This is great information for those who will be writing letters – and by the way, is there a snail mail address for those letters?

We have come up with face-to-face talking points for staff to use at the service desks, programs, etc. , to encourage letters:

1.            NO basic support for our public libraries  --- because we are losing our state grant.

2.            NO books from other libraries --- we won’t be able to share because there won’t be any delivery and NO incentive to share if there were.

3.            NO group discounts  --- which saves your library thousands of dollars each year.

4.            NO law to protect adequate local funding for your public library.

People are busy, and we want to make it easy for them to understand the problem and take action.   I’m thinking a bookmark with this info along with the email address to send a message of support for public libraries.  We will also do social media, web page, etc., etc.,  Would love to hear ideas.  Also want to add one more point about losing CEN funding.

Colleagues,

 As you know, the Governor’s budget proposes to eliminate funding for Connecticard, CLC and Grants to Public Libraries. Legislation has also been introduced that would also repeal the statutes that authorize these programs.  We need your help. Please use these talking points in letters to you legislators.  If you were unable to attend the public hearing, you can also still submit written testimony about how you feel about the proposed budget cuts. Please email written testimony in Word or PDF format to APPtestimony@cga.ct.gov.  

Go Libraries!!!!! – Thanks The CLA Legislative Committee

Connecticut’s public libraries are Dead on Arrival in this year’s proposed  state budget               

The proposed budget not only zeroes out funding but eliminates the enabling statutes that allow needed library programs and services to exist

•             The Legislature should restore $2M in funding to Connecticard, Cooperating Library Service Units (CLC) and Grants to Public Libraries

                Restore $1.25M (up from $950,000 in past budget) to Connecticard

                Restore $500,000 (up from $332,00 in past budget) to Cooperating Library Service Units (CLC)

                Restore $250,000 (up from $193,391 in past budget) to Grants to Public Libraries

•             $2M in library funding will save CT’s libraries and taxpayers over $75M annually

                For every state tax dollar invested, CT’s libraries and taxpayers will receive a $37.50 public service return on investment (375%)

•             Without these restorations, the CT’s libraries will go from coordination to chaos

Cutting Connecticard means

·         CT residents will no longer be able to borrow from any public library across the state and local libraries will be forced to shut their doors to their neighbors

·         The savings CT residents realized through Connecticard ($68M in 2014 by borrowing 4.5 million items from libraries across the state) will vanish

Slashing Cooperating Library Service Units (CLC) means

·         The Connecticut Library Consortium (CLC), formed by the merger of four CLSUs saving CT taxpayers through coordinated services and efficiencies, will be crippled.

·         Without state funding, CLC will severely hampered in in its mission of saving public libraries and taxpayers over $7.1M annually by coordinating the purchase of books and other products for the state’s public, school and academic libraries.

Eliminating Grants to Public Libraries means

·         Cutting this funding hurts the people who need their library the most—CT residents who live in our urban areas where our public libraries struggle to provide basic library programs and services such as literacy (reading, financial and digital), access to government services and so much more.

·         Eliminating the law that guarantees adequate local funding will throw our local public libraries into chaos not knowing if funding will be available, severely restricting access to information and quite probably leading to public libraries shutting their doors for good.

Carl A. Antonucci, Jr., MS, Ph.D.

Director of Library Services

Elihu Burritt Library

Central Connecticut State University

1615 Stanley Street - P.O. Box 4010

New Britain, Connecticut 06050-4010

P: (860) 832-2097

F: (860) 832-2118

antonucci@ccsu.edu