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Funding information for Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System
Funding information for Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System
Updated: 2012-02-08
Last year the City proposed significant funding for Library materials, automation and construction in the City Library Bonds that were included in the October 4th ballot. Because these bonds passed, the Library's materials budget for this year will be sufficient to update the library collections and maintain the current loan periods.
Many thanks to the elected officials and voters who have achieved this turn-around!
Despite this achievement, however, we have not yet reached the materials funding level needed over the next four years. The recent increases have only returned materials funding to the levels of seven years ago. The cost of materials has increased since then and the library now spends materials budget money on more varied formats, such as e-books, e-audio books, and database subscriptions. This means additional increases will be necessary in the future to allow ABC Libraries to purchase enough new materials to meet the demands of the community.
This year both the State Legislature and the County Commission will be proposing Library Bonds to be voted on in the fall election. It is vital that the funding levels proposed continue to increase. For the latest information on these bond proposals see the What's New page
For the past 8 years the Library has suffered declines in operating budgets. Bond money may not be used to pay salaries or other operating costs for the Libraries. This money must be provided by the County and City general funds.
County Funding: One positive change is that this year the operating budget funding provided by the County, which had not increased over the past seven years, has been increased so that it will cover the operating costs of the three libraries located in the unincorporated areas of the County. Thanks to the County Commissioners for this achievement.
City Funding: The lion's share of the Library's operating budget is spent on labor costs. Over the past eight years, from FY04 to FY12, the City has reduced the Library operating budget and cut Library full-time permanent positions by 17.52%, while the the City's total personnel reduction for all departments was only 7.49%. The Library has taken more than its fair share of personnel cuts, replacing full-time personnel with temporary workers. This downward trend must be reversed. This year's proposed operating budget does not cut any additional positions from the Library. However, 5 permanent positions, which the Council believed it had restored during last year's budget hearings, actually were funded by one-time funding, so the Library was not able to hire the five people as permanent employees, but as temporary, "At-Will" city employees. The mayor's proposed budget for FY 2013 continues to keep these positions as "At-Will". We would like council to amend the proposed budget to fund those positions for FY 2013 with ongoing-funding as classified positions so that the Library will be able to count on those positions when planning hours of operation and services.
