Budget Proposal By Mark Snyder, Bo Yao, and Robbin Zirkle

2 Dear Ms. Mayor and City Commissioners of Leafy View: In response to a potential fourteen percent budget cut, the Leafyview Public Library has been require to make significant changes to our services and materials for the 2014 Fiscal Year. Over the past several years, the Leafyview Public Library has seen a steady and substantial increase in the annual number of patrons and circulations (Table 3). In addition to historical grown rates, several studies undertaken by libraries and academic institutions found that during periods of economic, library utilization increases, as citizens utilize the library to access resources and services that are otherwise unavailable to them 1. By efficiently utilizing our lean but effective staff, listening to patron requests, and proactively responding to community needs in areas such as public computing, The Leafyview Public Library bas been able to consistently provide exceptional service to the Leafyview community. A 14% cut will drastically impact our ability to continue to provide the level of service the citizens of Leafyview have come to know and expect from the Leafyview Public Library. The value that The Leafyview Public Library provides to it patrons goes far beyond the availability of books and magazine. By offering speakers, events, and training sessions, as well as traditional materials, The Leafyview Public Library presents the citizens of Leafyview not only a resource for information and media, but also an opportunity to develop new stills, to have important questions answered, and to network within the community. With a 14% decrease in funding, the Leafyview Public Library is most substantially hit in three areas: staffing, library materials, and computer equipment. These cuts will affect all areas of the library, and directly impact the librarys ability to serve patrons in the ways that they most need during economic troubles. Furthermore, by straining staff, and reducing resources available, the library is put into a position in which it is less able adapt to evolving needs, or to adequately use the resources it has. By reducing The Leafyview Public Librarys cut to 5%, not only would the library maintain the ability to serve the community, but the ability to evolve to meet the unique needs of the Leafyview citizens during this trying time. While other government departments are facing the same tough decisions and sacrifices that The Leafyview Public Library is now facing, The Leafyview Public Library is in a unique position to use the increased funds of a decreased cut to immediately provide Leafyview citizens with the resources, information, and programs that they need most. Furthermore, by providing these resources to the Leafyview community, The Leafyview Public Library can help to insure that the city is primed to recover from this economic hardship more quickly, and emerge from it better prepared to help build the future of Leafyview. Decreasing The Leafyview Public Librarys budget cuts is not just an investment in the library, it is an investment in the citys future. Sincerely, Leafyview Public Library
1

"Value of Libraries." Ala.org. American Library Association, 17 May 2012. Web. 02 June 2013. <http://wikis.ala.org/professionaltips/index.php?title=Value_of_Libraries>.

3 FY 2013 $606,250 $46,000 $38,000 $35,000 $32,000 $28,000 $24,000 $22,000 $25,000 $23,000 $273,000 $68,250 $341,250 14% Cut FY 13 5% Cut FY 13 $521,375 ($84,875.00) $575,937.50 ($30,312.50) $46,000 $38,000 $35,000 $32,000 $28,000 $24,000 $0 $25,000 $23,000 $251,000 $62,750 $313,750 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 ($22,000) $0 $0 ($22,000) ($5,500) ($27,500) $46,000 $38,000 $35,000 $32,000 $28,000 $24,000 $22,000 $25,000 $23,000 $273,000 $68,250 $341,250 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Budget Salaries Head Librarian Assistant Librarian 1 Assistant Librarian 2 Children/YA Librarian Head of Circulation Library Assistant 1 Library Assistant 2 Library Assistant 3 Admin Assistant Salary Total Benefits Total Salary/Benefit Total Library Materials Books Audiovisual Materials Subscriptions (Serials) Online Databases Library Materials Total Equipment Computer - Public Computer - Admin Equipment Total Other Expenses Staff Development Travel Repair/Maintenance Telephone/Internet Utilities Janitorial Services Supplies Other Expenses Total Total Library Budget
Table 1 Comparative Budgets

$85,000.00 $57,625.00 ($27,375.00) $73,687.50 ($11,312.50) $10,000.00 $7,000.00 ($3,000.00) $7,000.00 ($3,000.00) $62,000.00 $46,500.00 ($15,500.00) $53,000.00 ($9,000.00) $12,000.00 $12,000.00 $0.00 $12,000.00 $0.00 $169,000.00 $123,125.00 ($45,875.00) $145,687.50 ($23,312.50) $25,000 $5,000 $30,000 $3,000.00 $3,000.00 $15,000.00 $20,000.00 $8,000.00 $12,000.00 $5,000.00 $66,000.00 $10,000 $5,000 $15,000 $4,000.00 $3,000.00 $17,500.00 $20,000.00 $8,000.00 $12,000.00 $5,000.00 $69,500.00 ($15,000) $0 ($15,000) $1,000.00 $0.00 $2,500.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $3,500.00 $20,000 $5,000 $25,000 $3,000.00 $3,000.00 $15,000.00 $20,000.00 $8,000.00 $10,000.00 $5,000.00 $64,000.00 ($5,000) $0 ($5,000) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 ($2,000.00) $0.00 ($2,000.00)

$606,250.00 $521,375.00 ($84,875.00) $575,937.50 ($30,312.50)

4 FY 2013 $606,250 $22,000 $273,000 $68,250 $341,250 14% Cut FY 13 5% Cut FY 13 $521,375 ($84,875.00) $575,937.50 ($30,312.50) $0 $251,000 $62,750 $313,750 ($22,000) ($22,000) ($5,500) ($27,500) $22,000 $273,000 $68,250 $341,250 $0 $0 $0 $0

Budget Salaries Library Assistant 2 Salary Total Benefits Total Salary/Benefit Total Library Materials Books Audiovisual Materials Subscriptions (Serials) Library Materials Total Equipment Computer - Public Equipment Total Other Expenses Staff Development Repair/Maintenance Janitorial Services Other Expenses Total Total Library Budget

$85,000.00 $57,625.00 ($27,375.00) $73,687.50 ($11,312.50) $10,000.00 $7,000.00 ($3,000.00) $7,000.00 ($3,000.00) $62,000.00 $46,500.00 ($15,500.00) $53,000.00 ($9,000.00) $169,000.00 $123,125.00 ($45,875.00) $145,687.50 ($23,312.50) $25,000 $30,000 $3,000.00 $15,000.00 $12,000.00 $66,000.00 $10,000 $15,000 $4,000.00 $17,500.00 $12,000.00 $69,500.00 ($15,000) ($15,000) $1,000.00 $2,500.00 $0.00 $3,500.00 $20,000 $25,000 $3,000.00 $15,000.00 $10,000.00 $64,000.00 ($5,000) ($5,000) $0.00 $0.00 ($2,000.00) ($2,000.00)

Table 2 Areas Most Affected by Change

$606,250.00 $521,375.00 ($84,875.00) $575,937.50 ($30,312.50)

Service Circulation Number of Patrons Program Attendance Public Computer Usage Collection Size Audio/Video Materials Reserves for books/AV
Table 3 Overview of Service and Holdings

20xx 84,912 6567 2743 550 Hours 70,412 2096 392

20xx 92,657 6891 4874 3298 72,959 2498 580

20xx 97,142 7291 6679 6243 74,579 3845 743

20xx 98,700 8700 7600 9586 77,000 4100 1100

6 Overview of 14% Budget Cut In order to facilitate a 14% cut, it is necessary for us to reduce staffing by one library assistant. The Leafyview Public Library staff operates as a tightly interworking team, with each staff member not only performing their own duties, but also regularly assisting in the duties of others. This system has allowed us to maintain operational excellence, while utilizing a lean team of staff members. The loss of one of these members will have a detrimental impact on all areas of the library. In addition to our staffing cuts, The Leafyview Public Library will be forced to dramatically cut back on acquisitions and library materials. Specifically, we will be forced to cut our book budget by $27,375, our audiovisual budget by $3,000, and our subscriptions budget by $15,500. The online databases budget was not cut, in an attempt to use these funds to offset the large losses in other materials. The citizens of Leafyview have developed high expectations of The Leafyview Librarys collection, and depend on us to provide timely updates to our holdings. The loss of funding in this area will reduce our ability to quickly respond to customer requests and a difficulty in maintaining the resources that the citizens of Leafyview depend on, especially in these tough economic times; without The Leafyview Public Library providing these resources, it is likely that many will have little or no accesses to them. Furthermore, in the face of the 14% cut, Leafyview Public Library will be forced to cut computer equipment budget by $15,000. This is particularly devastating in a time in which many patrons will rely on the Leafyview Public Library for access to the Internet, as well as resources to search for job and write resumes. The Leafyview Public library will continue to provide resources for individuals looking to develop themselves, or search for jobs, but there is a high risk of us not being able to meet the needs of many patrons who require such services, if we do not have the resources that they need available. In an attempt to offset some of our losses, there will be an increase in the budget for staff development, repair and maintenance, and other expenses. The $1,000 increase in staff development will be used to help train and recruit volunteers. The $2,500 increase in repair and maintenance will be used to help repair and maintain books and equipment, as we will have a heavily reduced means to replace damaged items. The $3,500 increase in other costs will be used to help launch fundraising efforts, in an attempt to bring in more funding from outside sources. In addition to the above adjustment to help mitigate the 14% cut, The Leafyview Public Library will continue to work with other area libraries to pool resources to serve our patrons, though interlibrary loans, as well as consortial agreements. In regards to consortial agreements, it is important to note that the LPL is a member of the local network for sharing books and has access to the West Virginia Digital Library. That stated, with significant cuts to library materials purchasing budgets, additional consortia will have to be considered, including the Mountain Library Network and the West Virginia Library Commission.

7 Overview of 5% Cut With a reduction of cuts to 5%, while The Leafyview Public Library would still face sacrifices, it would be in a much better position to serve Leafyview citizens. Specifically, while cuts would still be necessary to our materials and computer equipment, the cuts would be much more manageable, and allow for a greater repurposing of resources to meet patron needs. Additionally, it would not be necessary to cut any staff positions, ensuring that there is adequate staff on hand to provide service to the Leafyview community, and provide increased support for all areas of the library. The retention of a staff position, will allow The Leafyview Public Library to more actively recruit and train volunteers and fundraising ventures, ensuring that the investment in lower cuts be repaid with additional funding sources and volunteer help. Compared to the 14% budget cut, far fewer cuts are required to the materials budget. While $11,312.50 will still need to be cut from books, $3,000 from audiovisual equipment, and $9,000 from subscriptions, will be in a much better position to ensure that patrons maintain access to the resources that are most important to them, especially important since many patrons affected by hard economic times will have no other avenue to access these materials. Additionally, while we will need to cut $5,000 from the computer equipment budget, The Leafyview Public Library will be in a much better position to acquire new equipment for serving patrons. This is vital, as combined with the ability to maintain current staff levels, The Leafyview Public Library will be in a position in which it can reallocate some of the current outreach and education efforts to include courses and coaching on resume building, interview skills, and other personal development, helping to ensure that patrons affected by economic events have the resources they need. In order to ensure that our funds are being spent as efficiently as possible, $2,000 in cuts will be made to janitorial service, and $2,000 to other expenses. Because we will not be losing a staff member, we will have the staff on hand to support reducing the number of times that housekeeping makes rounds by one day each with, with staff pitching in to ensure that the library remain clean and bright. By decreasing the number of cuts to material and equipment, and retaining all staff positions, The Leafyview Public Library will remain in a position in which it can provide adequate services to the Leafyview community. In addition, the reduced cut will serve as an investment, allowing The Leafyview Public Library the resources it needs not only to operate, but to provide services to meet the new and critical needs of the librarys patrons. While all city departments are facing tough times and financial hardship, The Leafyview Public Library is in a unique position to quickly and effectively invest funds into services that patrons need to most, helping the citizens of The Leafyview Public Library to more quickly recover from economic hardship.