DPI Budget Initiatives for Libraries
On September 15, State Superintendent Tony Evers presented DPI's budget request for the next biennium, 2011-13, that includes the following library-related items:
-- Public library system funding at the 13% index level of $28,559,600 for 2011-12 and $29,130,800 for 2012-13. This compares to base funding of $16,681,200. Therefore, the requested change in funding is $11,878,400 for the first year of the biennium and 12,449,600 for the second year. If funded only at base level, the level of state aid indexed to local library expenditures would decline to 7.7%.
-- BadgerLink funding of $2,946,000 for 2011-12 and $2,960,300 for 2012-13. This compares to base funding of $2,448,900. After subtracting the costs of Newsline for the Blind ($111,100 for each year of the biennium), the requested funding would represented an increase over base of $386,000 in the FY2012 and $400,300 in FY13. An increase allows for a pilot project with the Wisconsin Newspaper Association to provide access to Wisconsin newspapers, not consistently maintained by other vendors. The request also includes $205,500 in both FY12 and FY13 to add the Learning-Express Library to BadgerLink.
-- Library service contract funding for the Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library, the Milwaukee Public Library, Wisconsin Library Services (WiLS), and the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) totaling $1,170,500 for 2011-12 and $1,203,400 for 2012-13. This compares to base funding of $1,169,800, or a requested change of $700 in FY12 and $33,600 in FY13.
-- Newsline for the Blind supports newspapers accessible by telephone for blind and physically handicapped people. Funding described in the BadgerLink line item would total $111,100 each year of the biennium. This represents an increase of $7,800 in FY12 and $12,400 in FY13.
--Distribute Common School Funds to school libraries of up to $39,600,000.
View the entire DPI budget request
The budget request will now be reviewed by the Governor, who will submit a proposed budget to the legislature early in 2011. Please prepare to advocate for library budget items at Library Legislative Day, Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at the Concourse Hotel in Madison.