Adams Free Library Wary of New Funding Standards
The library trustees were updated on state's standards for funding on Thursday.
Library Director Holli Jayko told the trustees Thursday that although the Adams Free Library has received a waiver for fiscal 2019 spending from the MBLC, new regulations will mandate that it meet funding benchmarks in five years.
"We are looking at some ways to get our budget where it needs to be because that is the only failing that we have," she said. "It is not where it is supposed to be."
In order to stay certified, libraries have to meet standards that show that municipalities are proportionately funding their libraries. If they cannot meet these standards, they can apply for a waiver with the MBLC and explain why they are not.
If not certified, a library becomes a standalone and loses state aid and access to services such as the C/W MARS interlibrary loan.
With the new rules, Jayko explained, the library has to not only share why it needs a waiver but show that it is working toward meeting funding levels.
However, it only can do this for five consecutive years.
"They want to see how we are going to get there and there are more steps for each year," she said. "After five years if you stay in it, you become potentially decertified."
Jayko said state aid typically comes in around $14,000 but she is more concerned about losing access to C/W MARS.
"We can live without the $14,000 but .. .our patrons would only be allowed to borrow from our collection," Jayko said.
The Adams Free Library has a 33,000-piece collection. This pales in comparison to C/W MARS' 58 million items.
The library annually borrows around 5,000 items from the C/W MARS system. Without certification, she estimated that this would cost around $125,000.
Also, Jayko said Adams residents may not be able to just visit a certified library and borrow from it. Once Adams is decertified, other libraries do not have to serve the town's residents.
"Technically each library has its own policies and they can choose to or not to loan to our residents," she said. "They can turn you away because we are decertified."
The Adams Free Library has been successful over the years applying for waivers because the town has cut the budget across the board, not just the library budget.
She added that many communities have had to apply for waivers over the years but now there are only a handful.
Jayko added that the MLBC was especially understanding this fiscal year because as a new director, she came in at a lower step and the Adams Free Library was lowered one full-time staff member.
She said the new regulations do not come with new baselines for the library so they still have to aim at these same targets.
Trustee Virginia Duval did not think this was fair.
"It seems so unfair that they didn't give a reset," she said. "Instead they are dragging us back."
Trustee James Loughman asked if it would be beneficial to take the hit and become decertified so they can establish a new baseline.
Jayko said she rather let the situation "play out" because if decertified they will remain decertified for three years, which she would prefer not to do.
Jayko said she did understand why the MLBC has these standards to make sure communities don't slash library budgets and was confident she could work with the incoming town administrator, Board of Selectmen, and Finance Committee to meet the proper funding levels within five years.
"I have some ideas and I am waiting to see how things play out before I put an official packet together," she said. "We need a united front."
In other business, the library has installed four new public computers.
Jayko said these were purchased through Friends of the Adams Free Library money and other donations.
Originally the trustees had voted to expend $2,000 from state aid to purchase these machines and now that this money is again free, she will ask next meeting for the trustees to consider using it to purchase four juvenile computers.
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