Public Library Requests More Funds

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 04:11 AM

Prince George, B.C. - More people are signing out books, but provincial funding is down...

Those were the two key issues highlighted during the Prince George Public Library Board's presentation to City Council at last night's budget meeting.

Library Board Chair, Philip Mantler, says the current economic climate has contributed to an 11-percent increase in overall library activity in 2009. He says, instead of buying books, more people are borrowing them from the library and there has been an increase in the number of people taking advantage of the library's free internet.

In order to compensate for reductions in provincial funding, the library board is requesting the city increase its grant by just over $28-thousand dollars in 2010. According to Mantler, the province decided to cut funding to libraries by 22-percent...he says the boost in funding from the city, if approved, would be used to maintain current service levels, but he says the library is also looking to the future with plans to renovate the 30-year-old building. However, renovation plans are not included in the library's proposed budget for the coming year.

City Council has included the request for additional funding in its list of service enhancement items that have been deferred to Wednesday night's final budget meeting.

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Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 04:11 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Vdesign on February 23 2010 7:06 AM

I use the library regularly, and the amount of money involved is not that large when you considering the number of people and groups that use the library, so I have to say, I support this funding.

Oh, wait, I don't actually get to vote. . . . Bummer.

Posted by: He spoke on February 23 2010 7:51 AM

Up the book late fines! I'm sure people promptly pay them. Maybe a bake sale.

Posted by: Simon on February 23 2010 8:16 AM

A bake sale! and a car wash! Maybe get the staff to pose for a sexy calendar and sell them! Maybe Dan Rodgers should have scalped those Olympic tickets he turned down and gave that money to the library! Sad, sad times we live in people when places of information and education do not get funding.

Posted by: He spoke on February 23 2010 8:41 AM

Nope lets head back into the dark ages, burn them books, keep the people ignorant and tax them.

hey we kind of live in a glorified serfdom.

Posted by: IMO on February 23 2010 8:56 AM

I believe the library is good for a community for those who can not afford internet and books. It is a shame that our provincial and federal government have over spent to the point of no money for these things. My concern is...Whenever there is no money the tax payers are the ones left holding the bad and we have no say on top of it all. I am really getting tired of it. Has the library even tried to fund raise? NO! Every year they are standing in line holding their hands out and every year the tax payers pay. When is it going to be enough? When are the hard decisions going to be made between what is nice and what is needed. I believe that the city should cancel all programs that are not a necessity until they can balance the budget and stop raising the taxes.

Posted by: hartbooks on February 23 2010 9:48 AM

Hey, the library DOES fund raise - and so do the Friends of the Library.

Posted by: NMG on February 23 2010 5:34 PM

"In order to compensate for reductions in provincial funding, the library board is requesting the city increase its grant by just over $28-thousand dollars in 2010"

Yet another example of cost dumping, costs that used to be covered by the Province, now expected to be picked up by the City. $28K is peanuts in the grand scheme of things, but you have to wonder how much of the overall City budget currently covers things that it didn't 10, 15 or 20 years ago.

Posted by: HD on February 24 2010 9:03 AM

It might be peanuts, but there are more groups requesting peanuts and all these peanuts together makes one big pile of peanuts gone out of control.