21st Century Library Initiative
TALKING POINTS
BEFORE MEETING WITH AN ELECTED
OFFICIAL:
-
Study the
following documents: these Talking
Points, the 21st Century Library Fact Sheet, the Ground Rules for
Lobbying, and the Lobbying Steps
-
Identify The Points
Most Important To You – Internalize Them
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Prepare To Speak
Informally With Minimal Notes
WHILE YOU MEET WITH AN ELECTED
OFFICIAL:
-
Focus On Your Library
And What You Need
-
Explain How This
Initiative Help You
-
Tie Your Comments To The
Fact Sheet
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Keep It Short
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Ask For Their Support
TALKING POINTS
(To be used with the Fact
Sheet)
GOAL/OBJECTIVES/IMPACT:
Phase I The 21st Century Library Needs
Assessment
The Needs Assessment project has been
managed by the Utah State Library Division with the assistance of an
advisory committee and the work of a team of consultants. The project
was financed by a grant from the Permanent Community Impact Fund matched
by contributions from libraries, individuals, the Utah Library
Association and private foundations.
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Demand for library service will continue to grow
From 1990-2000, the state’s
population grew by 29%. Public library circulation grew by
73% -- and that doesn’t begin to measure the impact
of Internet use within the library.
Add your own stories. How has your
library service changed over the last decade?
How are people using your library?
New libraries experience greatly
increased community use. Library use often doubles or triples in a
new building
.
New technology requires adequate
housing. Computers take up space and require adequate wiring.
Do you have enough space for
computers? Adequate wiring?
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Describe and Evaluate Existing Library Facilities and
Project Costs: Key Findings
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64% of Utah’s libraries are
more than 10 years old
How old is your library building?
Common Problems:
Lack of space for materials, computers, meeting rooms, storage and
staff work areas; ADA inaccessibility; inadequate wiring; energy
inefficiency; seismic instability; asbestos; life safety problems;
code deficiencies.
What problems does your building
have?
An estimated $150-$250 million
is needed for new construction/building renovation.
These are preliminary statewide
estimates.
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Analyze Local Library Finance/Governance Options: Key
Findings
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Few
governance or funding options exist to help communities build
new libraries, and the strongest governance option (e.g. a
special taxing district) is not politically popular.)
Funding options used in other
states (e.g., special sales tax, impact fees) are likely to be
rejected in Utah, as is raising the ceiling on the statutory
certified tax rate for library services.
These points underscore the
importance of receiving state financial assistance.
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Assess Public Opinion on
Support for Public Library Facilities: Key Findings
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56%
think the state is spending too little to help libraries meet
operating costs
71% think the state should help
fund new library buildings
These figures are based on a Dan Jones poll conducted
in January 2001. They clearly show that public opinion supports
adequate public library funding and endorses state financial
assistance to local libraries – particularly
for public library construction.
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Phase II Assist Local Governments in Providing Adequate Public Library
Facilities and Services (2001-2003)
Establish the 21st Century Library Challenge
Fund by raising $5,000,000 in private funding matched by $5,000,000 in
State funding.
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An anonymous private foundation
has already committed the "last"
$1,000,000.
One time, state funding could be used to build the
state’s $5,000,000.
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Improve state financial support for local library
operations by increasing the appropriation for the Public
Library Development Grant Fund from $550,000 to $2,000,000 annually.
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Since its establishment, the
Public Library Development Grant Fund has
DECREASED from a high of $609,000
in 1995 to today’s $550,000
During that
same time period, local government
funding for public library service has increased
by almost 50%.
Describe what you would like to
do to improve service in your library.
Describe how you would use a major
increase in your Public Library Development Grant to achieve those
service improvements. (If you need to verify the amount of your
grant, call the State Library.)
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Strong Public Libraries Make A Difference
Public libraries are "labs for learning" for
Utah’s children and students. Children discover the joy and power of
reading – not just the mechanics.
| Fifty percent of intellectual
development occurs between birth and four years of age.
(Source: A Parents Guide to
Children’s Reading by
Nancy Larrick)
Children who have been exposed to reading before school
begins do measurably better in school. (Source: "Building Blocks
for Literacy: What research shows," Steve Herb, School Library
Journal, July 1997)
Three out of five public library
users are children. (Source: Public Libraries, March/April,
1997)
Use of the public library has more impact on children’s
summer learning than anything else. (Source: Family Literacy Fact
Sheet, American Library Association)
Children who read as few as 6 books
during the summer maintain or gain a reading level. (Source:
Reading, Libraries, and Summer Achievement, pp. 161-179, (Summer
Learning and the Effects of Schooling, 1979)
Nationwide, more children
participate in summer reading programs than in Little League
baseball. (Source: ALA tip sheet).
Use the facts above to help make
this point.
Add a story about children in your
library.
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Public libraries are "labs for life-long
learning " and literacy for adults. They help adults working to
change careers, to become literate, to learn English, or to enrich their
lives.
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Many libraries offer ESL
instruction and literacy programs for adults and families.
Public libraries help higher
education students enrolled in distance learning courses.
Libraries help adult enrich their
lives by continually learning.
Tell how your library supports
adult life-long learning, literacy or ESL instruction. If your
library is heavily used by distance education students, give
examples.
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Public libraries offer access to PIONEER: Utah’s
Online Library (
http://pioneer.utah.gov/
),
thereby supporting public, higher and distance education, local business
information needs, and citizen access to government electronic services
and information.
| Last
year, Utahns performed over 425,000 searches of premium databases
through PIONEER.
Give examples of how PIONEER is
used in your library
The Internet does NOT replace
public libraries – it makes
them even more important.
Everything is NOT on the Internet.
Only the "tip of the iceberg" of the entire human record
is digitized, and converting the
rest of the information will not be easy, cheap or quick.
Libraries are the still best place to find the world of print and
media information.
Everything on the Internet is
not necessarily accurate, nor is it all
"free." The
World Wide Web is the world’s largest filing cabinet. Some
information is great; some is of doubtful quality, if not outright
wrong or out of date. Much of the best information is in licensed,
copyrighted databases, and it is not free. Making these premium
databases available is the role of PIONEER (http://pioneer.utah.gov/).
Librarians know the Internet and can teach others to
use it effectively:
Being "computer literate" is not the
same as being "information literate." Librarians can help
individuals refine questions into search strategies, help locate both
print and electronic resources, and learn the software for taking best
advantage of Internet and other electronic information resources. One
of the most important roles for librarians in this new Internet age is
that of a trusted, experienced and knowledgeable Internet advisor.
Not everyone has a computer or high speed Internet
connectivity:
It is not simply a matter of whether or not
someone has a home computer. Is that computer connected to the
Internet? If the computer is connected, is the connection of
sufficiently high speed to really make effective use of the World Wide
Web’s array of information? Does the
individual know how to effectively navigate the web? Most of us are
novices when we step outside of our own niches of expertise.
Libraries are
"high tech" and " high touch:"
In spite of all the "high tech" in our lives, we still want
"high touch." Libraries, and especially rural libraries, are
still vital community centers with programming and services that reach
all ages in the community, and best of all in an age of automated
telephone systems and bank teller machines, librarians bring a human
touch to library service.
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Public libraries are a strong symbol of
community identity and strength. Utah’s "21st Century
Communities" need and want 21st Century Libraries.
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Give examples of why your
library makes a difference in your community.
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Why Should the State Play a Role?
Too many Utah library facilities are
inadequate to deliver 21st Century Library services.
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Review your own library’s
facilities problems and capital needs. If your building is adequate,
affirm that other communities deserve a decent building too.
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Public libraries are an important part of the state’s
educational infrastructure.
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In spite of all public libraries
do for children, the State provides almost no funding for public
libraries. In 2001, local governments provided 92.6% of the
funding. Other local income (fees & donations) raised another
5.2%. Federal funding was 0.6%, and the State gave only 1.6%.
State financial assistance can
create a level playing field statewide, allowing all Utahns access
to quality library service.
Talk about what an increase in the
Public Library Development Grant fund would mean to your library.
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Utah’s local governments have
widely varying capacities to fund adequate public library service
| Some
communities, just like some families are wealthier than others.
Talk about how difficult it is for
your community to adequately fund library service. For more
information, review the Index of Local Financial Effort chart (p.
12) and the Expenditures Per Capita chart (p. 10) in the State
Library publication Utah Public Library Service 2000.
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Rapid growth already challenges local
resources for basic infrastructure.
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Without state and foundation
assistance, too many local governments will be unable to address
library facility and service needs.
Is your community growing? What
challenges is your city or county facing? What new demands are
being placed on your library?
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AT THE END OF YOUR CONVERSATION:
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Repeat the need to
fund the 21st Century Challenge Fund and to increase the Public
Library Development Grant Fund.
Give them the colored Fact Sheet
Ask for questions, and ask
for their support
Say Thank You! |
| Goal: |
Enable Utah Public Libraries to
Deliver 21st Century Library Services |
| Objective: |
Establish a Challenge Fund to
Assist Local Governments in Building Adequate
Public Library Facilities |
| Objective: |
Increase the Public Library
Development Grant Fund to Assist Local Governments
in Supporting Ongoing Library Service Costs |
| Impact: |
Supports Education, Life-long
Learning and Literacy
Builds Community Identity, Strength, and Quality of Life
Bridges the Digital Divide |
Phase I The 21st Century Library Needs Assessment
(1999-2001)
- Assess & Project Demand for Library
Services
- Describe and Evaluate Existing Library
Facilities and Project Costs
- Analyze Local Library Finance/Governance
Options
- Assess Public Opinion on Support for Public
Library Facilities
Phase II Assist Local Governments in Providing
Adequate Public Library Facilities and Services (2001-2003)
- Establish the 21st Century Library Challenge
Fund by raising $5,000,000 in private funding matched by $5,000,000 in State
funding.
- Improve state financial support for local
library operations by increasing the appropriation for the Public Library
Development Grant Fund from $550,000 to $2,000,000 annually.
Phase III Assist Utah Communities in Building
21st Century Libraries (2002--)
For more information:
http://www.ula.org/legislation/legislat.htm
21ST CENTURY LIBRARY INITIATIVE
The 21st Century Library Initiative is a broad
undertaking sponsored by:
- the State Library (a Division of the
Department of Community & Economic Development);
- the "Friends of Utah Public
Libraries" (a 501 (c)(3) organization); and
- the Utah Library Association (a
professional association working for Utah’s
libraries).
21st Century Library Challenge Fund
When the $10,000,000 Challenge Fund is established, the State Library and its
statutory board will oversee a competitive grant program making funds available
to communities for improved public library facilities. Grant procedures will be
developed over the coming year with input from the library community and local
government officials.
Public Library Development Grants
Public Library Development Grants are appropriated annually by the Legislature
to the State Library. Grants are allocated to city and county libraries under a
formula based on the number of service outlets, the population served, and the
strength of the local tax base. Increasing this fund will help Utah public
libraries address pressing local needs.
Strong Public Libraries Make A Difference
Public libraries are "labs for learning" for Utah’s children and
students. Children discover the joy and power of reading –
not just the mechanics.
Public libraries are "labs for life-long
learning" and literacy for adults. They help adults working to
change careers, to become literate, to learn English, or to enrich
their lives.
Public libraries offer access to PIONEER: Utah’s
Online Library (http://pioneer.utah.gov/),
thereby supporting public, higher and distance education, local
business information needs, and citizen access to government
electronic services and information.
Public libraries are a strong symbol of community
identity and strength. Utah’s "21st Century Communities"
need and want 21st Century Libraries.
Why Should the State Play a Role?
Too many Utah library facilities are inadequate to deliver 21st Century Library
services.
Public libraries are an important part of the state’s
educational infrastructure.
Utah’s local governments have
widely varying capacities to fund adequate public library service
Rapid growth already challenges local resources
for basic infrastructure.
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