Marion County Library news: Budget shortfall leads to cuts

When Governor Sanford signed off on the recommended budget cuts last week, the state’s public libraries took a 10.1 percent cut, the third this year, and another is expected in January.

State Aid to public libraries, our “per person” appropriation based on county population, has been reduced to $1.78 from the $2.25 which we began this budget cycle on July 1. That significant loss of $16,400 had to be cut mostly from the materials budget, one of our primary service areas. All other areas of spending are either mandated or already cut to the bone. The irony of the cuts is that in an economic downturn such as we are experiencing, public libraries become more important than ever.

Libraries are one of the places where economic recovery can begin as the unemployed seek our assistance with resumes, job searches, job applications, work skill improvement and access to information they need to improve their lives and those of their families.

In comparing how our libraries in Marion County were used this past year to the year before, we see big increases in use all across all areas of service and the figures continue to climb. Library attendance increased 7 percent, as did sign-ups for library cards. Sixty-two percent of our county residents are registered library users. More than 83,000 books were checked our last year, a 3 percent increase. An average of 300 people a day use the Marion Library

In addition to providing Internet access, our public network of computers provides our residents access to electronic resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More than 36,672 computer sessions were logged last year, 7 percent more than the year before. Our users have access to 38 licensed databases of full-text reference books, periodicals, and newspapers and information on all subject areas. So, from home or business locations, through our Web site, the library is just a few keystrokes away.

For the 40 percent of our population who does not have access to a computer at home or work, the library is where they can come and connect to everything they need.

More than 400 adults benefited from the library-provided programming, and we saw a 10 percent increase in the number of children and youth that we reached through our family literacy programming efforts for pre-school and school-age children. We enriched the lives of more than 8,488 young people either in the library or through outreach programs. Parents and grandparents are encouraged to use the library with their children and to make lifelong learning a family habit.

For those living away from population centers, the bookmobile serves as their doorstep access to library resources. Over 3,520 bookmobile visits were counted last year. Some of our elderly shut-ins read as many as 25 books a week. The bookmobile staff provides important social contact and their visit is an important event.

Interlibrary loan is a popular service – if we don’t have what you are looking for, we can get it for you from another library. Our patrons have access to all the resources of our Marion County Library system – more than 88,000 volumes, as well as all the resources of our Palmetto Library Consortium comprising the public libraries of Chester, Darlington, Dillon, Georgetown, Marion, Marlboro and Sumter counties. We borrowed more than 1,353 items for our patrons through interlibrary loan, and loaned out more than 713 to other libraries.

No matter how difficult the economy is, no matter how few are the resources you have, the public library is the one place that connects us all, old and young, rich and poor, to the world around us … for free.

We continue to grow and we invite you to come grow with us. To find out how you can be a part of the library’s Capital Campaign to enhance all of our library facilities, call the library at 423-8300, or ask a library staff person.