Below are letter templates that you can use as building blocks to create your own message to your legislators.

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THE PLEDGE

Illinois libraries are struggling to cope with unprecedented usage:  job seekers are making use of computers and free access to the Internet to find employment.  Families with extremely strained budgets are flocking to the library for books, CDs, DVDs, games, and programs — all free.  Children are coming to the library in record numbers for afterschool help or a safe place to stay.  Everyone from preschoolers to senior citizens is using the library as a free gateway to both fun and education as budgets are tighter and resources are scarce.  At the same time, local property taxes, the major source of funding for public libraries and schools, are decreasing.  The FY10 budget, passed by the Illinois General Assembly in July, cut state General Revenue funding for grants to public libraries, school libraries, and regional library systems by 50%.  For the regional library systems that support libraries of all types around the state, it’s becoming impossible to supply the needed extra assistance at a time when libraries are being heavily used by Illinois residents desperate for their services.

Library advocates are keenly aware that the state of Illinois is in a severe budget crisis, and ask members of the Illinois General Assembly to restore funding when the budget is healthier. Specifically, we are asking legislators to commit to libraries by taking the following pledge:

“Recognizing the importance of libraries and library systems to our communities and to the livelihood of the citizens of the state of Illinois, I (lawmaker) will work to oppose any additional cuts to library per capita grants in FY10.  Furthermore, I will work to fully fund library per capita grants when additional state funding becomes available in the future.”

If you are willing to make this pledge, please send a copy of it to pledge@saveillinoislibraries.com or visit www.saveillinoislibraries.com/pledge and let Illinois know that you stand with its libraries.

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VALUE

I am writing today to express my concern for the future of libraries in Illinois. As you know, the Illinois General Assembly recently responded to the statewide budget crisis by instituting across-the-board cuts, including cuts to state-provided grants.

Although Secretary of State Jesse White successfully redistributed grant monies to do as little harm as possible, the cost of these cuts far exceeds the money saved by making them. As you know, libraries are especially essential in tough economic times. The national press has been filled with stories recently about how libraries help job seekers, people in distress, and those unable to afford internet access, books, or even simple entertainments like books or games. Public libraries across the state who were looking to bring new services to their users with the help of grants from the state are now, instead, being forced to cut back on services.

Even harder hit by these cuts are the ten Illinois library systems. Funded primarily by grants through the Secretary of State’s office, Illinois library systems are the “librarians for the libraries,” providing libraries of all types (public libraries, school and college libraries, and even corporate and law libraries) with the resources they need to help their communities. Library systems provide programs such as:

  • No-cost van delivery that connects libraries throughout the state, allowing them to save money by sharing precious resources such as books, DVDs, and other materials.
  • Training on the latest technologies so that Illinois libraries can continue to offer their patrons the high levels of library service they have come to expect.
  • Arranging group discounts that save libraries up to 98% of the cost of the electronic databases taxpayers are demanding.

These are just a few examples of why Illinois library systems are such a tremendous value to the taxpayers. By providing such services, systems provide a return on investment of up to $10 in service for every dollar of funding received from the state. The cuts to grant funding have resulted in an approximately $3 million total reduction in budget across the ten library systems, which can mean a loss of up to $30 million in services to Illinois residents at all levels, from preschoolers to small business owners.

I know that Illinois has serious budget issues as do the residents of our great state.  Knowing how essential libraries to job seekers, families on tight budgets, senior citizens and children, please commit to NOT supporting ANY new initiatives/projects until libraries get full statutory funding for the library grant programs that were cut. View this commitment at saveIllinoisLibraries.com.  Please also consider ways to support libraries as future budget considerations arise. Also, I hope you will visit SaveIllinoisLibraries.com for additional information of libraries and library systems and the effect of this cut to library funding.

Libraries are an essential part of our democracy I’m counting on you to help make sure they remain as indispensable sources of service to the public for years to come.

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SYSTEM FUNDING (letter courtesy Alliance Library System)

The Alliance Library System (ALS) and other Illinois Library Systems need your help.  The Secretary of State’s General Revenue budget for libraries and library systems was cut by 47% in the last state budget.  It is only through the diversion of federal Library Services and Technology Act funds that Secretary of State/State Librarian Jesse White was able to keep those cuts at 16.5%.

Our members have come to rely on free or low cost system services such as van delivery, professional development, consulting, networking and advocacy opportunities, deep discounts on electronic databases and more. In 2008, for example, library systems received $15,624.382 from the Illinois General Assembly and provided over $139,000,000 in services to the people of Illinois.

  • In FY08 ALS van delivery that connects libraries throughout the state and allows them to save money by sharing resources such as books, DVDs and other materials delivered 459,810 of these items at a cost of $ .26 per item or $119,550. Using the USPS library rate to deliver those same items would have cost taxpayers between $919,620 – $1,839,240.
  • In FY08 ALS provided 165 workshops on the latest technologies so that Illinois libraries can continue to offer their patrons the high levels of library service they have come to expect.  These sessions were attended by 2,740 library staff and publically elected trustees for $13,700.  Using a commercial company to provide the same type of training would cost Illinois taxpayers $274,000 – $822,000.

You and Governor Quinn are looking for greater efficiency in government. Library systems are one of the best examples of economic efficiency in the state. Systems have not received a budget increase in 18 years, yet they continue to deliver an incredible return on the small investment the state makes in them each year.  For every $1.00 taxpayers invest in library systems, they receive over $8.90 in service from library systems.

Please restore the $15,624.382 funding in the FY10 Illinois budget that allows this incredible return on investment to continue.

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GRANT REDUCTION (letter courtesy Alliance Library System)

(Note: This letter is designed for public library use, and includes specific areas of customization, denoted by [xxx])

The Secretary of State’s General Revenue budget for libraries and library systems was cut by 47% in the last state budget.  It is only through the diversion of federal Library Services and Technology Act funds that Secretary Jesse White was able to keep those cuts at 16.5%.

Our library will lose $[xxx] in the FY 10 Public Library Per Capita and Equalization Aid grant.  We use per capita grant funding to pay for [xxx]. These items are important to our users because [xxx].  In addition to this grant reduction, we are still waiting to receive the FY09 Per Capita Grant funds in the amount of $[xxx].

Library use traditionally increases as the economy falters because libraries provide a host of services at little or no cost such as internet access to apply for jobs and reading materials users can no longer afford to buy.  We have seen a [xxx]% increase in material circulation and an increase of [xxx]% in library use in the last year. We have especially noted how our public access computers are in almost constant use by people completing job applications online and writing resumes.

Restoration of those cuts will go a long way to help our patrons deal with the difficult lives they now lead.  We urge you to work to restore these cuts as quickly as you can.

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We’ll post more letters as we get them, so if you have a message that you’d like to offer to others, let us know!