Cranbury Forum | Bulletin | Info Sharing :: Topic review

Referendum

Why not a referendum to see if this multi-million dollar project is supported by the community?

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guest25

I can understand some of the folks in town who are passionate about builiding a new library. However, I sense that the concept of a brick and mortar library is very much like clinging on the to past (and it comes at a very steep price). One can download a book to a Kindle/Nook instantanously and, if there is a question, Google provides more information than an librarian can (don't they perhaps Google the answer to people's questions as part of their research anyway)?

I know this is going to raise a storm from the people saying "I don't want to pay for downloading books" or "Some people don't have access to the Internet", etc. - but with the price of a library, we could give everyone in the town a Kindle and an Amazon debit card to read to their hearts content.

Bottom line, the town "as a whole" does not and should not be pay for a new library. (I hear there are no parking problems in town at the Plainsboro library, BTW).

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There is a lot of misinformation out there.

Increase due to the reassessment. This is not correct. There was an increase due to a change in “equalized evaluation” of property valuation (determined by the state). In other words, your property values increased. Yes, our properties were reassessed during this time to address what the township had to do, but the reassessment did not cause an increase in the library funding – our property values did.

If you decide not to take Victoria Rosch, Deputy Director of New Jersey State Library, at her word about funding, then you can wade through reports that they have online via the website or contact her boss, Norma Blake, the State Librarian.

Re, consultants. Seems like the library board involved several consultants at the request of past township committees. When it was possible, these consultants worked pro bono.
While consultants may not be “state mandated” – having a strategic plan is, and the library board takes their jobs as public offers very seriously.

Anger seems to be the problem here. If one truly would like to have a hand in what goes on with our library, the library board meetings are public meetings. Dates and times are posted on the public library website.

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I'm not personally supportive of a new library and I enjoy our present shared one just fine. But the above response was unnecessarily hostile and rude. Why so much anger?

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• Library funding law has not changed in the last 20 months with the exception of clarifying when public libraries must give back money. Our library does not qualify to give back money.

• NJ law requires minimum funding for municipal libraries; 1/3 of a mil of equalized property valuation. This automatically fluctuates with the economy, thus the decrease in the funding.

• Our public library has experienced increased expenses: rent - $58,000.00 which they did not have prior to 2009, plus mandated NJ payroll expenses similar to the township re.PERS increases.

• The library budget for 2011: decreased spending on our programs. Luckily, the Friends of the Cranbury Public Library have stepped in to help with some of these expenses.

• Though the library does not like to cut some the budget for resources, they have had to cut the film license from our projected 2011 budget. They also have cut back in some of our books and resources budgets. These cuts were made to keep in line with the appropriation.

• Salaries are definitely under the microscope, and they do have an increase in expense here, but in most cases, it only covers the increased cost in health care that the employees now need to cover themselves. Most of the library employees are part-time and do not earn a tremendous amount of money. They employ three full-time librarians.

• Most of this information was shared at the Township Committee budget meeting on Saturday, January 22. Also Cranbury Public Library Board of Trustees meeting are public meetings.

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My organization has experienced declining revenues over the past few years. I am interested in understanding how the library has reacted to the current economics of our world. Many people have had pay freezes (at best) or pay cuts, unpaid furloughs, etc. Office infrastructure that might be upgraded every 3-4 years is being kept for longer periods, etc. How has the library managed its finances (salaries, operating, etc.) over the past several years? No pointed question or underlying motive, I am just thoroughly confused about this issue because I see and hear conflicting views.

URL Helper

That link won't work -- try this one and then click on the PowerPoint presentation link:

http://www.njstatelib.org/LDB/Trustees/Library-Finance.php

Guest

Most municipal libraries are above the minimum funding.