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Melodic_Record9737 t1_j4xko1p wrote

Reply to comment by brickxbrickxbrick in If Governor Murphy is serious about equity in this state, he should push for improving public libraries. by Flashinglights0101

You're right, it's not a match--but the state doesn't give the per capita aid if the municipality doesn't support the library to a certain level and if the library doesn't meet certain criteria (number of librarians with MLS degrees, hours open, etc.). The millage (per million) was what we always called it. We didn't get it if the town didn't fund the library and keep the building open. In the places I worked this was not an issue, but some libraries in more conservative areas lost their state help.

State Aid
State Aid is provided by the New Jersey Legislature and administered by the New Jersey State Library. While the law allows for many different types of State aid to different types of libraries (see N.J.S.A. 18A:74-1 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 15:21-1.1 et seq.), Per Capita State Aid has been the only grant program funded by the legislature for many years.
Per Capita State Aid is calculated according to a formula that includes the annual amount of funding from the legislature, each municipality's/county's level of support to the library calculated as a ratio (current year local tax support to the library divided by the prior year's equalized valuation of the political entity or entities), the population of the library's legal service area and the library's compliance with the minimum standards established by regulation (N.J.A.C. 15:21-2.1 et seq.). There are five aid categories, ranging from $.50 to $1.50 per capita. Minimum standards are based on the size of the legal service population and include such categories as: appropriate number of state-certified librarians, collection size, annual collection growth rate, periodical subscriptions, number of open hours per week and staff training.

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brickxbrickxbrick t1_j4xll7r wrote

Exactly. The eligibility is key. Municipalities are required by law to fund libraries at millage, however, there is also the practice of chargebacks (and that’s how some municipalities end up funding at less). A lot of people have been working very hard at getting the state aid back to pre-Christie levels, but aside from a small increase of funds last year, it’s still much behind what it once was. I hope you found your time in NJ libraries worthwhile.

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Melodic_Record9737 t1_j4xmpz1 wrote

I miss working in a public library. I really feel like they can make such a difference, especially in areas where residents don't have the access to information most of the state takes for granted. And even in those towns, there were always those that needed help getting the information they needed (the elderly, disabled, teenagers).

I was working NJ libraries when Christie was governor and it was just brutal. Hours cut, layoffs, whole departments closed down. I remember the mayor saying he had to cut the library before he cut the police. I wish I'd taken the time then to explain then that keeping the library open would mean less work for the police ...

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brickxbrickxbrick t1_j4xn5ad wrote

So very true….the most democratic of organizations. Free access to all who need it. Those Christie funding cuts were brutal and changed the landscape of NJ libraries in some significant ways. Best of luck in whatever you’re pursuing and keep supporting libraries….champions are always needed.

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