For any questions or concerns regarding Lewis County funding, please contact your consultant, Amy Zuch.
NEWS: The 2012 adopted county budget includes $20,000 for libraries (a $5,000 reduction).
County funding request letters:
2011 (for 2012 funding)
2012 funding resolution
2010 (for 2011 funding)
2009 (for 2010 funding)
Campaign materials:
2011 Promotional video
Supplement to 2011 promotional video
Lewis County funding gap map
2010 poster (sample from MAR)
2012 Funding Campaign
The Lewis County promotional video (link to video above) was shown to the full legislature at their meeting on September 6th. The only comment / feedback we received was that it was very short. The only question was regarding the new downloadable audio and e-books. We also handed out a supplement to go along with the video (see link above).
Summary of second meeting, August 4, 2011:
Six of twelve libraries were represented: CRO, CVL, LOW, LYF, MAR, and OSC
The Lewis County Libraries met last night at the Lowville Free Library at 6:30pm to view the promotional video and finalize plans for this year's funding request and campaign.
The video was shown and approved of by the group. I will be creating a paper 'guide' to coincide with the information presented in the video, which will be handed out at the county legislature meeting. The purpose of this is to give more detail than what was possible to show in the video and to have something for the legislators to take away with them.
I will also be writing a letter detailing your funding request and sending that in within the next week. I think that, even though we have not been asked to submit a funding request (just as we have not the last couple years), we should still send something in detailing your needs and justification for county funding. Once I have it completed and find out for sure when the date is that the video will be presented to the legislature, I will send out the letter for your approval.
Something that will also be sent in and mentioned in the letter as justification is a map of the county showing all of the 'unfunded areas'. Although public funding is being collected (whether through school ballot referendum or from municipalities) in most areas of the county, there are some towns or parts of towns that are not providing any funding to libraries. That means that the only contribution taxpayers in those areas are making is through county taxes. We felt that this is a good argument to make to the county for continued support from them for the areas in the county not funding libraries in other ways. Attached is the map showing those areas.
Summary of first meeting, June 16, 2011:
Seven of twelve libraries were represented: BHM, CVL, LOW, LYF, MAR, OSC and PLY
- A 5% increase in funding will be requested. This is the same request that was made (and not granted) last year. If granted, the increase would amount to $26,944. The current funding amount, in place since 2009, is $25,000.
- A short video / film (with voice-over narration) will be created to be shown to the county legislature at their August meeting (date not yet known). The film will include a compilation of photos, statistical representations, short video clips of patron comments, and any other facts / data that provide a comprehensive picture of what the libraries of Lewis County have to offer and the difference they are making in their communities. Material for the video will need to be collected from YOU-- photos and videos (PHOTO AND VIDEO RELEASES REQUIRED FOR ALL MINORS DEPICTED IN PHOTOS OR VIDEOS), and any specific anecdotes, facts, statistics, sentiments, etc. that you want included in the video for your library. To get an idea of the type of film we plan to create, view the one created by NCLS employee Matt Corey and narrated by Paulette Roes: http://youtu.be/zlz4SvSV8SI
- We will meet again in July to review the progress I have made with the short film (4 minutes or less). We decided tonight to offer 2 date possibilities for our next meeting: PLEASE REPLY to this e-mail with your preference between these 2 dates: Wednesday, July 13th or Thursday, July 14th (either one at 6:30pm at the Lowville Free Library). Majority vote will rule and I will announce asap.
2011 Funding
Representatives of Lewis County libraries met first on April 6, 2010 and again on June 10, 2010 to discuss campaign tactics and to decide upon a funding request from the county for 2011. This year's request (for 2011 funding) is a 5% increase over the $25,000 funding that was received in 2008 and 2009. A 5% increase would represent total funding of $1.00 per capita.
- Summary of June 10th meeting:
Six of twelve libraries were represented: BHM, CVL, LOW, MAR, OSC, PLY.
With votes from libraries who had not attended the April meeting, there was a majority in favor of requesting a 5% increase over the 2009 funding of $25,000. A 5% increase would represent a total funding amount of $1.00 per capita. The group felt that using the $1.00 per person strategy is the best way to go. The request letter will be written and sent by Amy, after being sent out on the lewtrustees@ncls.org e-mail listserv for feedback and approval. The letter will include the points and statistics that were suggested by trustees at the meeting.
Amy took size requests for the 'Libraries Cannot Live on Love Alone' t-shirts, which libraries will be giving to their county legislators. T-shirts and a list of who is giving to which legislator were sent out in the delivery the last week of June.
Libraries handed in their completed 'My library is essential' posters to Amy so that she can create in Publisher and send out posters.
- Summary of the April 6th meeting:
Eight of twelve libraries were represented: BHM, BVF, CRO, CVL, LOW, MAR, PLY, WLY.
The group was unable to come to a consensus regarding a funding request. A motion was made to request a 5% increase over the 2010 funding amount ($25,000 total....was $62,000 in 2008). This would be an increase of $1,250 total. Six libraries voted in favor and two libraries voted against this motion. The two that were against felt that the request should not include ANY increase. Because the vote was six libraries in favor, two against, and four libraries were not represented, we felt that without knowing how the other libraries would vote, we did not have a 'majority' vote. Therefore, we have decided to have another meeting in early June and are hoping that EVERY LIBRARY will send a representative so that we can have an accurate vote.
Using the 'My library is essential' concept (borrowing from the NY statewide campaign), I handed out posters that I have created to use for the Lewis County campaign this year. I asked the libraries to fill in the 'template' version I handed out and get it back to me by our meeting in early June.
