| Governor Granholm is proposing a 50% cut to library funding in 2008 Michigan's |
| Libraries are Critical to a Knowledge-Based
Economy and Vital to Education Libraries are critical
to a knowledge-based economy and to closing the digital divide. Every
library in Michigan offers computer and internet services for Michigan's
residents and businesses. With almost 40% of Americans lacking internet
access at home, libraries are a critical link to technology and training
for many who can't afford it. Michigan libraries serve as an equalizer
for those in Michigan who can't afford to buy books or access the internet. Libraries play a critical
role in early information literacy through story time for pre-K children
and through Summer Reading Programs for children ages 3 through 13
which reaches more children than little League. Michigan's citizens
use public libraries as their first stop for online job hunting and
resume writing, and as an access point for Michigan Works. Practice exams and
tutorials including those for SAT, ACT, GED, nursing certification,
teacher certification, etc. are available online at: MeL.org, to address
Michigan's nursing shortage, and help increase our high school graduation
rates, making Michigan more competitive.
Michigan's Libraries are already Severely Underfunded The Governor's '08
budget calls for slashing library funding 50% to $6.1 million dollars. State library funding has already been cut
$8 million since 2002 a 23% cut. The national average
for state support of libraries is $3.21 per capita. The Governor's proposed
2008 budget would fund libraries at .60 cents per capita. That would
place Michigan 35th nationally in terms of state support for public
libraries. By comparison, Illinois receives state support of $2.51 and
Indiana receives $3.48, per capita. State law (PA 89) authorizes
Michigan libraries to be funded at $1.50 per capita. That has not been
fully funded since 1998 and has decreased ever since. Last year libraries
were funded at $1.17 per capita. To fully fund libraries at the level
required by state law would entail $15.4 million in funding. Libraries are on the Cutting Edge of Governmental Resource
Sharing & Cost Savings Library Cooperatives,
including the Lakeland Cooperative, negotiate statewide discounts
for libraries so money goes further when purchasing books and other
library materials, allows individual to check out material from
other cooperative libraries beside their home library, maintains
the shared library catalog system allowing individuals to place
holds on other librarys materials, facilitates delivery to have
hold items sent to any library in the Cooperative, and provides internet
access for libraries. In 2006, Michigan Electronic
Library or MeL paid $3.9 million for the online information provided
to all residents. If each school, public, college, and university library
paid for this access, it would cost $193.4 million annually, a huge
cost savings for taxpayers. Cuts
Will Devastate Library services to Michigan Residents For cardholders in
the Lakeland Cooperative, interloan delivery will be eliminated. In
other words, library cardholders will have to drive to the library that
owns the item(s) they want. Patrons will no longer be able to ask for
the item to be sent to a specific library of their choice.
Library Cooperatives
service cuts will result in significant cuts in statewide delivery services,
disruption or elimination of shared catalog systems, elimination of
Summer Reading programs and more, in some of Michigan's most economically
depressed areas. Michigan's disparate
system of funding libraries means that small and rural libraries that
rely solely on state aid and penal fines will close or reduce services
drastically. Michigan local library
funding is continuously being reduced by on-going tax captures by Downtown
Development Authorities (DDA) and by local parallel ordinances that
take away penal fine revenue allocated for libraries as written in the
Michigan Constitution. |
| ACTION:: |
| Call, write or email
members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, HAL Subcommittee
members, your legislator, and the House and Senate Leadership today,
to voice your opposition to library funding cuts in the budget. See
contact list below. Contact Governor Granholm
by going to the librarys website: coopersville.llcoop.org and click
on Share Your Opinion with the Governor link
or email http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21995-65331--,00.html Email your local legislators.
See contact list below. |
| Legislative Contact List: Members of the House and Senate History, Arts and Libraries
Subcommittee: Phone Number: Email: Senator Tom George (517)
373-0793 n/a Senator Cameron Brown (517)
373-5932 sencbrown@senate.michigan.gov Senator Irma Clark-Colman (866)-747-7803 coleman@senate.michigan.gov Representative Aldo Vagnozzi 517-373-1793 aldovagnozzi@house.mi.gov Representative Fran Amos 517-373-0615
franamos@house.mi.gov Representative Shannelle Jackson 517-373-1705 shanellejackson@house.mi.gov |
| Your local State Representative & State Senator: Phone Number: Email: Address: Senator: Alan Cropsey 1-866-305-2133 senacropsey@senate.michigan.gov PO Box 30036 Lansing MI 489009-7536 Representative: Judy Emmons 517-373-0834
judyemmons@house.mi.gov PO Box 30014 Lansing MI 48909-7514 |
| What to Mention to your Legislators: |
| State that you strongly
oppose the proposed 50% cut to state aid for public libraries in
the Governor's 2008 budget. Tell them to vote no to library budget
cuts. Ask them what their stand is on budget cuts for libraries. State that libraries
are on the cutting edge of the knowledge based economy by providing
many services including free Internet access, online job hunting services,
and literacy programming for children. Share your specific stories of what these cuts will mean to your community and the value you place on libraries. |