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Libraries see state funding woes…again

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. –  Despite a strong social media movement and internet support, one group who will be feeling tightened purse strings are the Missouri’s public libraries, whose funding from the last fiscal year was finally released last month.

“Missouri’s public libraries are in trouble. Big trouble. Missouri’s governor, Jay Nixon, is withholding the vast majority of state funding from its public libraries,” wrote Kansas City’s own Chris Arnone wrote on BookRiot, a bibliophiliac news source, March 27. The article was picked up on Reddit, going viral beyond the website’s daily 40,000 traffic.

“[The budget] also allocated $3.1 million for Internet and digital services for libraries,” Arnone continued. “Of that $6.6 million, Governor Nixon has only released $724,000 and only to libraries serving communities of less than 40,000 people.”

Nixon released the remaining funding for public libraries three weeks ago after hundreds of librarians and supporters descended upon the Capitol and thousands more rallied on the internet to lobby their funds released and for a full budget allocation.

The Kansas City Public Library, who were kicked out of Nixon’s office, pushed a 5,100 signature-strong petition pleading for full funding due to their community value and celebrating the release of funds. The petition, addressed to House and Senate budget committee members, was also picked up on Reddit.

The petition garnered strong social media support with #saveMOlibaries and supporters hoped that lawmakers would return to “the full funding amount of $3.5 million in state aid to libraries as well as the $3.1 million in REAL funding to next year’s budget in HB 12.”

The movement celebrated when the governor released the $43 million in budgeted funds – $6 million of which were for libraries. The Kansas City Public Library said without the release of funds, they would have missed $100,000 and would have had to reduce staff and materials to the 185,000 Kansas Citians they serve monthly.

“So many Missouri citizens only have access to the internet at their libraries and without this money many of Missouri’s most vulnerable citizens will no longer have access,” reads the petition. “At the library, Missourians apply for jobs, connect with their communities, and find needed information for school and personal development. This will be impossible for thousands of Missourians if the budget is cut and libraries are forced to close or reduce hours and staff.”

Unfortunately for Missouri libraries, pre-withhold numbers are reflected in the budget lawmakers sent to Nixon last week.

Of the $26 billion budget lawmakers spent months crafting, $723,776 was allocated for Missouri’s 140 public libraries and $2 million was allocated for Remote Electronic Access for Libraries (REAL) program – less than the amount libraries received last year before Nixon released the remainder of funds. The cut is 79 percent for libraries and 36 percent for REAL – which received $3.5 million and $3.1 million total for FY2015, respectively.

“That’s a significant hit for libraries across the state of Missouri,” said Jim Schmidt, chairperson of the Missouri Library Association’s legislative committee told the Kirksville Daily Express. Schmit told the Express that libraries have little flexibility in terms of trimming their expenses, noting materials, hours of operation and personnel as the only areas in which they have discretion to make up for lost state funding.

This year’s legislative proposal is half of what they’ve seen in the last 15 years. Missouri libraries saw an average of $6.7 million allocated annually – never less than $5.96 million allocated in the last decade and a half. The allocation reflects the governor’s budget recommendation from January, however Nixon’s budget called for an elimination of REAL funds.

“The governor must ensure that the state budget is balanced, and in planning for the FY (fiscal year) 2016 budget, his budget recommendations reflected that,” said Scott Holste, press secretary for Nixon. “It is important to keep in mind, however, that it is ultimately the General Assembly that makes appropriations for the state budget and arrives at those decisions through a process that is over three-months long.”

Librarians are expressing their disappointment at the allocation.

“Missouri politicians, right and left, Republican and Democrat are more interested in what is trendy than what is tried and especially true,” said Kansas City Public Library Executive Director Crosby Kemper III.

Libraries fall under the Secretary of State’s budget. Kander’s office said they requested equal funding this year.

The legislature has sent the budget to the governor in record time and the clock is now ticking on his signatures, line item vetoes, and looming withholds.