Pittsburgh: Land of the Pessimistic Library

Some people look at a glass as half-full, and some people look at it as half-empty. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is the pessimist, while RADs auditors tend to look on the bright side. The difference? Millions of dollars. Where as the library was fearing a $1.46 Million dollar deficit for 2010, RAD found a surplus of $235,071. Likewise the 4-year projected deficit dropped from $4.39 million to just $300,074.

While I'm sure, the Carnegie Library is being realistic in its expectations after this down-market and years of cuts in library funding, I have some advice for them: Count your eggs until they're broken. And don't close any libraries because you're scared of the future.

Scrounging up an extra $100,000 per year in permanent funding is a lot easier and more likely than $1 Million per year. And while the $190,000 salary package of Ms Mistick, the library director may be "in the range" of other library directors, we should really re-consider whether a library director in Pittsburgh who's willing to close libraries in the poorer neighborhoods needs to be paid at "the high end of the range."

Cut Expenses Not Libraries

City Council has banded together with State Representatives to fill the immediate funding shortfall for the library and keep all our city libraries open.

Clearly, there still remains a problem of rampant spending amongst our libraries, so let's see Ravenstahl and company stick to their guns and perform an audit of their budget. Their total expenditures are over $23 Million. Nationally, average library funding per capita is $40.49 which should translate to an expected $12.8 Million in Pittsburgh. Why are we so far over average per capita spending? Let's see an audit which reigns in the spending while keeping libraries open.

My first suggestion?
Library Cards currently expire every 2 years. The next time you're at the library after your card expires you have to fill out paperwork which librarians then have to enter into the system. The Department of Motor Vehicles learned long ago that less frequent applications means less expense. Shouldn't my library card last as long as my driver's license (especially considering I used my driver's license as proof of my address)?

My second suggestion?
It's not pretty, but cut some of the staff. There were at least 3 staff working at the miniscule South Side library this past Saturday. When I was a high school student, I volunteered at the local library to shelve books. How about the libraries form a partnership with local high schools to get volunteers to take some of these tasks and learn the Dewey Decimal System? It's nice to have trained librarians milling about to answer questions, but mostly they just give me snarky looks while I check out books.

Any other frustrating ways you've seen the library waste money?

Match Day - Still Time To Donate

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Foundation for putting forth $300,000 in 50% matching funds for Pittsburgh-area non-profits yesterday. They helped raise $900,000 for non-profits like the Pittsburgh Zoo, the Pittsburgh City Theater, and the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. In an email to its fans, the City Theater alone announced that they received nearly $21,000. This onslaught of donations all happened in a frenzied 23 minutes.

On top of that money, the Pittsburgh Foundation also offered to match up to $100,000 in direct donations to the library. As of 6PM yesterday, they had only allocated $77,000 of that money (for a total donation to the library of at least $231,000.) In good news, the donation period isn't over yet. You have until 12PM EST today Thursday October 29 to donate to the library through Pittsburgh Gives.

Unfortunately, the technological backbone hasn't been so strong. Even though the online company was charging a fee of 4.75% per donation (or a whopping $62,000 in one day - about 3 times as much as was donated to the City Theater), they let down the charities and frustrated the folks who were trying to donate. Working with computers, I understand that there are unforeseen circumstances here, but when you are taking so much cream off the top, you better be well-prepared for an overload of visitors.

From the Pittsburgh Gives website, "Credit card donations do incur a 4.75% processing fee by the credit card processor, Network for Good. For example, a gift of $100 will net the charity $95.25."

"Network for Good" has some explaining to do. And they could start explaining by donating some of that fee to the libraries. They have until 12PM today.

5 Valuable Posts About Library Closings

It seems like every blogger worth his keyboard has something valuable to say about libraries.

1. PGH Comet - No books for you
2. Brian O'Neill (Post-Gazette) - A Great City, Failing at its Libraries
   
3. Pittsblog - Let the Libraries Close
   
4. Me (Pgh is a City) - Does RAD work here?
   
5. And the response: Carnegie Library Blog - Sustaining our Future
   

Of course, the commentary on these blogs is just as interesting as the posts themselves.
As J.K. RowledUP says:

"Isn’t a branch more important that a Marketing Department? And should’t a failed CEO work for 1$"

But just like the closing of South Side Hospital and the taxing of non-profit arts groups, public outcry can change the future. Let your voice be heard. Complain to your politicians. Stop this injustice.

Note: Yes, I know. Brian O'Neill isn't a blogger. It may even offend him to be in the same list as bloggers, but it's my blog, so I can put him in whatever list I want.

Does RAD Work Here?

If the city has any extra money, now is the time to spend it. The city of Pittsburgh only puts forth $40,000 per year for the libraries, relying instead of kind benefactors, RAD tax dollars, and the state. Yesterday, Mayor Ravenstahl was quick to point out that before the Regional Asset District (RAD) was created, the city put forth millions of dollars per year for the libraries. The problem here is that county and city residents contribute to RAD dollars, and the city can not control how RAD spends its money. The city can only control how it spends its money. We've given away our library system to RAD, and RAD is keeping it. Now, 4 libraries are closing in February.

From their web page: The mission of RAD is to support and finance regional assets in the areas of libraries, parks and recreation, cultural, sports and civic facilities and programs.

First in the mission statement, they list libraries, and the Carnegie libraries will receive $17.6 Million this year. Another $8.1 Million is devoted to the county libraries. The other big receiver from RAD dollars is the regional parks. The parks are budgeted to receive $24.3 Million. Their allocation has increased 19% over the last five years. The Carnegie library budget was flat over the last year.

Over the last 14 years (since RAD's inception), here's a brief run-down of spending totals:
Libraries: $331 Million
Parks: $287 Million
Stadiums: $220 Million

The Carnegie Library system has decided that communities like Beechview, Carrick, and Hazelwood are dispensable. These libraries, that have not been renovated like the lovely Oakland and Squirrel Hill libraries, do not draw people from outside their neighborhoods. South Side library was another library on the chopping block. This heavily-frequented (yet not renovated) library just celebrated its 100th birthday. It was spared the chopping block.

I'm asking myself this question: Is it more important to have more libraries serving the vast majority of city residents or better libraries that could drive Barnes and Noble out of business? We know what the Carnegie library system chose. Personally, I'd prefer consistent minor improvements to existing libraries rather than closing less popular libraries and building fancy new buildings. But it's too late for that. The city of Pittsburgh is too many steps removed from the actual funding and managing of its libraries, and the most disadvantaged residents will suffer for it.

Carnegie's Legacy

After Andrew Carnegie funded his first United States library in Braddock, he went on to fund 1,689 other libraries across the nation. While he may have favored the Pittsburgh region, Carnegie's generosity covered the globe from here to Fiji.

In addition to 19 libraries, Carnegie also built spectacular museums in Pittsburgh. However, he did not invest the money to sustain these great cultural institutions forever. He wanted the city to fund their day-to-day responsibilities. Today, RAD (that pesky extra 1% sales tax in Allegheny County) funds 70% of Carnegie library operations. The rest is funded by state and federal government alongside generous modern-day donors.

Maybe Carnegie's greatest legacy to Pittsburgh is not the buildings he left behind, but the responsibility to continue paying for those buildings and maintaining them. There are few Natural History museums, library systems, or arts institutions that can rival ours. In spite of population loss and economic downturn, our citizens have continued to pay for these places through sales tax and donations. None of us would dare let Mr Carnegie down.

Once again, the Carnegie libraries are facing financial issues. Do they close libraries, cancel or limit services, or find new ways of making money? Time will tell, but I'm pretty sure our community will manage to step up and lend a hand to those who depend on the library:

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will inspire in the citizens of our region respect and responsibility for life-long learning, citizenship, and civic participation.

Let's all do our part to help them follow through on their vision.

Yesterday, on a blazingly hot day in Pittsburgh, I visited the air-conditioned Carnegie Museum of Art. I ooh-ed and aah-ed at the artwork of Van Gogh, Teenie Harris, and Kara Walker. Thanks to Carnegie for starting this vision and thanks to Pittsburgh for continuing to follow through.