $4 million increase that would translate into flat funding for 2017/2018.

The senate, assembly and executive office are presently working towards an “on time” budget of March 31. If passed, we will know soon enough if libraries receive any increase this year. Past negotiations indicate a possible 1 or 2 percent increase based on where each party stands. This is not the amount owed to libraries as written in NYS education law, but it is not a cut.

Conversely, if the federal government decides to go along with the president’s reduction of agencies, state increases will seem like a cut. This is the case for both STLS and member libraries. Federal cuts will offset any increase of state or local funding.

For example, let’s say a library’s $50,000 budget is tax cap compliant and approved by local taxpayers. This results in a $1,000 increase for the library. And, the library gets a 2% increase in state aid, which adds $200 to their revenue. However, if this same library relies on a $1,500 decentralized arts grant through the NYS Council on the Arts, which is funded through the NEA to provide summer reading program engagement, then this library is at a $300 loss.

Most likely, this library will cut an important component of its summer reading program. In rural libraries we rely on grants to fund programs and budget increases to pay for utilities. This is wrong. We should rely on grants and funding increases to further our mission of collections, programs, technology and the hundreds of other amazing things we do! Nevertheless, 50 families at this specific library will experience a less engaging summer program because the NEA was defunded.

It has been a long advocacy season! And I assure you we will taper off our messaging in the coming weeks to focus on library people and projects. However, I am touched by the number of members who have asked about federal cuts to the IMLS. I felt compelled to inform our membership about these matters because our 48 libraries and the 270,000 residents we serve will be impacted.

If you would like to advocate for state funding one last time or federal funding for libraries, please click here. We have also provided links at the top of this page.

Thank you for your continued support and many efforts! Have a great weekend, STLS.