School Library Systems – Advocacy Toolkit

The Cost of Cuts

Remember the LEARNER in the EQUATION!

Fifteen state studies EQUATE student success with ACCESS to quality information resources!

Facts First

2005-2006 – expected budget shortfall, CFE ruling in place, ADVOCACY NEEDED!
2004 – Governor cuts another 5% from School Library Systems funding in New York State budget, which the legislature restores.
2004- Governor vetoes the restoration. $4.45 million dollars reduced from New York State library aid despite thousands of individual testimonies in favor of systems funding from across New York.
2003 – Governor cuts 14% from School Library Systems in New York State budget and legislature restores the cut.
School Library Systems not fully funded, no increases in 13 years.
School aid to libraries has been static since 1998 even when there were increases in state income overall.
Inflation consistently diminishes the buying power of static state funding for libraries.
School Library Systems do not receive full funding from their allocation in Chapter 917.
LSTA funds from the federal government are tied to maintenance of effort by states in funding libraries. This cannot be demonstrated when downward funding trends are in evidence.

School Library Systems provide access to quality information resources to all children. School Library Systems provide access to databases to all children. Impoverished schools, schools with little to support inquiry or resource based learning activities prescribed in the Learning Standards, often overcome their limitations through interlibrary loan and use of the NOVEL databases. Both of these options come from School Library Systems. What happens when cuts to School Library systems choke off the access provided to children in impoverished schools, urban schools with inequitable learning tools, rural schools that underperform?

What are the costs of the cuts?

Testimony regarding what is actually lost because of cuts takes many forms. Sample losses to New York’s students and teachers include:

Free databases for school libraries purchased by the School Library System
Free databases purchased by New York State library through NOVEL
Free professional development provided by the School Library Systems (1051 workshops in 2003-2004)
Interlibrary loan delivery outside of system

Monroe #1 BOCES SLS cutbacks in 2004-2005

Clerical support position cut back to 4 days
ProQuest database accounts purchased by SLS for member school libraries have been reduced by 50%
Regionally funded SLS staff development programs have been eliminated

Nassau BOCES – 5% cut to staff development programs for library media specialists

Questar III

Reduction of amount of time director and secretary are dedicated to SLS tasks vs. CoSer related tasks
Salary losses for system employees equates to loss of service
Reduced staff development opportunities
No free databases which had previously been provided

Genesee Valley

10% of a Library Technology Specialist
50% of our printing budget (no more posters, brochures, etc.)
12% cut in our annual Storytelling festival
66% cut in funding for staff development days for member librarians (Plan of Service called for 2, we managed to provide 1)
Readers to Writers program (been around for 5 years) eliminated
Professional Library funding eliminated
My mileage cut 40% (means I have to think twice before visiting libraries in our huge area of coverage)
Mileage for Library Technology Specialist eliminated
Funding to send director to ALA conference eliminated

St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES

Clerical time cut by 20%
Staff development programming funds cut by 25%
Funds for professional library materials cut by 100%

Clinton-Essex-Hamilton

Director cut from 100% to 89%
Secretary cut from 100% to 62%
All travel funds cut to 0%. Therefore, no funded visits to help librarians in their schools.
Supply funding cut to $88 for all office supplies.

Orange-Ulster

Without the extra legislative project funds, we were left with under $400 after salaries and benefits.

The cost of the cuts here has been:

No funding for Cooperative Collection Development awards.
No funds for mailing, copying or mileage.
Expenses for Great NY ReadAloud event which was attended by @275 people last year.
Unable to provide funding for government high school students to ride the bus to Albany on Lobby Day.

Wayne Finger Lakes

No Cooperative Collection Development grants will be awarded from the budget
We will not be able to purchase ProQuest Professional Education Collection for our member libraries.

Putnam- Northern Westchester

Our Plan of Service 2004-2005 calls for the purchase of fax machines for SLS member libraries. We are usually able to purchase up to 3 units. With the 5% cut, the purchase will be only one. In addition, a SLS technical workshop on Data Driven Decisions that I planned for the spring will not be offered through SLS.

Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery

All SLS sponsored staff development was cut from this year's budget.
SLS Director was cut from 68% to 58%.

Monroe 2 BOCES

Further decrease in school library system director's hours. The school library system budget cannot support a fulltime director. The budget will not even be able to support the current 70% allocation.
This year's school library system's operating budget has zero in equipment. Is it possible that next year's budget will have less than zero?
Next year's budget will probably have zero in supplies or travel, as the little bit of money that is in there will be needed for one clerical salary.

Buffalo City Schools

Professional salary - cut 2%
Non professional salary - cut 10% (total non professional salary = $0) (last year's cut = 90%)
Supplies - cut 5% (total supplies budget = $63)
Travel - cut 33% (total travel budget = $50)

Jefferson-Lewis BOCES

The impact of the 5 percent cut means that our departed half time data input person will not be replaced.
The JL SLS budget will be insufficient to fund the positions of clerical assistant and system director.
The SLS professional collection will receive no new materials, nor can we purchase any databases for SLS members.
Visits to member libraries will be curtailed; consultations and support will be reduced as my assistant and I shoulder the load of maintaining the database.

Capital Region

Clerical support for libraries cut 20%
Phone support for libraries cut 20%
Number of courier stops for interlibrary loan cut by 5%
System director cut from 100% to 95%

Suffolk Eastern BOCES SLS

Phone support for libraries cut 25%
Accounting position cut 25%
Union list of serial updating cut by 50%


	School Library Systems - Advocacy Toolkit “It is not enough to care. You must act.” “In the budget equation, remember all learners.”


ALERT - Be part of the Sunflower Avalanche! ADVOCATE NOW! Sunflower Action Plan for School Library Systems 2008 ADVOCACY - Getting the ACTION started Introduction What are the Issues? Budget Hearing on Elementary and Secondary Education Contact NY Decision Makers How can I frame my message? School Libraries Do Make a Difference to KIDS Outcomes 21st Century Skills, the Workforce and School Libraries System Director's Legislative Visits Resources Brochures & Flyers Strategies Testimony Forms & Samples Advocacy Links AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner Survey Results of School Libraries Count!		The Cost of Cuts Remember the LEARNER in the EQUATION! Fifteen state studies EQUATE student success with ACCESS to quality information resources! Facts First 2005-2006 – expected budget shortfall, CFE ruling in place, ADVOCACY NEEDED! 2004 – Governor cuts another 5% from School Library Systems funding in New York State budget, which the legislature restores. 2004- Governor vetoes the restoration. $4.45 million dollars reduced from New York State library aid despite thousands of individual testimonies in favor of systems funding from across New York. 2003 – Governor cuts 14% from School Library Systems in New York State budget and legislature restores the cut. School Library Systems not fully funded, no increases in 13 years. School aid to libraries has been static since 1998 even when there were increases in state income overall. Inflation consistently diminishes the buying power of static state funding for libraries. School Library Systems do not receive full funding from their allocation in Chapter 917. LSTA funds from the federal government are tied to maintenance of effort by states in funding libraries. This cannot be demonstrated when downward funding trends are in evidence. School Library Systems provide access to quality information resources to all children. School Library Systems provide access to databases to all children. Impoverished schools, schools with little to support inquiry or resource based learning activities prescribed in the Learning Standards, often overcome their limitations through interlibrary loan and use of the NOVEL databases. Both of these options come from School Library Systems. What happens when cuts to School Library systems choke off the access provided to children in impoverished schools, urban schools with inequitable learning tools, rural schools that underperform? What are the costs of the cuts? Testimony regarding what is actually lost because of cuts takes many forms. Sample losses to New York’s students and teachers include: Free databases for school libraries purchased by the School Library System Free databases purchased by New York State library through NOVEL Free professional development provided by the School Library Systems (1051 workshops in 2003-2004) Interlibrary loan delivery outside of system Monroe #1 BOCES SLS cutbacks in 2004-2005 Clerical support position cut back to 4 days ProQuest database accounts purchased by SLS for member school libraries have been reduced by 50% Regionally funded SLS staff development programs have been eliminated Nassau BOCES – 5% cut to staff development programs for library media specialists Questar III Reduction of amount of time director and secretary are dedicated to SLS tasks vs. CoSer related tasks Salary losses for system employees equates to loss of service Reduced staff development opportunities No free databases which had previously been provided Genesee Valley 10% of a Library Technology Specialist 50% of our printing budget (no more posters, brochures, etc.) 12% cut in our annual Storytelling festival 66% cut in funding for staff development days for member librarians (Plan of Service called for 2, we managed to provide 1) Readers to Writers program (been around for 5 years) eliminated Professional Library funding eliminated My mileage cut 40% (means I have to think twice before visiting libraries in our huge area of coverage) Mileage for Library Technology Specialist eliminated Funding to send director to ALA conference eliminated St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES Clerical time cut by 20% Staff development programming funds cut by 25% Funds for professional library materials cut by 100% Clinton-Essex-Hamilton Director cut from 100% to 89% Secretary cut from 100% to 62% All travel funds cut to 0%. Therefore, no funded visits to help librarians in their schools. Supply funding cut to $88 for all office supplies. Orange-Ulster Without the extra legislative project funds, we were left with under $400 after salaries and benefits. The cost of the cuts here has been: No funding for Cooperative Collection Development awards. No funds for mailing, copying or mileage. Expenses for Great NY ReadAloud event which was attended by @275 people last year. Unable to provide funding for government high school students to ride the bus to Albany on Lobby Day. Wayne Finger Lakes No Cooperative Collection Development grants will be awarded from the budget We will not be able to purchase ProQuest Professional Education Collection for our member libraries. Putnam- Northern Westchester Our Plan of Service 2004-2005 calls for the purchase of fax machines for SLS member libraries. We are usually able to purchase up to 3 units. With the 5% cut, the purchase will be only one. In addition, a SLS technical workshop on Data Driven Decisions that I planned for the spring will not be offered through SLS. Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery All SLS sponsored staff development was cut from this year's budget. SLS Director was cut from 68% to 58%. Monroe 2 BOCES Further decrease in school library system director's hours. The school library system budget cannot support a fulltime director. The budget will not even be able to support the current 70% allocation. This year's school library system's operating budget has zero in equipment. Is it possible that next year's budget will have less than zero? Next year's budget will probably have zero in supplies or travel, as the little bit of money that is in there will be needed for one clerical salary. Buffalo City Schools Professional salary - cut 2% Non professional salary - cut 10% (total non professional salary = $0) (last year's cut = 90%) Supplies - cut 5% (total supplies budget = $63) Travel - cut 33% (total travel budget = $50) Jefferson-Lewis BOCES The impact of the 5 percent cut means that our departed half time data input person will not be replaced. The JL SLS budget will be insufficient to fund the positions of clerical assistant and system director. The SLS professional collection will receive no new materials, nor can we purchase any databases for SLS members. Visits to member libraries will be curtailed; consultations and support will be reduced as my assistant and I shoulder the load of maintaining the database. Capital Region Clerical support for libraries cut 20% Phone support for libraries cut 20% Number of courier stops for interlibrary loan cut by 5% System director cut from 100% to 95% Suffolk Eastern BOCES SLS Phone support for libraries cut 25% Accounting position cut 25% Union list of serial updating cut by 50%

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