Los Angeles Public Library ◯ Your Guide To The Massive Cuts Proposed For The LA City Budget ◯ LAist

Your Guide To The Massive Cuts Proposed For The LA City Budget

LAist: 4.20.2020

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti has released his proposed budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year, which begins on July 1. The city is facing a massive loss of tax revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic, causing the mayor to declare "a state of fiscal emergency as part of the 2020-2021 budget."  

Garcetti had already signaled that there will be furloughs for the city's civilian workforce. The mayor estimated city workers are expected to forego about 10% of their salaries. The city's hiring freeze is also continuing.

In a briefing this morning, city staff said the mayor has broad powers to order furloughs in an emergency like this, but they'd rather work with unions. Corral Itzcalli with SEIU Local 721, which represents the largest chunk of civilian public workers in town, said the city should find other solutions instead of furloughs.

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The L.A. city library system is protected by Measure L, so its funding is required to be kept at a certain level. Their budget actually rises from $194 million to $205 million next fiscal year. But the libraries are closed until further notice.  READ MORE ➤➤

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Governor Newsom Releases 2020-21 State Budget ◯ CLA

State Budget

Governor Newsom Releases His 2020-21 State Budget

News From the Capitol: 1.10.2020 by Mike Dillon and Christina DiCaro, CLA Lobbyists

This morning Governor Gavin Newsom presented his 2020-21 State Budget and left no stone unturned with the press corps, as the Governor laid out details and took reporters’ questions for an unprecedented three hours.  The Governor stated that he was “excited about this year and for California’s future” as he highlighted components of his new Budget.

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Of importance to CLA, the Budget contains good news for public libraries.  The Governor continues to support two programs that he provided support for in the 2019-20 Budget – “Lunch at the Library” and Zip Books.

For “Lunch at the Library: $1 million in “one-time” General Fund dollars (meaning that it must be spent in Budget Year 2020-21 and is not “ongoing” in nature) would be provided for libraries to “develop summer meal programs for students in low-income communities.”

For Online Service Systems:  the Governor is proposing $1 million in one-time General Fund dollars in order to “support the online purchase and delivery of books through the Zip Books program.  This no-cost service is an alternative to traditional interlibrary loan and enables library patrons to more efficiently request and receive books not available at their local library.”

The Governor is also proposing $500,000 in ongoing General Fund dollars for the purpose of supporting the services provided by the Braille Institute of America in Los Angeles.   Finally, the Governor also includes $170,000 in ongoing funds for a technical issue relating to Public Utility Commission fees pertaining to the State’s public library broadband connectivity program in conjunction with the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC).

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The legislature will now begin the process of reviewing the Governor’s Budget over the course of the next few months.  Budget Subcommittee hearings will be held to discuss and analyze the various proposals.  In May, the Governor will release his May Revision of the State Budget, which essentially allows him to make funding/program adjustments after having received the April tax receipts.  The Budget Subcommittees will wrap up their work in late May and the full Budget Committees and Budget Conference Committee will craft the final Budget, in consultation with the Governor’s Office.  The Budget must be passed by the constitutional deadline of June 15.  We will continue to keep CLA members updated as these issues proceed through the Budget process in 2020.  READ MORE >>

Summary of the Governor’s Proposed 2020-21 Budget

Senator Holly J. Mitchell Chair

California State Library (p 24)

Local Assistance. The budget provides the following local assistance adjustments:

• An increase of $1 million one-time General Fund to support the Lunch at the

Library program;

• An increase of $1 million one-time General Fund to support the online purchase

and delivery of books through the Zip book program;

• An increase of $500,000 ongoing General Fund to support the Braille Institute of

America in Los Angeles; and,

• An increase of $170,000 ongoing General Fund to continue participation in the

Adult Learners, Budget, CA Budget, California, CLLS, Economics, Funding, Government

Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee

Senator Holly J. Mitchell Chair

Senator Jim Nielsen Vice Chair

Assembly Committee on Budget

Assembly Member Phil Ting Chair

Assembly Member Jay Obernolte Vice Chair

Sub 2 Education Finance Committee Members

Kevin McCarty Chair

Rewordify

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 13.9

Lexical Density: 55.0%

Total word count 398

Unique word count 219

27 hard words

Sentence count 15

Average sentence length 26.5

August Is for Advocacy :: Invite Elected Leaders Into Your Library via American Libraries

August Is for Advocacy

Summer is a critical time to invite elected leaders into your library

American Libraries: 7.24.2019 by Emily Wagner

Here’s the truth about the dog days of summer: August is prime time for advocacy. With members of Congress on recess, it is the perfect time to invite legislators to visit your library and let them see for themselves all the ways libraries bring value to their communities.

#ALAadvocacy

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Inviting your elected leaders—at the state, local, or national level—is not difficult. Here are a few steps to get started:

➧ Call your congressional member’s district office. Ask who handles meeting requests for their district and how they prefer to receive them.

➧ Write your request and tailor it to your elected leader, paying special attention to library services that intersect with their interests. For example, if your US representative is on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, invite them to visit programs that serve the needs of veterans in your community.

➧ If your member of Congress is not available, invite a staffer to visit your library. Often they will enjoy the tour so much they will want their boss to see it.

➧ Once the meeting is set up, put together supporting materials for the visit. The American Library Association’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office can coordinate with you to make sure you have the resources you need.

➧ When you conduct the tour, remember that your elected officials want to hear from you—your feedback is critical to their work. There is no need to feel intimidated.

➧ The visit is a wonderful photo opportunity for them. Be sure to ask ahead of time if they would like to take a picture or video inside the facility. Remember to ask permission to use images on your social media platforms (most officials will appreciate the visibility).

There are several steps you can take afterward that will multiply the impact of your decision maker’s visit, including:

➤ Follow up with the staffer to say thank you and ensure all their questions are answered.

➤ Promote your library’s value by highlighting the leader’s visit on social media.

➤ Write a letter to the editor expressing gratitude for the official’s visit and urging support for your library.

ALA is eager to learn about your congressional visits. Share your library tour using the hashtag #ALAadvocacy so that ALA can amplify your work and inspire others to host elected leaders.  READ MORE >>

RESOURCES

Advocacy 101 Video: Getting Your Library Story in your Local News

Using Social Media

Build Relationships with Elected Officials

Find Your Elected Official     

Become an Advocate  

Talking Points & Tools

Quotable Facts about America’s Libraries

Library Value Calculator

How valuable is your local library?

Use this handy Library Value Calculator, created by the Massachusetts Library Association.

2019 One-Pagers

One Pager: Libraries and Your Community

Leave-Behind: Federal Funding for Libraries

Talking Points: Federal Funding for Libraries

Governor Newsom’s “May Revise” Surprise via CLA News

Governor Newsom’s “May Revise” Surprise

Newly amended Budget proposal contains new funding for libraries

CLA News From the Capitol: 5.09.2019 by Mike Dillon and Christina DiCaro, CLA Lobbyists

This morning Governor Gavin Newsom appeared before the press corps at the State Capitol to formally unveil his revisions to his January 2019-20 State Budget.  Known as the “May Revision” or “May Revise,” this document is typically released on or around May 15th after the Governor and his Department of Finance have had the opportunity to receive the April tax receipts and make a more accurate determination about the state’s fiscal health.

Of interest to CLA members was the inclusion in the Governor’s May Revise of almost $10 million in additional “one-time” funding (meaning it must be spent in fiscal year 2019-20 and is not ongoing in nature) for several library initiatives, including early learning and after school library programs.  This funding, if approved by the legislature, would be in addition to the $1 million for the Lunch at the Library program and the $1 million for Zip Books that the Governor proposed in his January Budget.  In the months leading up to the May Revise, State Librarian Greg Lucas had been laying the groundwork for necessary funding for the early childhood and after school programs.

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Specifics Regarding the May Revision:  Library Programs

>“One-Time Funding to support Early Learning and After-School Library Program Grants

$5 million to support grants for local library jurisdictions with the lowest per-capita library spending to develop and implement early learning and after-school library programs. 

>“One-Time Funding to support Mobile Libraries

$3 million to support grants for local library jurisdictions to purchase bookmobiles and community outreach vehicles that would be used to expand access to books and library materials in under-resourced neighborhoods. 

>“Augmentation to support Digitization and Cultural Preservation Activities

$1.7 million to coordinate with state entities to identify items for digital preservation, contract for digital preservation services, and to begin conducting or commissioning a statewide survey to inventory cultural heritage assets.

>“Statewide Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Historical Preservation

$500,000 to support the preservation of historical Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender sites.”

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The State Budget must be passed by the Legislature by June 15, 2019.  READ MORE >>

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Assembly Committee on Budget Members

Sub 2 Education Finance Committee Members

Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee

     And Your

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Governor Newsom Releases First State Budget :: Funding Proposed for Library Programs & Prison Literacy via CLA

California State
Library Budget

Governor Newsom Releases First State Budget

Funding proposed for library programs and prison literacy

News From the Capitol: 1.10.2019 by Mike Dillon and Christina DiCaro, CLA Lobbyists

At 11 a.m. this morning, Governor Gavin Newsom held a press conference at the Secretary of State’s Office auditorium to present the first state Budget of his new Administration.  Governor Newsom introduced a $209 billion proposed Budget, of which $144 billion is General Fund (e.g. versus “special funds,” etc.). 

The Governor explained in detail numerous programs that were priorities for him, stating, “I want to do justice to the magnitude of the decisions.  These dollars are attached to real people and real people’s lives.” He has focused a great deal of new funding in health and human services and K-12 and higher education, including early childhood education, special education, and providing the first two years free for community college enrollees.

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“The message we are advancing here is discipline,” the Governor stated.  As such, he has dedicated a large amount of the new funding to “one-time” enhancements (must be spent in Budget year 2019-2020), rather than “ongoing” funds.

The Governor is proposing the following:

-“Online Service Systems - $1 million General Fund one-time for online systems for use by public libraries to support efficient access to resources.”

-“Lunch at the Library - $1 million General Fund one-time for library districts to develop summer meal programs for students in low-income communities.”

Additionally, libraries and literacy were woven into the Governor’s remarks in various ways today.  For example, Governor Newsom announced he was “committed to literacy in the prisons.  You will hear me talk about this [issue] this year, next year, and in the 3rd year….There is no greater return on an investment than teaching a person to read.”  Governor Newsom is providing $5.5 million for a package of programs “specifically aimed at improving literacy rates among the offender population…”

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The Governor also indicated that he would be rolling out “A Fresh Start” program for the Department of Motor Vehicles.  His Budget states that “no other state department has as many interactions with Californians as the DMV. As recent events have highlighted, DMV has significant customer service challenges.”  The document goes on to state that an audit is currently underway to see how the DMV interaction with customers can be improved, and the Governor suggested, “We will look into more field locations, and libraries, malls, etc.

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The Legislature will commence hearings on Governor’s Newsom’s Budget in late February or early March.  Governor Newsom will also produce a “May Revision” of the State Budget in May, which will feature a more accurate revenue projection, taking into account April tax receipts.  The Budget must be passed and sent to the Governor by June 15. We will keep you updated as these issues progress through the legislative process.  READ MORE >>

IMLS Report: State Library Funding Still Suffering :: California :: Last - $1.05 per capita

IMLS Report: State Library Funding Still Suffering

Library Journal: 1.23.2018 by Lisa Peet

State Library Administrative Agencies (SLAA) across the country have largely still not recovered from the major decreases in revenue and staffing they experienced during the economic recession, according to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) biennial State Library Administrative Agencies (SLAA) Survey, conducted in FY16.

California :: Long-Term Decline

SLAA Survey 2016 | p 9

“The SLAA report shows how many of the nation’s libraries continue to be financially challenged by the effects of the recession as they strive to maintain valued community services,” IMLS director Kathryn K. Matthew told LJ.

The report, the eighth such cooperative effort of the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA), IMLS, and American Institutes for Research, offers a look at long-term trends across the country, as well as contrasting the ways that different agencies have responded to decreases in funding as their public-facing work has grown. It tracks three sets of indicators: revenues and expenditures; workforce; and services provided.

Over the past 12 years SLAA revenues declined by over a fifth, with expenditures falling by 22 percent, according to the report. SLAAs rebounded slightly in 2014 but that didn’t last—as of FY16, both metrics are at their lowest levels since 2004. Revenues and expenditures of funds through the Library Services Technology Act (LSTA) decreased by 20 percent from 2004­–16.

In FY16, SLAA revenues totaled more than $1 billion across federal, state, and other revenue sources; 82 percent from states and 15 percent from federal sources. Expenditures came in at only slightly less, with two-thirds spent on financial assistance to libraries and a third going to operations.  READ MORE >>

California :: Last @ $1.05 per capita

SLAA Survey 2016 | p 14

12 Ways to Thank Donors Will Keep Them from Saying Goodbye :: via NonProfit Hub

These 12 Ways to Thank Donors Will Keep Them from Saying Goodbye

NonProfitHub: 11.18.2013 by Marc Koenig

I never understood the point of thank-you letters.

My mom would insist. “You’ve got to send a thank-you letter!”

Three weeks after my birthday: “Have you written your thank-you letter yet?”

Four weeks after my birthday: “You’re grounded if you haven’t sent that letter by this afternoon.”

“What’s the point?” I thought. My relatives KNOW I’m thankful! I’ll tell them next time I see them. Ugh, and I’m so busy playing video games.

Ridiculous right? Thankfully I wised up in my later years. I figured out that if I wrote a really great, sincere and funny thank-you letter (usually with hand-drawn illustrations of the gift’s potential applications), my relatives not only appreciated it… but they’d actually put the letter up on the fridge and leave it there for months. Seriously, guys?

The secret of the great thank-you note: if you do it right, the givers are actually happier giving to you than they were before they gave the gift. It’s not an obligation to give a gift any more—it’s a privilege!

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Here are 12 ways to start thanking your donors today:

1. Offer a Next Step

The hours, days and weeks after a donation are the time when your donor will be most excited about your cause, and most likely to remember you. Offer them a next step before their passion cools. (Note: You do NOT say “Please donate more!” See below for why not.) The next step can be as simple as “You can join our email list for [X cool benefit, updates, etc.]!” or “We’re throwing this free event for new donors in your area” or “check out our website to see watch X video on what you’re making possible.” What’s the next step?

2. Thank You… for Being YOU

What’s infinitely more valuable than a donation? The person who gave it. The donation happens once. The donor could be around for life. So thank them… for being THEM! The kind of person who gives to important causes. That’s what they’re buying with their donation: confirming their identity as someone who not only cares, but cares enough to take action. Thank me for being me, not for “my donation of [form-filled donation amount].”

3. Send a Handwritten Note

This is one of the coolest things you can receive in our digital age. If you’re a small nonprofit trying to grow your donor base, this is where it’s at. Sure, it won’t scale forever, but right now, that’s not important. Save it for your most committed donors once you’re really big. But do this. Thank-you note writing is a great activity for board member fundraising too—it’s low pressure, with a big return on the time invested. Don’t underestimate the handwritten thank-you like Young Marc did.

First time donors who get a PERSONAL thank you within 48 hours are 4 times more likely to get a 2nd gift – @thattomahern #afpcongress

— Rory Green (@RoryJMGreen) November 18, 2013

READ MORE >>

Essential Tips for Reaching Out to Potential Donors :: Lodestar ASU:

Essential Tips for Reaching Out to Potential Donors

Lodestar ASU: 1.16.2018 by Chris Giarratana

Working for nonprofit organizations comes along with many exciting things. It’s one of the few jobs that can keep you motivated especially because you’re making a difference in people’s lives. However, the job has its challenges as well, and one of them is reaching out to potential donors.

Raising funds or getting potential donors’ attention can be one of the most exhausting or perhaps discouraging situations faced by many nonprofit marketers. This may be caused by lack of enough resources, budget, or time.

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1. Build A Strong Social Media Community

As a non-profit marketer, building a social media platform with followers who believe and support your job is quite imperative.

If you use Facebook, it helps a lot to include a “Donate Now” tab on your Facebook page to make it easier for people to donate. When the potential donors click the tab, they should be directed to the donation site. For Twitter, you may run a contest such as a person who likes a tweet first or retweet it would get a reward such as a t-shirt. This will increase your followers.

2. Use Compelling Images

Use of infographics is one good way which proves to be effective as well as entertaining in presenting the message you want to communicate.

3. Compelling Videos

Even in for-profit businesses, marketers have turned into video ads instead of images as they are more visual.

According to Think With Google, about 57 percent of people donate after watching a video of your nonprofit. READ MORE >>

Governor Releases 2018-19 Proposed State Budget :: Includes $9.5 Million to Enhance Public Library Programs

Governor Releases 2018-19 Proposed State Budget

Includes $9.5 Million to Enhance Public Library Programs

CLA News: 1.10.2018 by Mike Dillon and Christina DiCaro, CLA Lobbyists

This morning Governor Jerry Brown unveiled his final state Budget proposal, as he completes the last year of his term in office.  As part of the Budget package, CLA is pleased to report that the Governor has decided to include some significant funding -$9.5 million in new money - for public libraries in the proposal.  This funding seeks to benefit libraries that need to connect to high-speed broadband or those that wish to increase existing speed, local literacy programs, and creative ways of sharing and delivering library materials.

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The Governor’s Director of Finance, Michael Cohen then addressed the press corps and noted that the state Budget is proposed as $131.7 billion this year and that revenues are up $4.7 billion from last June.  However, he cautioned that the “unknown is the federal tax implications” which Director Cohen said his Department would be actively working to assess in the coming months.

PUBLIC LIBRARY FUNDING IN THE PROPOSED 2018-19 BUDGET

The Governor’s 2018-19 Budget proposes the following:

“Augmentation for Literacy Program – An increase of $2.5 million General Fund ongoing to expand the existing California Library Literacy Services program.”

“One-Time Funding for Broadband Grants - $5 million General Fund one-time for broadband equipment grants, with the expectation that $2 million would support connection for public libraries who lack access to the broadband network and $3 million would expand capacity for libraries already connected.”

“One-Time Funding for Online Service System - $1.5 million General Fund one-time for online systems for use by public libraries to support efficient access to resources.”

$500,000 is also provided for a combination of State Library staffing and taxes related to the CENIC project.

With regard to the library-specific funding in the 2018-19 Budget, the negotiations regarding these particular components in the Budget package were the result of a collective effort between CLA, the Department of Finance, the State Library, and the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC) during the Fall months.  READ MORE >>

Escondido Library :: Private Equity Firm Acquires Rita’s Italian Ice, Now Eying California Public Library

Private Equity Firm Acquires Rita’s Italian Ice, Now Eying California Public Library

Huffington Post: 9.14.2017 by Donald Cohen

January. The outskirts of Philadelphia. 23 degrees. It’s hard to imagine anyone buying Rita’s Italian ice.

But Argosy did just that earlier this year.

Specializing in acquiring companies, cutting costs, and selling them for a profit, the Pennsylvania-based private equity firm added the frozen dessert chain Rita’s to its portfolio of investments, which includes a prison phone company and a handful of Pizza Hut franchises, among others.

And now they’re eyeing the library in Escondido, California. That’s right, a public library.

Well, not exactly. Argosy owns Library Systems & Services (LS&S), the country’s largest library management company, which is trying to sell its services to the small city north of San Diego. LS&S is using the same rap—that privatization saves taxpayer money by bringing “optimization” and “efficiency”—that it’s used to gobble up 83 libraries across the country.

While the Escondido City Council seems to have bought in—they voted last month to outsource to LS&S but have yet to sign the contract—taxpayers aren’t having it. The library’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously against privatization and thousands of residents have signed a petition to keep the library public.

Even the American Library Association has weighed in, writing that after privatization the “community will not know how its taxpayer dollars are being spent.”  READ MORE >>

Library Outsourcing Vote Is An Outrage :: Escondido Public Library