Thanks for your response! To be frank, I don't think any amount of lobbying is going to get LGA restored in time soon. That was the basis for my question. Grants are good, not sure about the long-term viability of NRP $$$. I'm also concerned about private $$$. Many times private and/or corporate funding comes with strings attached -- something that we don't want to see with libraries. Also our problem is long-term operating costs. Many times funders are willing to pay for a capital project or subsidize a program for a few years, but we are talking long-term, systemic needs.
I am impressed with your efforts at Nokomis, but can you sustain for 5 years? 10? That is what is needed for our library system. What about closing libraries? I know it's a tough subject but looking at how few hours our libraries are open, it appears that we have too much real estate. What about consolidating with the Hennepin County system? There could be cost savings there, and more lobbying power at the state as you would be coupled with a mostly Republican-represented library sytem. Dean E. Carlson Ward 10, East Harriet ----- Original Message ----- From: Samantha Smart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wednesday, May 4, 2005 7:49 am Subject: [Mpls] Library Funding > Hello Dean and thanks for the question : > > "Now tell us how you are going to manage a library system > that was built on a funding system that no longer exists and is > unlikely coming back." Dean E. Carlson > > I have many ideas: > > 1) As a highly-involved community member and library user over the > past two years since "LGA" cut time, I have not seen any evidence > that the Board has advocated vigorously at the State or City level > for increased funding. This is precisely the role of the Board, > however. Such drastic cuts require drastic action - the Board > should go as a whole to the Governor's office and the Legislature > and portray the day-to-day disaster that these cuts have meant. > There is plenty of evidence how circulation has dropped > significantly due to hour-cuts and the fact is that we pay taxes > for open libraries and access - not for locked doors!> > 2) The Board has also failed to work collectively with the City Council. My impression is that because the City Council has an appointee on the Board, they do not deem it necessary to lobby the Council for any change in the property tax percentage that goes to libraries. This paulty 7% is simply not enough and must be > increased to cover the loss of LGA money. Yes, it has to come > from somewhere else in the proverbial pie - but so be it. Our > libraries should be put on the TOP of the priority list, not the > bottom. > 3) According to the Budget on the Library website, the amount of grants coming into our system is ridiculously low. Even a novice development associate could bring in more grant money than this. > As a grant writer and researcher for 20 years, I could funnel a > plethora of RFP's to the Staff for their vigorous pursuit. At Nokomis, for example, although we are (or were, before the cuts) the #4 circulation citywide and #2 in juvenile circulation, we have absolutely NO programs for our community users such as > Homework Help, assistance in foreign languages, Internet and technology training - nothing! There is plenty of grant money on > the state and national levels for innovative programming. > > 4) Yes, private money - although the Friends of the Library have done an amazing job - the Board should be responsible for cultivating relationships with the big businesses in Minneapolis and surrounding areas that make millions and billions of dollars and have plenty of money available for supporting communities - Target, 3M, Allina, Carlson Companies...here I come - get ready! > > 5) Dean, in Nokomis we did everything a community could possibly to do get the Library Board to change their mind about slashing our hours from 46 (six days) to 24 hours (three days with NO Saturdays!). I could exhaust you with our efforts - but the Library Board remained a brick wall, stonily reflecting our pleas. What did we do? We raised that money ourselves to keep our Library open on Saturdays from Summer of 2004 until this Saturday > when East Lake closes and we will pick up another day. We prevailed upon our neighborhood Association, NENA, to contribute $21,000 of NRP money; we held the most lucrative yard sale of all time last summer and raised $5000; we got a matching grant of $1,000 from Lutheran Brotherhood; we raised $2000 from a chili dinner; we solicited individual contributions - we did it! > > If you want to know about raising money - come over to my neighborhood! > > Samantha Smart > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Samantha Smart for Minneapolis Public Library Board > Smart Libraries are OPEN Libraries! REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
