The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) released its report on the State Library Survey for fiscal year 2010. The data collected through this annual survey show that state library agency revenues fell by 24.1 percent in the previous decade and that reduction in staff has been one of the largest impacts of this shortfall. Despite this, state library agencies continue to provide essential services to libraries.

The majority (80.7 percent) of FY 2010 revenues to state library agencies still come from the states themselves. In 2010, 39 state library agencies experienced a loss in state contributions to revenue from 2009 levels, among them the Washington State Library. One of the largest impacts that declining revenue has had on state library agencies has been reduction of staff. State library agencies witnessed a decrease of 6.5 percent from 2009 part of a decreasing trend since 2005.

The Washington State Library reported a total budget of $11,109,000 for Fiscal Year 2010. 61.2% of the revenue was from state general funds, 34.1% was from federal Library Services and Technology Act funds, and 4.7% was from other sources such as our National Digital Newspaper Project, a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.  We reported a staff of 75 full-time equivalents (FTE). To look at this another way, following the cuts from the 2011 legislative session and the November-December 2011 special legislative session, our operating budget stands at 9,644,286 and our FTE count at 66.9.

Our decrease would have been greater but we received $1,028,000 from the diversion of Heritage Center funding to support the historical societies, Arts Commission, and Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.

Since the beginning of the recession in 2008 (2007-2009 biennium) our budget has fallen by 37% and our staff FTE by 33%. The story is even more dramatic if you look at what has happened since the 1999-2001 biennium, roughly 10 years ago. While on the average state library agencies have seen a decrease in operating funds of 24.1 percent, our operating budget has fallen by 46%. Staffing has fallen by 57.7 percent at the Washington State Library. In the same period of time the Washington State general fund – state has grown by 55%.

Each year the State Librarian visits legislators to present the Washington State Library story. The next economic and revenue forecast is due next Thursday, February 16. A preliminary budget from the Senate may occur the week of February 20. Once again we wait for the proverbial shoe to fall. 

Volume 8, February 9, 2012 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) RFP FOR SERIALS SUBSCRIPTION AGENT

2) PRISONERS CONTACTING PUBLIC LIBRARIES

3) MOVING AHEAD WHEN THERE’S NO MONEY IN THE BUDGET

4) DIGITAL CONTINUITY – CALL FOR PAPERS

5) SERVING DEAF PATRONS IN THE LIBRARY

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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Image courtesy North Pend Oreille Heritage collection

Library News
Dayton Memorial Library, a part of the Columbia County Rural Library District (CCRLD), is one of the best places to download e-books. CCRLD hosted an e-reader “Show and Tell” in January. (Blue Mountain News, [Dayton] 1.2012.)

North Olympic Library System Director Paula Barnes said she has made two resolutions for the public libraries in Port Angeles, Sequim, Forks and Clallam Bay. “In 2012, the libraries will do more to help people who are trying to cope with the poor economy,” Barnes said. Her second resolution is to expand electronic services at the libraries. (Peninsula Daily News, [Port Angeles] 1.1.12) http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120101/news/301019981

Sno-Isle Libraries staff are prepared for the onslaught of post-holiday questions such as: I received an eReader as a gift, now what? How do I check out an eBook? Can I download library eBooks for free? Funded by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation, classes titled “Librarians as Information Guides: Downloading eBooks at Your Library” are available through February in Snohomish and Island counties. (Lake Stevens Journal, 1.4.12)

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 Courtesy of the Legislative Planning Committee, Washington Library Association Library Related Legislation. The Washington Library Association (WLA) tracks state legislative activity that will potentially affect Washington Libraries. Their tracker is posted to the WLA web site and we will also post it weekly on this blog.

For information on the legislative process or becoming involved, see the WLA site referenced above.

Laurie Fortier leads a team of individuals that receive, retrieve, catalog, and maintain our federal and state publications. Acting State Librarian, Rand Simmons, describes Laurie as “passionate about her work and very knowledgeable.”

Although Laurie Fortier is officially part of the Technical Services unit of our Central Library services, her skills are so varied she could easily work in any area of the Library and still be quite at home. She assists at the reference desk, works with digital materials, copy catalogs, upgrades bibliographic records, prepares books and periodicals for binding and repair, and serves as our resident expert on government materials particularly in collection development for Washington State publications.

She has a phenomenal memory for detail, and is the one person who can actually find a State publication when the customer says something like, “It had a green cover with a picture of a salmon and the word ‘Nuclear’ in the title. That’s all I can remember.”

“Also, she makes us laugh. A lot,” says Program Manager Steve Willis. “That’s a good quality in these difficult times. If you want to get on her good side bring her a box of Dots candy.”

Never afraid to learn new skills, Laurie will be spending the next year learning the procedures for circulation and also the basics of original cataloging.

Thanks, Laurie, for help us all to move forward at the Washington State Library.

Established in 1853, the Washington State Library is the oldest cultural institution in Washington, at the service of Washingtonians for almost 160 years. The shelves of the library were populated with books purchased on the east coast and shipped around the horn of South America to Olympia. On July 1, 2002, the State Library became part of the Office of the Secretary of State. We proudly serve all residents in Washington State.

Through the library’s historical collections, both in print and digital, the collection of state newspapers, state and federal government publications, and our Ask-a-Librarian service, the Washington State Library provides a rich variety of material, information and resources for the residents of Washington State and beyond. The State Library serves marginalized people through our prison and state hospital libraries. Our Washington Talking Book & Braille Library provides a free public library service which includes easy access to the informational and recreational reading materials needed by individuals in the State of Washington who are unable to read standard print material.. Our administration of federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds allows us to help library staff all over Washington provide new and innovative programs for the benefit of all of the state’s  residents. Download our One Page Flyer.

Visit us at our Tumwater Central Library or, in Seattle, at our Washington Talking Book & Braille Library. Discover who we are and what we have to offer you. Let’s connect!  Find out more about Washington State Library programs and resources at http://www.sos.wa.gov/library/default.aspx.

Volume 8, February 2, 2012 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) APPLY FOR A POSITION ON THE LIBRARY COUNCIL OF WASHINGTON

2) FIRST TUESDAYS – TIPS AND TRICKS WITH THE U.S. CENSUS

3) CONNECT WITH COLLEAGUES IN TULALIP

4) WILL YOUR WEBSITE MEET THE NEW ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS?

5) HELP FOR SMALL AND RURAL COMMUNITIES

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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Did you know tomorrow, February 1, 2012, is the first National Digital Learning Day? This day of observance was launched by the Alliance for Excellent Education, one of two education advocacy groups behind the Digital Learning Now Initiative.

The American Library Association’s (ALA) Digital Literacy Taskforce is calling on all libraries to put a social media megaphone to their activities planned for this special day. Raise awareness of your library’s work in this arena by tweeting (hashtag #DLDay), blogging, and sharing Flickr photos and YouTube videos of digital literacy activities and testimonials throughout the day. You can also share examples on the showcase page of the Digital Learning Day Website at www.digitallearningday.org. A toolkit is available at www.digitallearningday.org/toolkits/teachers/ from the Alliance for Excellent Education.

 Courtesy of the Legislative Planning Committee, Washington Library Association Library Related Legislation. The Washington Library Association (WLA) tracks state legislative activity that will potentially affect Washington Libraries. Their tracker is posted to the WLA web site and we will also post it weekly on this blog.

For information on the legislative process or becoming involved, see the WLA site referenced above.

Image courtesy North Pend Oreille Heritage collection

Washington State Library News
Are you a teen who aspires to be the next Steven Spielberg or Spike Lee? Here is your chance to put that cinematic creativity to good use and help promote reading and libraries at the same time. The “2012 Teen Video Challenge” is a national video competition now underway. The Washington State Library is partnering with the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) to promote the video contest. (Northern Kittitas County Tribune [Cle Elum], 12.22.11)

To give the Roslyn Library’s new grant-funded scanner a trial run on photos Frank Badda passed on to his grandson Frank Schuchman, Evan Robb and Ross Fuqua, Digital Project Librarians attached to the Washington State Library, joined Erin Krake and Scott Templin on December 20th at the Roslyn Library. The project is funded by a $5,000 grant awarded by the Washington State Library. (Photo) (Northern Kittitas County Tribune [Cle Elum], 12.29.11)

Among several bills introduced by Democratic Reps. Sam Hunt of Olympia, Zack Hudgins of Tukwila and others to realign state government services is House Bill 2222, which is sponsored by Democratic Rep. Mary Helen Roberts of Lynnwood and Republican Rep. Maureen Walsh of Walla Walla, raises the fees for out-of-state users of the state Library. HB 2222 got a hearing Monday, and acting state librarian Rand Simmons testified in favor of helping the state recoup its research costs – by an estimated $44,535 in the biennium. (The Olympian [Olympia], 1.16.12) http://www.theolympian.com/2012/01/16/1951479/state-agency-shuffles-in-offing.html

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