by Christina Stoll, MLS

Libraries within the Metropolitan Library System (www.mls.lib.il.us) discussed their budget situation with local legislators on Monday, February 15, 2010 at the MLS Legislative Breakfast.  The breakfast provided an opportunity for staff and trustees from system libraries to talk one-on-one with legislators about their concerns for systems and library funding.

Senator Christine Radogno, Representative William Davis, and Carol Kissane-Vaughan, aide to Representative Bob Biggins were in attendance.

Radogno and Davis both spoke to the reality that quick fixes such a raising taxes, cutting or re-managing state-wide systems such as Medicare, Human Services or Correction facilities, and exploring revenue enhancing measure are just a temporary band-aid on a larger life threatening wound. An overall re-tooling of Illinois State Government is needed for a permanent longer lasting solution.

MLS Executive Director Alice Calabrese spoke about the place libraries have always served from offering family programming events and story-times for children, to internet and computer access for job seekers and as a safe haven for immigrants to feel welcomed.  “Given the current economic climate the demand for library services only increases as families seek free entertainment on a limited budget, and people out of work look for a place to simply arrive at each morning.”

The breakfast continues MLS’s advocacy efforts seen state-wide as with the ILA Snapshot for a day http://www.ila.org/snapshot spearheaded by MLS member Kathy McSwain, Director of the Chicago Ridge Public Library and Chair of the Illinois Library Association committee, and with the Save Illinois Libraries campaign http://www.saveillinoislibraries.com which sent over 22,000 messages on January 20th to the governor and comptroller to release library system funding.

The situation facing MLS remains uncertain. The first payment for the year arrive shortly after the January 20th effort, however it was only 35% of their funding for FY2010.  Continued on-going support of the message for library system funding to state officials is needed. 

At the breakfast McSwain demoed how easy it is to continue support for libraries and the issues they are facing through CapWiz http://capwiz.com/ala/il/issues/. The site contains current legislation and alerts impacting Illinois libraries as well as additional links to template letters which can be sent to legislators by a few short clicks. 

While it’s easy for MLS to talk about the impact their services have on libraries and Illinois residents, they let their members share their own stories through a video played at the breakfast.  View the video at http://www.vimeo.com/9761991

MLS Advocacy Video from MLS Consultants on Vimeo.

System funding at MLS provides consulting, professional development, delivery of library materials, and resources sharing services to over 550 public, academic, special and school member libraries in Chicago and the suburbs of Cook, DuPage and Will counties.

• MLS Delivers 8 million items a year to member libraries at the cost of $0.08 an item. Without this service, the libraries would be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in postage or courier fees.
• MLS provides over 200 classes a year, the average cost only $45 a class or free. Similar professional development costs upwards of $200 a session in the private sector.
• MLS Consulting staff are on call to answer questions, assist, with collaborative efforts, and connect members to the resources they need to serve Illinois residents. Comparative independent consultants cost $100 an hour or more.
• Through its SWAN catalog and other online tools, MLS members pool resources and share materials with each other. Resource sharing rates among MLS members are the highest in the state, maximizing tax dollars.
• MLS supports over 100 formal networking opportunities per year, and countless other ways for libraries to connect to their colleagues. Whether in-person or online, the network of support for libraries is phenomenal.

For the $3.2 million invested in MLS in FY2009, over $34 million in services were delivered to the residents of Illinois.

In times when budgets are tight and resources are scarce, we need Illinois Library Systems more than ever. Continue to support Illinois Library Systems by contacting your legislators, the governor, and other elected officials at http://capwiz.com/ala/il/issues/ to let them know that funding for libraries and systems is essential, become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SaveILLibraries and continue to visit http://www.saveillinoislibraries.com for future calls to action.

Published March 3, 2010 in vol. 4, iss. 5 [View]