FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
March 18, 2010
IMLS Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov
Despite Flat Budgets, State Library
Agencies Invest in Technology Services
Washington, DC—Despite the lack of real growth
in their budgets in recent years, state library agencies are working strategically to
assist library professionals and local libraries to meet patrons’ needs, according
to State Library Agency Service
Trends: 1999–2008, a new research brief by the Institute of Museum and
Library Services (IMLS). Limited resources are being shifted as libraries services are being
redefined. Over the past 10 years, for example, real dollar expenditures on statewide
database licensing more than doubled, reaching a total of $65.8 million in 2008. These
databases provide all library users access to a wide range of online resources, such as
reference sources for homework, job search and training tools, and specialized magazines
and newspapers. This finding indicates one way that state library agencies are making
the most of limited resources.
Library services for hard-to-reach populations, such as services for
people in nursing homes, individuals with physical or learning disabilities, assistive
technologies and devices, and non-English speakers and migrant workers, declined from
a high of $57 million in 2004 to $31.6 million in 2008, according to the study. While
changing definitions and survey changes may have affected reporting in this area, this
important finding may be a harbinger of difficult times ahead. An upcoming study,
Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at
U.S. Libraries, demonstrates that vulnerable populations rely on libraries for
Internet access. Among young adults (14-24 years of age) living in households below
the federal poverty line, 61 percent used public library computers and Internet for
educational purposes. Among seniors (65 and over) living in poverty, 54 percent used
public library computers for health or wellness needs. The study, scheduled for release
on March 25, was conducted by the University of Washington with support from IMLS
and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
IMLS allocates federal funds to state library agencies using a
population-based forumula. State library agencies develop plans for the delivery of
library services in their states and provide leadership and library development.
While there is tremendous variation among state library agencies, this research brief
aggregates data in order to characterize trends in services supported by state library agencies.
The study examines services such as basic literacy programs, library services for hard-to-reach
populations, and state database licenses for public libraries, public school
media centers, and library cooperatives.
Funding for state library agencies, which includes a mix of federal,
state, and other sources, remained flat from fiscal year (FY) 2004 to FY 2008. The current
economic downturn will likely decrease agency budgets and could affect the quality and
quantity of state library agency services in the future, according to the brief.
Twenty-first century patrons expect more technology
resources in schools, public libraries,
colleges, and universities. While current and future information technologies
provide exciting new opportunities to extend library services to patrons across
the U.S., they require significant investment and coordination, the study found.
IMLS will continue to document the trends highlighted in this
report to better understand how changes at the state level affect the quality
of library services to the public.
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