Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 17, 1995 TAG: 9502170026
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BRIAN KELLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The regional library would see an increase in state aid to $271,000 for the 1995-96 budget, a $78,000 jump over the current budget, Director Karen W. Dillon said.
That's because both the House of Delegates and state Senate, as part of their rebuke to Gov. George Allen's $403 million in proposed budget cuts, restored $3.1 million in aid to public libraries. The legislature also has voted to start using a new funding formula - which Allen tried to delay - that better rewards local libraries showing population growth and significant local funding.
In 1994-95, the local governments paid for 75 percent of the Montgomery-Floyd library's $1.13 budget. State aid accounted for 14 percent.
"This is a real important step, to get into the new formula," Dillon said.
If Allen's proposal had stood, the county library would have lost $2,200 in state aid beginning July 1, Dillon said. The governor had recommended chopping basic aid to libraries, administered by the Library of Virginia, from $13.8 million to $10.7 million in the second phase of the 1994-96 state budget.
Those cuts could still return once Allen has a chance to veto portions of the budget or submit his own amendments before the April veto session.
Nancy Hurst, chairwoman of the Library Board, said she didn't consider the large increase in state aid for Montgomery-Floyd to be a major accomplishment, because it's money the county should have been receiving in the first place.
Librarians consider the state aid to be critical. Twenty-five percent of the allotment goes toward salaries for certified librarians. Two-thirds of the library's books and magazines are purchased with state aid. And about half of library supplies are bought using the aid.
Even with the increase in state funding now likely, the Montgomery-Floyd library is asking for an 11 percent increase in local funding in the new budget, Dillon said. But County Administrator Betty Thomas has yet to release her 1995-96 budget proposal to the Board of Supervisors. It will contain a local funding recommendation for the library.
The 11 percent request is primarily related to increased reference services, increased travel expenses for staff training and the effort to automate the book circulating system, Dillon said.
The regional system employs approximately 60 people and operates the headquarters library in Christiansburg, the Blacksburg branch and the Jessie Peterman Memorial Branch in Floyd. The system contains more than 143,000 books, or 1.6 books per capita. That's below the state average of 2.36 books and the minimum state standard of 2 books per capita, Dillon said.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***