Make your voice heard. Fill out the online discussion guide by August 6!

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Suggested Talking Points

  • In its 2009-2010 budget, the Commonwealth cut the Public Library Subsidy by 20%, the State Library by 48% and state-wide services including Interlibrary Loan and Access PA by 73%. For Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the impact of the 2009-2010 budget cuts is a $1.2 million reduction in revenue for 2010.
  • Approximately 20% of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's annual operating funding comes from the Commonwealth.
  • It is imperative that libraries have stable funding in order to be able to provide essential community services.
  • Libraries are much more than books, they provide critical educational services, access to information, early learning programs for children, job assistance, business resources and access to computers and broadband service.
  • The Library provides free access to databases that in many cases would not be available to the public, providing as much as $12 million in value to the community in databases alone.
  • Libraries are important to the region's future. As a source of information and learning, libraries support the ideals of democracy, equality and justice. Libraries are essential to the quality of life of our residents.
  • While Andrew Carnegie provided the seed money to build the library, he did not endow its operations. He expected the community to provide financial support for its operations. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh relies on public sources for 90% of its annual operating revenue.
  • Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is the region's most visited asset with more than 2 million people visiting annually. That's more than 6,000 visitors each day.
  • Public library use in the United States is growing. In 2009, cardholders borrowed a record 3.5 million items from Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
  • The public funding required to sustain library services is not keeping pace with the rising costs of providing the services that today's Library users need.
  • Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will receive a portion of the local share of table gaming revenues beginning in late 2010. However, this is not a complete solution to the Library's funding needs. State funding, RAD funding and private fundraising are still needed to provide the revenues the Library needs in order to sustain its current services. All sources of funding are critically important.