public libraries and their national policies

PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND THEIR NATIONAL POLICIES

American Resource Center 31.1.2012

Public Libraries in the United States Very different organization and funding

structures from state to state Even within a single state, there are

often multiple types of libraries, and sometimes overlapping library districts

There is no law requiring library service to be provided, so there are no public libraries if a locality is unable or simply unwilling to provide one

Public Libraries in the United States How do public libraries differ from one another in the

United States? Funding

City County State Independent library districts (self-funding) Non-profits Misc. (hybrids, tribal libraries, etc.)

Governance Part of local government Library Board

Elected or appointed Autonomous or advisory

For example: Indiana

For 2010, in Indiana: $388,760,477 (95%) from local sources $19,273,111 (~5%) from state sources $1,064,604 (.003%) from federal sources


http://www.stats.indiana.edu/maptools/librarydistricts.asp


A B C D E F G H I J

Library County

2000 Popula-tion

Property Tax or CEDIT Operating Fund Income

CAGIT Property Tax Replacement Credit Operating Fund Income

CAGIT Certified Shares Operating Fund Income

CAGIT Special Fund Operating Fund Income

County Option Income Tax (COIT) Operating Fund Income

Contractual Revenue Received for Service Operating Fund Income

Local Option Income Tax (LOIT) Operating Fund Income

Total Local Operating Income (includes A-G)

Financial Institutions Tax (FIT)

License Excise (LVET) and Commercial Vehicle Excise Tax (CVET) Operating Fund Income

INDIANAPOLIS-MARION CO PL Marion 832,693 $41,090,399 $3,765,434 $44,855,833 $276,235 $2,512,204ALLEN CO PL Allen 331,849 $16,916,627 $3,576,421 $20,493,048 $57,631 $1,456,979LAKE CO PL Lake 217,349 $7,437,200 $21,213 $7,458,413 $43,655 $630,009ST JOSEPH CO PL St Joseph 172,627 $8,758,699 $1,303,481 $10,062,180 $782,380EVANSVILLE-VANDERBURGH PL Vanderburgh 171,922 $7,169,592 $2,907,615 $10,077,207 $25,257 $696,040PORTER CO PL SYSTEM Porter 128,665 $3,397,883 $3,397,883 $2,595 $374,100WILLARD LIBRARY OF EVANSVILLE Vanderburgh 121,582 $747,384 $747,384 $2,633 $66,750MONROE CO PL Monroe 120,563 $4,785,035 $2,217,128 $7,002,163 $9,829 $372,135TIPPECANOE CO PL Tippecanoe 119,821 $3,219,794 $882,848 $4,102,642 $22,577 $295,566VIGO CO PL Vigo 105,848 $4,443,658 $215,332 $597,819 $5,256,809 $49,510 $426,521GARY PL Lake 96,222 $4,160,150 $4,160,150 $2,733 $191,647ELKHART PL Elkhart 90,792 $3,799,803 $173,441 $920,087 $4,893,331 $17,664 $290,951MISHAWAKA-PENN-HARRIS PL St Joseph 84,195 $3,247,520 $566,851 $3,814,371 $2,045 $259,925JOHNSON CO PL Johnson 84,174 $2,510,841 $279,127 $1,773,905 $4,563,873 $3,042 $254,975HAMMOND PL Lake 83,048 $2,716,202 $2,716,202 $7,742 $163,130HAMILTON EAST PL Hamilton 82,296 $2,925,395 $3,216,968 $6,142,363 $11,186 $268,994KOKOMO-HOWARD CO PL Howard 78,245 $2,199,323 $711,137 $2,595 $2,913,055 $11,710 $338,472ANDERSON PL Madison 74,719 $3,888,978 $990,971 $4,879,949 $22,350 $382,261MUNCIE-CENTER TWP PL Delaware 71,396 $3,855,609 $485,780 $4,341,389 $34,105 $303,751BARTHOLOMEW CO PL Bartholomew 71,143 $1,849,015 $119,258 $542,056 $2,510,329 $2,530 $146,998NEW ALBANY-FLOYD CO PL Floyd 70,823 $1,835,581 $120,959 $473,443 $2,429,983 $6,640 $187,849LA PORTE CO PL La Porte 65,836 $2,077,090 $344,590 $2,421,680 $345,509CARMEL CLAY PL Hamilton 64,709 $2,396,996 $2,785,946 $5,182,942 $1,360 $237,759JEFFERSONVILLE TWP PL Clark 56,695 $1,023,495 $110,193 $524,744 $1,658,432 $1,645 $82,463MORRISSON REEVES LIBRARY Wayne 54,134 $1,319,211 $53,683 $239,423 $132,724 $1,745,041 $18,375 $78,961MORGAN CO PL Morgan 53,198 $908,302 $108,899 $533,472 $107,944 $1,658,617 $1,869 $129,451HANCOCK CO PL Hancock 48,497 $1,947,985 $1,182,656 $3,130,641 $3,933 $188,285SHELBYVILLE-SHELBY CO PL Shelby 43,445 $740,157 $32,870 $189,754 $962,781 $6,626 $89,895CHARLESTOWN CLARK CO PL Clark 39,777 $995,800 $350,564 $38,556 $1,384,920 $5,897 $107,435NEW CASTLE-HENRY CO PL Henry 39,349 $935,772 $716,615 $1,652,387 $827 $147,225MICHIGAN CITY PL La Porte 37,528 $2,435,166 $247,627 $2,682,793 $0 $122,288LOGANSPORT-CASS CO PL Cass 36,821 $859,672 $42,588 $215,991 $1,118,251 $8,381 $79,669LA GRANGE CO PL La Grange 34,909 $1,280,925 $27,079 $177,185 $9,691 $1,494,880 $1,224 $44,215GOSHEN PL Elkhart 34,669 $1,149,170 $66,932 $364,973 $1,581,075 $3,160 $84,492JACKSON CO PL Jackson 34,423 $1,758,162 $87,339 $424,379 $2,269,880 $3,926 $157,985HARRISON CO PL Harrison 34,325 $1,554,777 $101,744 $470,910 $74,188 $2,201,619 $1,526 $205,618PUTNAM CO PL Putnam 34,311 $312,003 $42,908 $317,116 $29,854 $701,881 $921 $33,511BEDFORD PL Lawrence 33,979 $987,836 $54,516 $275,860 $1,318,212 $5,384 $109,904KNOX CO PL Knox 33,978 $984,260 $188,235 $1,172,495 $5,028 $88,382CROWN POINT COMMUNITY PL Lake 33,069 $859,790 $859,790 $3,675 $85,428EAST CHICAGO PL Lake 32,414 $2,890,333 $12,595 $2,902,928 $4,849 $81,225JEFFERSON CO PL Jefferson 31,705 $987,674 $987,674 $4,161 $80,642MARION PL Grant 31,273 $1,177,774 $467,117 $1,644,891 $4,149 $39,893FRANKFORT COMMUNITY PL - CLINTON CO CONTRACTUAL PLClinton 31,030 $2,168,984 $68,904 $362,844 $2,600,732 $3,307 $110,152OHIO TWP PL SYSTEM Warrick 31,002 $1,303,863 $1,303,863 $1,275 $193,280JASPER-DUBOIS CO CONTRACTUAL PL Dubois 30,311 $1,006,160 $332,478 $1,338,638 $3,289 $87,323LAWRENCEBURG PL Dearborn 28,976 $685,895 $350,736 $1,036,631 $1,195 $55,729WEST LAFAYETTE PL Tippecanoe 28,778 $599,678 $385,715 $985,393 $2,426 $25,123JASPER CO PL Jasper 27,947 $835,615 $110,518 $582,631 $137,444 $1,666,208 $1,635 $151,213JENNINGS CO PL Jennings 27,554 $391,683 $22,858 $134,644 $1,054 $550,239 $1,745 $45,030WELLS CO PL Wells 27,176 $918,851 $105,625 $551,745 $120,252 $1,696,473 $3,397 $97,740BROWNSBURG PL Hendricks 27,109 $605,661 $63,870 $433,329 $1,102,860 $939 $58,892GREENWOOD PL Johnson 26,849 $665,322 $86,390 $581,773 $1,333,485 $1,079 $65,564AVON-WASHINGTON TWP PL Hendricks 26,319 $599,317 $70,442 $506,742 $66,754 $1,243,255 $85 $53,821FAYETTE CO PL Fayette 25,588 $599,703 $138,933 $738,636 $3,324 $46,586WARSAW COMMUNITY PL Kosciusko 25,276 $1,276,058 $688,693 $1,964,751 $2,782 $92,139GREENSBURG-DECATUR CO CONTRACTUAL PL Decatur 24,555 $492,938 $44,481 $149,775 $687,194 $80 $41,690CRAWFORDSVILLE DISTRICT PL Montgomery 23,837 $818,786 $535,102 $1,353,888 $3,364 $43,778SCOTT CO PL Scott 22,960 $600,232 $172,722 $772,954 $2,514 $58,244PLAINFIELD-GUILFORD TWP PL Hendricks 22,895 $1,031,981 $103,749 $680,682 $1,816,412 $4,935 $83,889NOBLE CO PL Noble 22,892 $492,915 $43,248 $236,488 $772,651 $743 $49,804HUNTINGTON CITY-TWP PL Huntington 22,364 $1,293,427 $81,427 $395,554 $3,076 $1,773,484 $127,171OWEN CO PL Owen 21,786 $415,782 $42,743 $289,329 $747,854 $46,094SULLIVAN CO PL Sullivan 21,751 $967,181 $967,181 $805 $82,264BOONVILLE-WARRICK CO PL Warrick 21,381 $746,722 $746,722 $1,820 $29,329

Public Libraries in the United States

Public Libraries in the United States Even neighboring states can have wildly

different ways of providing library service. Indiana

100% library districts Illinois

50% city government, 50% library districts Ohio

Funded almost entirely by state

Research Questions

Is this how public library policy has always been in the United States?

How does the United States’ system compare to those of other countries?

Is there anything approaching an ideal library policy that can be adapted and implemented either on a national or state level in the United States?

Historical Examples of Library Policy

United States Public libraries were often used to prepare areas

for statehood Early public libraries in Hawaii were seen as

alternatives to the prevailing drinking culture; the library was first known as the “Temperance Reading Room”

Britain One of the first attempts to legislate public

libraries in Britain was brought about, tellingly, by the “Select Committee on Inquiry into Drunkenness” in 1834.


Russia Early Russian public libraries were first

thought of as ways to transmit the values of the upper class to the workers, essentially teaching them the benefits of the Tsarist feudal system

When the Soviets came to power, libraries held essentially the same position in society, but with the goal of advancing socialism. Lenin was acutely aware of the potential of public libraries; his wife was a librarian by training.


Nadezhda Krupskaya

Directed a census of Russian libraries

Encouraged librarians to address patrons in common speech

Advocated for the creation of better library training

All of this had the goal, of course, of advancing Marxism


Sweden Parish libraries began appearing in the mid-

1800s and were mainly designed to give people the necessary literacy skills to study the Bible, but also contained useful household instructions

These were largely replaced by the end of the century with “study circle” libraries, which were established by social groups to further specific causes, like temperance


What do these policies have in common? Governments have long realized the

potential for libraries to influence and educate their patrons

Attention from government can be enormously helpful in starting, maintaining, and improving a library system

When governments misuse library policy the effect on libraries can be dramatic

IFLA and UNESCO Recommendations

The International Federation of Library Association and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recommend that: Libraries should be “based on legislation” Administered and funded by the

appropriate level of government Governed by a body of local community

members, which should be open and transparent

A library to serve every 3,000 people and within a mile of the people that it serves

Modern Public Library Policy

A variety of policy models are being used Governance

National – Local Prescriptiveness

Specific – Loose Funding

Balanced – Imbalanced

Modern Public Library Policy: Governance

Finland United Kingdom Authoritarian

Countries Turkmenistan North Korea

United States India China

National Local

Local Library Governance

India If IFLA standards were adopted, India would

need 343,000 public library outlets (it currently has 60,000) to serve all 560,000 villages.

India has largely left the growth of libraries up to the provinces.


Rural provinces are put at an extreme disadvantage.

There are 28 states and 6 union territories in India; 11 have passed public library legislation and 4 allow for the collection of taxes to support libraries.

Public libraries are technically addressed by the national “Five Year Plan,” but the sum total of this attention is a few sentences in a 1,000 page document

Libraries in India received 7.1% less funding than was called for in the previous Five Year Plan


China Libraries in China were once guided by a

strong national policy, but are now basically governing themselves

Many libraries in China do not receive enough funding to operate from the government and must supplement their budgets themselves

User fees are commonplace Library quality varies widely across China

National Library Governance Finland

Library Act of 1961 heavily subsidized the construction of rural public libraries

Library Act updated in 1998 to specify that municipalities are responsible for carrying out the library and information services that it described

Regular national plans and goals are issued, which local libraries are then responsible for working toward

National Library Governance Turkmenistan and North Korea

Dictate exactly which books are and are not permitted in public libraries

Strictly control library funding In effect, public libraries become

storerooms of books that no one wants to read

Modern Public Library Policy: Prescriptiveness

United Kingdom United States

(certain states)

Finland

Specific Loose

Specific Library Standards

United Kingdom First standards were adopted in 2001 Highly specific, quantitative measures

called Best Value Performance Indicators Circulation, attendance, Internet use, etc.

Standards were updated and replaced several times over the next decade before being abandoned completely in 2011

Specific Library Standards

Since 2001, libraries in the United Kingdom have been asked to adhere to:

Public Library Service Standards Best Value Performance Indicators Public Library Impact Measures Public Library Position Statements Annual Library Plans Comprehensive Area Assessments

Public libraries in the UK face widespread closure, privatization, and consolidation

Non-specific Library Standards Finland

Library policies define broad goals (improving access, upgrading technology infrastructure, etc.)

Not very many specific numbers are mentioned in the library policies (one exception is the number of experienced staff a library must have per 1,000 residents)

Adherence to library guidelines is voluntary, but library administrators can use them as supporting documents when making the case for funding to local administrators

Modern Public Library Policy: Funding

Finland Sweden

United States Australia

Balanced Imbalanced

Balanced Library Funding

Finland Construction projects and other major

works are funded (at least partially) by the national government

Daily operations are funded by the local districts that are served by public libraries

This allows libraries to devote all of their resources to doing what they do best, which is providing library service

Local Library Funding

United States Libraries in the United States are funded almost

entirely with local funds Rich areas have rich libraries Some areas have no library service at all

Australia Libraries in Australia are ostensibly funded by

both the state and local governments, but in practice states provide a miniscule amount of funding

Libraries in Australia are desperately underfunded

Local Library Funding

An example from Indiana When the Bloomfield-Eastern Greene Public Library

wanted to build a much-needed addition to its original, 1911 Carnegie building it was forced to: Form a shell corporation, since libraries are forbidden from

assuming certain amounts of debt Issue bonds through the shell corporation, which financed the

construction of the addition “Lease” the new building from the corporation Levy a new tax to pay for the debt, alongside the regular tax

to pay for daily operations When the debt is paid off, the library will no longer qualify for

the “optional” income tax it is able to levy (In other words, having debt puts the library in a better financial position!)

Benefits of national library policies Even growth of libraries nationally, not just in

lucky areas Mandating library service while leaving specifics up

to locals ensures that everyone has at least baseline service

Spreading out the funding obligations enable libraries to provide superior service

Libraries are supported in their efforts to expand and add new services Even if there is no national funding, a national

policy allows librarians to make their case to local decision-makers

Drawbacks of national library policies

Government is not always a good friend to libraries Turkmenistan shuttered every single public library in the

country for five years South Africa’s public library legislation is so unclear that

different branches of government cannot agree on who is responsible for funding libraries

Even well-meaning governments can wind up creating laws or standards that hinder more than they help By tying funding to statistical measures, struggling

libraries are often unable to right themselves Creating too many statistical benchmarks sometimes

gives the illusion that libraries are struggling, when in fact they are providing quality service to the patrons they have

What does the ideal policy look like?

In the presenter’s (humble) opinion, the ideal national public library policy should: Clearly define the parties responsible for

providing library service and the sources of funding

Supplement local funding with state/national funding for large projects or experiments

Provide goals for growth without demanding strict adherence to certain metrics

Be a collaborative effort of librarians and government

National Public Library Policies

Questions or comments?

John HellingAssociate Director for System-wide ServicesJohnson County (Kansas) Public [email protected]