Page 110 - DLIS003_LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Unit 6: Library Finance

Notes
At the local level, the primary revenue sources are dedicated property taxes and General
Fund appropriations:
53 of the reporting libraries are supported with dedicated property taxes.
47 receive General Fund appropriations.
25 receive local capital bond support for operating revenues.
2 are supported with dedicated sales taxes.
12 are supported with other dedicated taxes.
San Jose Public Library (CA) has a library benefit assessment district. Carnegie Library of
Pittsburgh (PA) is partially funded with Allegheny Regional Asset District assessments.
Residents in Michigan can “speed to the library” as the state law authorizes library revenue
from fines associated with local speeding tickets.
State Sources: Some libraries report heavy reliance on state sources. The Cincinnati
Hamilton County Library (OH), as a result of state law provisions, receives 95% of funding
from the state. Minneapolis (MN), Enoch Pratt (MD), and East Baton Rouge libraries (LA)
all receive approximately 40% of their funding from state sources.
12 of the reporting libraries have access to state general fund income tax.
9 have access to state general fund sales tax.
7 have access to state general fund property tax.
Other dedicated state tax sources are less common. Skokie (IL) receives a small amount of
revenue from the corporate replacement tax. Ft. Vancouver Regional Library (Canada)
receives funds from the timber tax.
Other state tax supported general funds include:
General fund appropriations – Anchorage (AK), Buffalo & Erie County (NY), and
Detroit (MI).
Brooklyn Public (NY) receives appropriations from the State Department of
Education.

El Paso (TX) receives appropriations from the Technology Information Fund.
State aid funds are provided for in Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland,
Michigan, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
Grants from state library agencies and contracts for special services include
Milwaukee (WI) for blind and physically handicapped services and Queens Borough
(NY) receives state money for adult literacy services.
Other grants include a Ready to Read grant to Multnomah County (OR).
Dedicated State Fee Revenues: Solano County (CA) receives a percentage of impact
fees collected in new growth areas.
Private Sources: Most libraries are funded from private sources only in a marginal way.
Entrepreneurial endeavours reported include:
22 reporting libraries have bookstores.
34 have rental space.
19 have coffee shops.
Source:http://www.cosla.org/documents/kb/Funding%20for%20Public%20Libraries%20-
%200ctober%202007.pdf

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