Is Your Library "at the table" or "on the menu"

2011 KLA Pre-Conference
Is you library “at the table”
Or
“on the menu”?
Laura DeBaun
Library Services Consultant & Business Manager

ARE YOU. . .

“AT THE TABLE”

“ON THE MENU”
REALITY PUBLIC LIBRARY

APPETIZER:
WHO’S IN CHARGE? SALAD

3M's OF LIBRARY BOARD LEADERSHIP
MISSION: Setting the library's direction

MANAGEMENT: Steering the library in that direction

MONEY: Obtaining sufficient funding to get there.

Budget development and financial oversight fall under all of
these three areas.

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
Fiscal Year, Calendar Year
Cash Basis, Cash Accounting
Fund Accounting
Carryover
Revenue, Expense and Encumbrance
GAAP (Generally Accepted Account Practices)
GASB (Governmental Accounting Standards Board)
Debits, Credits, Assets and Liabilities

BUDGET AUTHORITY

BUDGET RESOLUTION

GAAP WAIVER

SPECIAL FUNDS
- Employee Benefit Fund
- Capital Improvement Fund (CIF)
Other Income Sources

Budget Creation Timeline
City and Township Libraries
March – May – Develop Library Budget
Review last year expenses
Get prior year’s tax revenue breakout from City, Township or County
Use previous year’s November certified valuation
June
Present to City Council or Township Board

BUDGET ENTREES
*YOUR BUDGET
*YOURS IN THEIRS

BUDGET ENTREES
*YOUR BUDGET

MENU ITEM
Your “taxing entity” thinks:
There are lots of other “big pots” of money
Friends, Foundation, etc.
The truth:
The core functions of the public library are
a public responsibility.
So, what are your library’s core functions?

(c) Bill Barnes & Gene Ambaum Unshelved.com Used with permission.

2012 BUDGET ITEMS
FUNDING FOR INTERNET SERVICE
Kan-ed has uncertain future
Need at least a T1 and most need more
Minimal E-Rate
E-book Services

WHAT IS A MILL?
Mill means one thousand (like millimeter).

A tax mill is one one-thousandth (.001)
of a property's appraised tax value.
The tax levy rate is expressed in mills.
What is your Library's 2011 tax levy rate?

Property Tax is also called Ad Valorem Tax

BUDGET EXERCISE

BUDGET ENTREES
*YOUR BUDGET IN THEIR BUDGET

MENU ITEM
The Library Board is not experienced enough to develop a proper budget.
REALLY!?!
The Library Board and Director must:
Understand state budget law
Library law
The budget timeline
How the library budget impacts the city

WHAT THEY WANT AND WHEN
Who is “they”?
Do they want all your revenue sources?
How detailed are the expenditures to be?
In what format do they want the information presented?

http://www.da.ks.gov/ar/muniserv/BudgetDefault.htm

“OWN YOUR NUMBERS”*
Know your stuff
Know where “your” stuff is in “their” stuff
Know how “your” stuff impacts “their” stuff
Know why “your” stuff matters to and for the community
*Quote from Alice Sizer Warren, Budgeting: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, Neal-Schuman Publishers, New York, 1998.

MENU ITEM(City Councils, Township Boards & District members)
The library is NOT an
essential community service.
SAYS WHO?!?
Public investment for entire community
Serves ALL ages, education levels
Serves more residents directly than police and fire department combined

DESSERT
*BE IMPORTANT
TO THEM BROWNIES

http://icma.org/documents/
Final_Mgmt_Prsptv_Libraries_(gates).pdf

http://tinyurl.com/47u7zzx

http://tinyurl.com/42juob8

ARE
YOU
AWARE
YOU SHOULD
HAVE THE
SAME
BIRTHMARK?
“Bummer of a birthmark, Hal”
Gary Larsen – The Far Side cartoons

NUMBER STORIES
The Community You Serve
Facts About Your Library
Facts About Other Libraries Like You

The Facts—
5,016 card holders
Circulation statistics
52,744 Total books circulated
Avg. cost for book - $25.00
3,034 population in community
Total tax support $59,122
Library open 51 hours per week
Public Access Computers (7) used 15,780 times in 2006
Average time of use 1 hour per use

TELL ME A STORY. . .

REALITY PUBLIC LIBRARY THE STORY . . .
Reality Public Library saved taxpayers $1,318,600.00 in 2004.
Current tax support of library is $19.49 per person
Tax support of $19.49 per person returns $434.61 of services per person.

WHY BOTHER?
Gives the library positive publicity
Gives the City/Township positive publicity
May help increase tax support. . .
Reaffirms that the public library is a positive public service and important public investment for the community.

YEAR-ROUND EFFORT
LIBRARY NEWSLETTER
“GOOD NEWS VISITS” AT COUNCIL
PACKET STUFFERS FOR COUNCIL
OTHERS??

The Message
What’s great about your library?
5 Quick Facts
Develop a consistent message – Target Various Groups
Use stories to illustrate the message

Targets of the Message
Who do you know?
Who do “they” know?
Develop a contact information list

Police Chief
is a cousin
Daughter
is in
National Honor
Society
Serve on church
committee
with
newspaper editor
Best Friend on
City Council
Parents
golf with
the banker
Husband volunteers
with
Parks & Rec
Commission
You volunteer
at the
hospital

The Elevator Speech
30 seconds
Memorized!
"How To" tips

http://tinyurl.com/45cfq3b

ANNUAL REPORTS
What statistics do you keep? Do you use?
Key off your mission or vision
“NEKLS and its members libraries are leaders and innovators in providing exemplary library services ”
Use pictures (get releases), color, graphs
http://www5.oclc.org/downloads/community/librariesstackup.pdf

“Recent cost/benefit analyses using tools developed by business and industry suggest that public librariesoften outpace other sectorsin the efficient use of tax dollars.”*
*Key Findings in Brief from the American Council of Libraries Council Report, Worth Their Weight: An Assessment of the Evolving Field of Library Valuation,
www.actforlibraries.org

In the News
Hold a political forum
Be a factor in a political campaign
Positive Publicity

AFTER DINNER
*AT THE TABLE CONVERSATION

PRACTICAL IDEAS
THINGS THEY DO
Strategic Plan
Budget
Website
Voter Registration
Pet Licensing
THINGS YOU DO
Strategic Plan
Budget
Website
Could you add?
Could you add?

City/County Government Wall
List City Council names and contact info
Display a ward map of the City
List City Administration contact info
Pictures
Meeting Dates
Other Ideas?

“OFF
THE MENU”

“AT THE TABLE”

Contact Information
Laura DeBaun
Library Services Consultant & Business Manager
Northeast Kansas Library System
4317 W. 6th St.
Lawrence, KS 66049
1-800-296-6963
ldebaun@nekls.org

Is Your Library "at the table" or "on the menu"

by Northeast Kansas Library System on Apr 28, 2011

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