Comments on: Philadelphia Libraries Staying Open

By: Meg

Meg — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:31:23 +0000

One more quick point–PA’s budget hasn’t passed yet. The bill that passed was a measure that allows the City of Philadelphia to temporarily raise their sales tax by one cent and defer payments to city pension plans. It’s a stopgap measure to provide funding for the many organizations that currently lack it since the state can’t seem to pass the budget.

When the budget does pass, libraries are expected to take a big hit in state funding. Granted at this point, I think most people just want a budget.

By: Meg

Meg — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:32:25 +0000

I’m also not sure I would count the expected 30-70% cuts in library funding in various categories to be “having our back.” Oh, well. We didn’t really need electronic catalogs or databases anyways, or the ability to transfer items between libraries.

By: Tweets that mention librarian.net » Blog Archive » Philadelphia Libraries Staying Open -- Topsy.com

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:35:26 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The Library Corp. The Library Corp said: TLC shares this update from Pennsylvania, where a budget vote has spared the Free Library of Philadelphia. http://bit.ly/gzDZn [...]

By: Stephen Michael Kellat

Stephen Michael Kellat — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:34:35 +0000

There is a difference between a PR ploy and carrying out fiduciary responsibility. They were living off savings and no public agency is really supposed to do that past three weeks in typical budgeting starting a new fiscal year. They were past two months without new state appropriations at the start of a fiscal year. To have not done what they did would have bordered on irresponsibility that might almost involve liability for the key decision makers.

Budgeting isn’t complicated and you don’t have to be an administrator to get it. If you can handle MARC21, you already have a handle on something far more complicated than public agency finance.

By: Philadelphia keeps its libraries « Impromptu Librarian

Philadelphia keeps its libraries « Impromptu Librarian — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:24:00 +0000

[...] The Philadelphia Libraries will apparently remain open, which is a great thing. However, a few writers have expressed discomfort with the way the whole thing has played out, and I tend to [...]

By: Michael Golrick

Michael Golrick — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:10:33 +0000

Jessica-

You know me well enough (I hope) to believe me that when I say that I do not think that this was an idle threat.

I was a public library director for over 8 years in two states. I know where the money comes from. I have a brother in Pennsylvania and know the PLA Executive Director. The City of Philadelphia was in dire straits, as are the large cities in many states. In a way, they were most likely being held hostage by the suburban and rural legislators whose institutions do not face the same factors that urban libraries and communities do.

As Tip O’Neill said, “All politics is local.” And this is a good example.

Like you, I am glad it has been resolved, and I think that we will learn more in the future,