Governor Brown Releases
2017-18 State Budget
Library Funding Holds
The Line In Governor’s “Prudent” Plan
CLA News From the Capitol: 1.10.2017 by Mike Dillon and Christina DiCaro, CLA
Lobbyists
At
11 a.m. today, Governor Jerry Brown unveiled his 2017-18 State Budget before
the press corps at the Capitol. The
Governor called for cautious spending in the coming Budget year due to a
projected $2 billion shortfall, as well as the anticipation of federal policy
changes under the new Presidential Administration, which might significantly
affect the state’s General Fund.
Specifically, related to library funding in the Budget, the Governor
does not propose new spending; instead he holds the line on all of the current
baseline spending in the various library programs (e.g. California Library Services Act, the state literacy program, and funding for
the library broadband project in conjunction with the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California
- CENIC). The Governor
did highlight, however, the work of public libraries in a special section
entitled, “Investing in California’s Workforce.”
The
Governor dedicates a notable amount of space in his Budget document to the
issue of “Investing In California’s Workforce” and he discusses the specific
contributions of K-12 schools, community colleges, state universities, and
local libraries in this space. Of note, the Governor has asked the State
Librarian to convene discussions in the Spring regarding the opportunities for
libraries within workforce development. Specifically, with regard to
public libraries the Governor states:
Role
of Local Libraries
“Many other entities play roles as
part of pathways in the workforce, and the state’s strategy should consider
better integration. Public libraries already provide a space where
students and adults can earn high school diplomas or career certificates online,
learn literacy skills with volunteer tutors, or build upon their ideas in
dedicated “makerspaces” or innovation labs. The state now funds
high-speed Internet access for many libraries. Libraries can be hubs for
people to access online courses, particularly as libraries are in a unique
position to provide the additional support and guidance that some studies
suggest is essential for online education. The State Librarian will
engage stakeholders in the spring to create plans to better integrate the
libraries into the state’s workforce strategy.”
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