Budget Planning Guide

for School Library Media Specialists

Baltimore County Public Schools

Office of Library Information Services
October 2004

Introduction
Practical Advice
To say you need money is not good enough! Everyone needs money for this or that! Also, to
believe that more money will make things better is not wise thinking. Knowing that you are
competing with the entire educational community for funding demands your investment in
reading, research, needs assessment, data, documentation, and strategic planning. This work
must be clearly communicated to those who have the authority to make fiscal decisions that
impact student achievement. Della Curtis, Coordinator, Office of Library Information Services

Purpose of this Budget Planning Guide for School Library Media Specialists
This guide serves as a template for effective budget planning and success with budget requests.
It defines budget categories most frequently needed by library media specialists to effectively
administer a school library media program. These budget categories are determined by fiscal
authorities as a method to ensure fiscal accountability for spending public funds and reporting
expenditures by commodity/service type, i.e., amount of funds spent on school library books and
media. Each year the Maryland State Department of Education compiles a report, Facts About
School Libraries in Maryland, that shows collection development data by county as well as
staffing and technology statistics. This report is a compilation of data in the Annual School
Library Media Report completed in May of each year by every school library media specialist in
Maryland. The report is part of a process to inform the community of our fiscal responsibility
with public funds and how we are making progress to meeting the MSDE Standards for School
Library Media Programs.

Purchasing Based on Selection Policy and Criteria

All school library books and media are carefully selected and guided by the Baltimore County
Public Schools Selection Policy. The policy outlines specific selection criteria to ensure that
school library media specialists develop quality library media collections and are fiscally
responsible for use of public funds. The selection policy is available at
http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/office/admin/selection.html

Budget Categories
In order to understand specific library budget categories, it is important that you know the AMS
Code Structure determined by the BCPS Office of Budget and Finance. The AMS account
structure consists of a series of numeric codes that include the following six elements of the
code structure. These are:
Code Structure Element
Fund
Agency
Organization
Activity
Object

Explanation
General Fund
School or Office
Program
Budget Category
Type of expense for commodity or
service

Example for LIS

1000
097 (Library Info Services)
2240 (Library Media)
0004 (Instruction)
3126 (Library Books & Media)

Object Codes for Library Media Commodities/Services

3126
3507
3145
5530
5540
5535
5545
2834
2851

Library Books and Media

Classroom Supplies and Equipment <$1000
Subscriptions
Furniture and Equipment Replacement $1000 - $4,999
Furniture and Equipment Replacement >$5,000
Furniture and Equipment - Additional $1000 - $4,999
Furniture and Equipment Additional >$5,000
Contracted Services
Software License Fees

See the page 4 for a detailed description of commodities/services, review resources for these
commodities/services, and ordering sources.

Description of Commodities/Services, Review Resources, and Ordering

Sources.

2834.

Contracted Services

Description
Repairs to the inventory of the librarys audiovisual and computer equipment performed by a
commercial vendor or BCPS IT Customer Support Center are approved expenditures using this
budget object code. Equipment categories include, but not limited to, LCD projectors, printers,
photocopiers, computers, audio and visual cassette recorders, DVD players, listening centers,
overhead projectors. If the library media specialist is the Audiovisual Coordinator for the
school, then budget requests for local funds to cover the costs of repair to the entire schools
inventory of audiovisual equipment must be considered.

2851.

Software License Fees

Description
Online database annual subscription license costs and automation software updates and
technical support purposes for student use and instruction are approved expenditures using this
budget object code. Examples of online databases include eLibrary, America the Beautiful,
New Book of Popular Science, and others. Examples of automation software are Library Pro
and Follett Circulation Plus.

Ordering Source
Online databases are evaluated annually by library media specialists who make
recommendations to the Office of Library Information Services to secure a quote for these
services for use by ALL schools in the school system. This process ensures that all students
and staff have equitable access to quality online digital content and software to manage school
library media collections.

3126 Library Books and Media

Description
Books, periodicals, CD-ROMs, DVDs computer software, videocassettes, audiocassettes, and
other media formats not yet defined by technological trends that are intended for student or
instructional use are approved expenditures using this budget object code. These books and
media are centrally cataloged, processed, organized, and managed by the school library media
specialist, and as such, are reported annually in the Maryland State Department of Education
Library Annual Report. Expenditures for classroom sets of textbook materials such as
almanacs, dictionaries, classroom libraries, etc., are not a valid expenditure from school library
media funds.

Review Resources
Authoritative books and media collection development tools.
4

H.W. Wilsons Childrens Catalog, Middle/Junior Catalog, Senior High School Catalog

Professional journals that review books and media.

School Library Journal, Booklist, Horn Book, Multicultural Review, etc. For a comprehensive
list of these tools, see the Library Office website at
http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/office/infospec.html

Ordering Sources

Book jobbers who provide a comprehensive and searchable web-based ordering systems
that include access to publishers inventories, including book reviews, links to books that
support the MSDE Voluntary State Curriculum, as well as other information such as reading
level, interest level, binding, prices, etc. AND provide MARC Record cataloging and
complete processing of all materials ordered and shipped to the library media center.

Library Instructional Materials Catalog prepared by the Office of Library Information Services
in collaboration with the Office of Purchasing and accessible via the BCPS Intranet at
https://intranet.bcps.org/offices/purchasing/vendor_catalogs/ Users must have a BCPS
issued email address and password. You will need to have a P-Card to access vendor
catalogs. If you do not have one, and you are an authorized buyer for your group, please
contact the Office of Purchasing (4334).

Publishers catalogs are NOT recommended sources for selecting materials. The purpose of
these publications is to market their inventories, not review them. If you are alerted to
materials that would be useful, you must find positive reviews before making any purchase.

Faculty recommendations of materials are encouraged. Positive reviews are required before
making any purchase.

3145 Subscriptions
Description
Subscription services to periodical information such as magazines and newspapers for student
and instructional purposes are approved expenditures using this budget object code. These
subscriptions are managed by the library media specialist and are reported on the MSDE
Annual State Report. These do not include purchases of professional journals for exclusive use
of curricular departments/grade levels.

Ordering Source
Magazine Catalog for which the Office of Library Information Services has reviewed titles and
secured a bid price. This catalog is accessible at
https://intranet.bcps.org/offices/purchasing/vendor_catalogs/ Magazines and other periodical
information sources must comply with the BCPS Selection Policy. The selection policy is
available at http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/office/admin/selection.htmlUsers must have a BCPS
issued email address and password. You will need to have a P-Card to access vendor
catalogs. If you do not have one, and you are an authorized buyer for your group, please
contact the Office of Purchasing (4334).
5

3507.
Classroom Supplies and Equipment
<$1000
Description
Supplies (consumable) and small equipment used by the library media specialist for
administrative or instructional purposes are approved expenditures using this budget object
code. The following are examples, but not limited to similar types of supplies and equipment:
bar codes labels, labels and label protectors, patron cards, card/pockets, bar code scanner,
computer storage supplies, projection lamps, bookmarks, library marketing materials, signage,
computer peripherals, memory, materials storage files/containers, and general office supplies.

Ordering Sources

Library Supply Catalogs for which BCPS has negotiated a discount for listed products. The
Office of Library Information Services will notify library media specialists as well as the
vendor will send catalogs to all library media centers. When ordering from these catalogs,
the quote/bid discount ID number must be included on PR and stated for all telephone
orders. Examples of library supply catalogs include, but are not limited to: Gaylord, Brodart,
Demo, Highsmith.

Office supply catalogs for which BCPS has negotiated a discount for listed products. These
catalogs are accessible at the Office of Purchasing website at
https://intranet.bcps.org/offices/purchasing/vendor_catalogs/ Follow instructions
given at the BCPS website. You will need to have a P-Card to access vendor catalogs. If
you do not have one, and you are an authorized buyer for your group, please contact the
Office of Purchasing (4334).

Audiovisual Supplies Catalog for which the Office of Library Information Services has
secured a bid price. This catalog is accessible at
https://intranet.bcps.org/offices/purchasing/vendor_catalogs/ Users must have a
BCPS issued email address and password. You will need to have a P-Card to access
vendor catalogs. If you do not have one, and you are an authorized buyer for your group,
please contact the Office of Purchasing (4334).

Audiovisual Equipment Catalog/Price List for which the Office of Library Information Services
has secured a bid price. Items using the above object code must cost less than $1000. For
items $1000 - $4999 use object codes listed page 4. This catalog is accessible at
https://intranet.bcps.org/offices/purchasing/vendor_catalogs/ Users must have a
BCPS issued email address and password. You will need to have a P-Card to access
vendor catalogs. If you do not have one, and you are an authorized buyer for your group,
please contact the Office of Purchasing (4334).

5530 Equipment and Furniture - Replacement $1000 - $4999

Description
Replacement of equipment such as audiovisual, computers, library furniture used by students
and staff in the library media center is an approved expenditure using this budget object code.

Ordering Source
The Audiovisual Catalog is accessible at
https://intranet.bcps.org/offices/purchasing/vendor_catalogs/ Users must have a BCPS
issued email address and password. For purchases of computer equipment, contact the
Customer Support Center (4672) for approved computer vendor contact information. For library
furniture contact the Office of Library Information (4035) Services for recommended library
furniture vendors.

5535 Equipment and Furniture - Additional $1000 - $4999

Description
Additional equipment such as audiovisual, computers, library furniture used by students and
staff in the library media center are approved expenditures using this budget object code.

Ordering Source
The Audiovisual Catalog is accessible at
https://intranet.bcps.org/offices/purchasing/vendor_catalogs/ Users must have a BCPS
issued email address and password. For purchases of computer equipment, contact the
Customer Support Center at 4672 for approved computer vendor contact information. . For
library furniture contact the Office of Library Information (4035) Services for recommended
library furniture vendors.

5540 Equipment and Furniture - Replacement >$5,000

Description
Replacement of equipment such as audiovisual, computers, library furniture used by students
and staff in the library media center is an approved expenditure using this budget object code.

Ordering Source
The Audiovisual Catalog is accessible at
https://intranet.bcps.org/offices/purchasing/vendor_catalogs/ Users must have a BCPS
issued email address and password. For purchases of computer equipment, contact the
Customer Support Center (4672) for approved computer vendor contact information. For library
7

furniture contact the Office of Library Information (4035) Services for recommended library
furniture vendors.

5545 Equipment and Furniture - Additional > $5,000

Description
Additional equipment such as audiovisual, computers, library furniture used by students and
staff in the library media center are approved expenditures using this budget object code.

Ordering Source
The Audiovisual Catalog is accessible at
https://intranet.bcps.org/offices/purchasing/vendor_catalogs/ Users must have a BCPS
issued email address and password. For purchases of computer equipment, contact the
Customer Support Center at 4672 for approved computer vendor contact information. . For
library furniture contact the Office of Library Information (4035) Services for recommended
library furniture vendors.