AGENDA #5

February 27, 2004

Chapel Hill Public Library

Initial Budget Presentation to the Mayor and Town Council

2004-2005

I. Mission Statement   To provide

· Current recreational reading, listening and viewing materials and information about contemporary culture and trends.

· General information through answering reference questions and provision of specialized subscription reference services.

· Information and programs to support life-long learning.

· Instruction in finding, evaluating and using electronic information resources.

II. Brief Services Description

General Materials Collection

· Books:  adult, juvenile and large print materials

· Audiovisuals:  audio-tapes; compact discs

· Magazines and newspapers: local and national

· Web access to the library catalog to: reserve and renew materials; check material availability; view your own patron record

Reference Services

· Trained reference staff

· Up-to-date reference collection

· Expanded public computer lab with 22 Internet stations and networked printers (April 2004)

· Improved remote on-line access to NC Live (+$3 million of on-line database subscriptions: encyclopedias, directories, almanacs, worldwide library catalogs, full text of some magazine and newspaper articles)

· On-line subscriptions to the News and Observer and Heritage Quest

Children’s Programs

· Story Time (ages 3-5)

· Baby Time (6-18 months)

· Toddler Time (18-36 months)

· Summer Reading Program (ages 2-15)

· Summer Battle of the Books program (ages 7-13)

· Elementary School aged programs (ages 6-11)

· Teen Breakfast Club (ages 12 and up)

· Dial-A-Story (all ages)

· Pajama Story Time (families)

· Special performances:  5-10 per year

III. Departmental Revenue Estimates

REVENUE SOURCE	Actual 2002-2003 Revenues	2003-2004 Budgeted Revenues	Estimated 2003-2004 Revenues	Proposed Revenues For 2004-2005
State Library Aid	34,284	30,000	38,000	38,000
Orange County Library Support	249,747	250,000	250,000	250,000
Library Fines and Fees	131,742	130,000	132,000	132,000
Sales: Library Xerox Revenue	10,730	10,000	9,000	8,000
Contribution from Library Gift Fund	95,000	45,000	45,000	45,000
TOTAL	521,503	465,000	474,000	473,000

Key Budget Issues

· State Aid:  If a public library is unable to maintain local support from one year to the next, some or all of its library state aid is forfeited for three years (Maintenance of Effort).  The forfeited state aid is then distributed to complying libraries.  The increase above includes our estimate of Chapel Hill’s portion of forfeited state aid for 2003-04 and 2004-05.

· Xerox Revenue:  The decrease reflects out-of service time for four public copiers that are ten years old.  We are investigating alternatives for providing this service (replacement/ leasing/outsourcing). 

· Gift Fund Contribution:  Transfers of gift funds ($45,000) are made annually to the Library’s operating budget to purchase collection materials. Due to extraordinary circumstances creased by a loss of state funds to the Town in 2002-03, the Council authorized an additional $50,000 from gift funds to pay for general library operations that year. 

IV. Departmental Base Budget Cost Estimates

CATEGORY	2003-2004 Original Budget	Requested 2004-2005 Budget
Personnel	1,412,134	1,424,541
Operations	547,356	560,632
Capital Equipment	0	0
TOTAL	1,959,490	1,985,173

Key Budget Issues

· Personnel line items reflect costs for approved staff, at authorized hours and rates.  

· Operations includes new technology costs for improvements effected this year:   computer lab management software ($2,400), automation system maintenance ($1,724) and Internet filters ($1,000). 

· Operations includes a 2.9% increase for collection materials to maintain the current level of service.

V. Programs Going Well

· Library per capita circulation is three times the state average (14 vs. 4.4).

· Children’s circulation is up 6%; children’s programs are in demand and well attended. 

· Since July 2003, the Library home page has been visited over 47,000 times, providing remote access to the library catalog, on-line data bases, the Kids Portal and program information.

· The new automated Millennium system now provides patrons with links to the Internet and an improved children’s catalog. 

· The expanded public computer lab is expected to be installed by April.

·  Unique Management Services has a 66% recovery (+$11,500) of long overdue materials. 

VI. Programs That Could Be Improved.

· Additional reference staff hours are needed to support the expanded computer lab and to substitute for reference staff on leave.

· Additional staff hours are needed for in-house support for new technology improvements (Millennium automation system; computer lab).   Currently, all on-site technology software support is provided by the Assistant Director who also is also responsible for daily operations of the Library’s Public Services division.

· Additional children’s programs could be offered during the year to meet demand.  On average, 10-15 children per month are turned away from capacity-filled programs. 

VII. Proposed Additions or Reductions

· Provide 3 hours per week of temporary Librarian I time to substitute for reference staff on leave and to support the expanded computer lab ($3,080).