Public Library Budgets Remain Solid According to LJ Annual Survey

Staff -- Library Journal, 1/14/1998

Despite the challenges of balancing their sizable commitment to Internet access with their existing services, public library budgets are holding up well, according to Library Journal's 1998 Budget Report. Public Libraries are now spending an annual average ranging from $6500 to $350,000 just to implement net service, with maintenance running anywhere from $2500 to $300,000, depending on the size of the library. Other key economic indicators that portend a promising 1998 for PLs:

• total budgets are projected to increase by 4%, materials budgets and salary budgets by more than 7 percent.

• average per capita funding is projected to increase again in FY98 to $24.59 from $23.54 in FY97.

• In the last five years, PLs have almost tripled the amount of money garnered from fundraising, from an average of $53,308 to $137,476 in FY97.

• Average per capital circulation was also on the rise, from 7.97 in FY96 to 8.35 in FY97.