Donate to Your Local Library and Give a Gift the Entire Community Can Enjoy

The 2011 operating budget for the City of Pullman has been finalized.  All city department budgets have been structured to better withstand a year predicted by city officials to be even more challenging than 2010.  The City’s goal for 2011 is clear - avoid layoffs and preserve the jobs of its employees.  Any cost-cutting measures taken by department staff during the budget process were done with this goal in mind.

Neill Public Library’s 2011 budget had a net decrease of $34 from 2010.  At first mention, this may seem like a “mere” and insignificant cut.  Let me share with you what it cost to arrive at this result.

A city-wide directive was issued for all departments to hold their 2011 budgets “at or below” 2010 levels.  This presented a difficult challenge as approximately $60,000 of expenses had to be funded without an increase to the overall budget request.  In compliance with the city’s directive, reductions equal to this amount had to be taken from other areas of the library’s budget.

After discussion with the library board, reductions in funding were made primarily from library materials (books, DVDs, CDs, etc) and programming.  This reduced the library’s 2011 budget to its 2010 funding level.  A final decrease in technology charges further decreased our 2011 request.  The net result was an overall budget reduction of $34 from 2010.  The price paid was a combined loss of $60,000, primarily from materials and programming. 

This is sad news indeed, for everyone.  But hope for a better day is on the horizon and it’s starting with our Friends of Neill Public Library.   Knowing the library’s needs, the Friends have pledged $9,300 for library materials and $6,200 for programming in 2011!  This is an amazing show of support for their community library.  The momentum of support doesn’t have to stop with the Friends.  You, the reader, can continue the movement.  The library needs your support.

If you have enjoyed reading picture books with your child, devouring the latest New York Times best-selling book, or watching movie box-office hits on DVD or downloading ebooks or audiobooks then please consider making a monetary donation specifically to either Adult or Children’s library materials.  The need for materials is immediate.

 If you have enjoyed library programming events like visits with local or regional authors, Grand Avenue Book Club, or the Summer Reading Program, please consider making a monetary donation specifically to library programming.  Unlike materials purchasing, planning for programming starts the year prior and is based upon funding available at that time.  Much of our programming has been set for 2011, so it is likely that programming donations received now will be saved for use in a different time of need.

If you would like to make a general donation to support library services, please consider donating to the Friends of Neill Public Library.  They are a 501©3 organization, so your donation is always tax-exempt.

I am working with the library staff, board and Friends to formalize different donation programs to offset next year’s funding deficiencies.  While details will follow in my next library column on Saturday, January 8th, you don’t need to wait until the New Year to support your library.  A monetary donation made now in honor of a loved one or special friend would make the perfect gift this season.  And, it’s a gift that can be enjoyed by the entire community.

-- Joanna Bailey,

Temporary Library Services Manager

published 12/18/10 in Moscow-Pullman Daily News