It costs money to run free public libraries.
While we are busier than ever in this economic downturn, our state funding would be cut under both Governor Rendell's proposed budget and Senate Bill (SB) 850 proposed by the Senate Republicans. SB 850 would result in a 50% cut in state aid to public libraries and would eliminate programs such as the POWER Library. Its adoption would mean a loss of almost $200,000 for CTLS and severe cuts in programs that are provided by our library partners at the county and state levels. Cuts in state funding would also result in the loss of millions of dollars in federal library grants. There is a domino effect when budgets get cut.
We are a safety net for people who have lost their jobs and for families who are struggling to make ends meet. The bad news for Cheltenham Township residents is that cuts in funding translate to cuts in services.
Some rollbacks in services that we pass on will not be of our own making but will be a result of cuts to District Center and State library budgets. For example, delivery services that provide easy access to over 2 million items in library collections to all Montgomery County residents, are funded through our District Center in Norristown. The Philadelphia Inquirer, Tumblebooks, Reference USA, Learning Express and downloadable audiobooks are online resources that are provided at the county level.
The public library is a truly democratic institution. There is no fee to walk through the door or visit us online. Information and entertainment are readily available regardless of one's economic status.
If you believe libraries are more important than ever, we need your help. Please contact elected officials and request level funding for public libraries.
More information is available from the Pennsylvania Library Association. A comparison of the budget proposals is also available on their website along with an explanation of the issues. It is so important that people who use and love libraries speak up!
Thank you.
Link to Budget Comparisons:
Link to Budget Comparison .pdf file
* Please be advised that this is a link to a .pdf file.
Link to find your Legislator:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/session.cfm
Link to Pennsylvania Library Association: http://www.palibraries.org
The Cheltenham Township Library System's Facebook Page
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