Status Report on Wisconsin's Public Libraries (Part 2A: Where Does the Money Come From?)

For the purposes of this post, I'll make two observations about Table 1:

• Community population appears to have a direct correlation to the percentage of revenue received from local sources, i.e., from municipalities and counties in the case of the Institute of Museums and Libraries (IMLS) recordkeeping.  Generally speaking, the smaller the community, the lower the percentage of local revenue.
• Conversely, community population -- under 100,000 in this case -- appears to have a direct correlation to the percentage of revenue received from other sources, such as gifts, donations, interest income, fines, fees, and grants.  Generally speaking, the smaller the community, the higher the percentage of other revenue.

TABLE 1  (State revenue includes direct payments to public libraries only.)

IMLS note: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Using the most recent (2010) data, how do Wisconsin public libraries compare to the national averages?

TABLE 2  (State revenue includes direct payments to public libraries only.)

Source: Wisconsin Public Library Service Data 2010.

Observations:

• Wisconsin shows a similar correlation with the IMLS numbers in the "municipal appropriation" column but not with the "county appropriation".  And the county appropriation isn't enough to make up the difference for libraries located in communities of less than 5,000 population.
• Wisconsin's "all other income" column shows a similar trend line with the IMLS table.

Bar graph 1:  Wisconsin public library revenue by source (2010):  municipal, county, all other

Pie Graph 1:  Wisconsin Public Library Revenue by Source

Pie Graph 2:  

Perhaps the most instructive visual is Bar Graph 2, which show a noticeable difference in per capita support above and below the 5,000 population level.

Bar Graph 2:  Public Library Per Capita Support

I haven't done enough research to do a deep-dive analysis of the data I've presented.  At this point, though, I will conclude with a quote from the introduction to "Rural U.S. libraries: serving populations and meeting challenges" by Greg S. Borman.

Rural libraries in the United States must contend with a number of obstacles while attempting to provide relevant services to the populations that they serve. One significant challenge involves recruiting degreed librarians who wish to work in remote areas. Also, taking on projects that might help to better serve those who live in rural areas can be onerous. These libraries often use their limited resources so that they can continue to operate at a very basic level, leaving little room for developing appropriate and effective services for various population groups. While current economic conditions have exacerbated the difficulties that many libraries across the U.S. face, rural libraries have struggled with major personnel and financial challenges for some time.  [My emphasis]

Not that this quote should take away anything from the challenges that all public libraries face today.

Next time -- or one of these next times -- I want to look a little more at "all other income", particularly as it relates to the developing concept of "sustainable funding" for public libraries.

Related posts:
Status Report on Wisconsin's Public Libraries (Part 2: Where Does the Money Come From?)  {11/22/2011)

Status report on Wisconsin's public libraries, part 1.  (11/19/2011)
Wisconsin public library staff, 1990-2010.  (10/5/2011)

Wisconsin public library programs and attendance, 1991-2010.  (10/6/2011)

Status Report on Wisconsin's Public Libraries (Part 2: Where Does the Money Come From?)

Pie Graph 1

Pie graph 1 is based on statistics found in table 18 (Total operating revenue of public libraries and percentage distribution of revenue, by source of revenue and state) in Public Library Survey Fiscal Year 2009, published online by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

A few things to be aware of:

• Unfortunately, IMLS does not differentiate between "local" and "county" funding.  It's all lumped together as "local".
• IMLS does not include all state funding, only those dollars that go directly to public libraries.  In Wisconsin, for example, this includes system resource library payments and grants to libraries for summer library program performers.
• IMLS defines "other" to include gifts, donations, interest income, fines, fees, and grants.
• 2009 is the most recent year for which national library statistics are available.

Here' the latest version of the state pie, based on statistics from the 2010 Wisconsin Public Library Service Data.

Pie Graph 2

Even with the difference in how state funding is reported, the percentages are very close.  84.2 % "local" funding at the national level; a combined 82% municipal and county funding in Wisconsin.   Wisconsin is slightly below the average for state funding.

The next 2 pie graphs show the shifting percentages that have taken place since 1990.

Pie Graph 3 

In 10 years, the share of county appropriations increased from 20% to 23.%, while the municipal shared decreased to 59% from 60%.  The share of state funding decreased to 7% from 10%.  (Raise your hand if this outcome surprises you.)

Pie Graph 4

Over a 20-year period, we have seen counties' share of library funding increase from 17.5% in 1990 to 23% in 2010.  And not without a couple of legislative boost to insure that libraries receive more equitable payments for providing services to nonresidents.  (The inequity is illustrated in the following table and graph.)

Wisconsin Public Libraries

Resident Per Capita Support, 1990-2010

Source:  Wisconsin Public Library Service Data

In 1998, Act 150 required that counties pay each public library in the county at least 70 percent of the cost of library services provided to residents of the county that do not maintain a public library.  (Add Milwaukee County exemption here.)

In 2006, Act 420 extended to adjacent counties the requirement that counties reimburse public libraries for the cost of serving county residents who live in areas of the county without public library service.  (Add Milwaukee County exemption here.)


What follows are 4 graphs and tables that summarize public library revenue for the years 1990 to 2010.

Wisconsin Public Library Revenue by Source*, 1990-2010 (Dollars by Category)

Source:  Wisconsin Public Library Service Data

                                     

*Not included:  Federal revenue and contract income, which generally represent about 1.0-1.5% of total revenues.

Wisconsin Public Library Revenue by Source, 1990-2010 (Percentages by Category)

Source:  Wisconsin Public Library Service Data

Related posts:

Status report on Wisconsin's public libraries, part 1.  (11/19/2011)
Wisconsin public library staff, 1990-2010.  (10/5/2011)

Wisconsin public library programs and attendance, 1991-2010.  (10/6/2011)