Check It Out

Three weeks ago, I wrote about our district’s budget woes and its effect on the library program.  It was a horrible week not knowing the district’s budget plans.  So much of the budget is dependent on what our state legislature decides.  The session ended last week but a special session will be called in the next few weeks.  It could mean more cuts to education.

However, a group of library media specialists, the teacher’s union and district officials met recently to discuss cuts to the library program as well as how the library budget is managed.  You see, when the announcement was made that the library budget would be cut by 50% next year, it was also decided that the money would go directly to the building and the building would decide how much the library would get. I felt like the library had heart surgery(more like heart removal surgery).

Wow!  I have read what has happened in other districts in this scenario. It does not favor libraries and actually creates “library haves” and “library have-nots”.  This is clearly illustrated by the current way elementary libraries are budgeted any building money.  I, for example,  am given $75.00 per year of the building budget, another school in the district gets $300.00 and still others do not receive any funds from their building budget.    This is the way it has been for a neighboring district as well; money disseminated to the library based on what the administration deems important or the type of relationship a library media specialist may have the principal.  Should it really be that way?  Should libraries be funded on a whim?  I think not.

Our meeting with the district went well.  I think the group conveyed the importance of having a “baseline budget” that is consistent through out the district configured by a set amount times the number of students in the school.  As someone in the meeting pointed out, “how can you have books for one library and no books for another?”. 

It was an eye opener for me how complex my job is to an outsider. I was asked why library should get a baseline budget when the art department does not.  I found myself talking about how we support the core curriculum of the school: literacy, science, math, social studies and the arts.  We are not an entity that accumulates books and materials that are never used.  It is used by all. (At least if I am doing my job it is.)

In the end, it was decided that for this next year, the budget would be cut 50% but the library media specialist would still maintain the budget.  We will need to be vigilant that the budget continues to be maintained by us.  I think the district would very much like to move to have just one budget, the building budget.  It is our job to communicate our expertise in collection development and our passion to maintian equity throughout the school district.

We still are awaiting the fate of our assistants.  Hopefully, they will be maintained at a full time level and not be reduced to half time status.  It was disturbing to be asked at a school board meeting if I thought that volunteers could do my assistant’s job.  

The library is recuperating from heart surgery. It does need any post surgery complications.

Happy Reading.

MsMac