The Mountaintop Public Library Proposed Budget for By: Erin Johnson Library Director

History of the Library The Mountaintop Public Library has come a long way since first opening in As Hemlock has prospered over the years, so has our library. What started as just one small building so many years ago is now a facility that is equipped with a computer lab and a children’s room and is even home to over 75,000 titles.

Current State of the Library As Hemlock continues to grow, more community members will come to the library for their information seeking needs. It is vital that Mountaintop Public Library has the necessary resources and is equipped with the most current materials and technology in order to meet these needs.

Most Critical Need Since 1995 the number of children being home schooled in our county has gone from 205 children to 1,200 children. Most home schoolers bring their children to the public library at least once a week in order to take advantage of the many resources. However, our current library inventory does not fully meet the needs of these students.

How Can Libraries Help Home Schoolers? According to Denise Masters in “Public Library Services for Home Schooling”, the library should provide the following services: A well rounded collection based on different religious views Up to date programs Video and audio reference materials Programs for children Science equipment for students to experiment with

Required Librarian Tasks The library staff at Mountaintop is eager to help this increasing group of patrons by taking on the following tasks: Referring to county curriculum  Ordering materials based on the curriculum Participating in a home schoolers/librarian committee  Voting on program ideas together Posting laws, regulations, and requirements about teaching children in the library

What Will This New Opportunity Cost? You will be provided with a breakdown of the proposed budget including the addition of resources needed for our home schooling population. The budget includes a 3% increase in staff salary as well as about a 5% increase for all needed materials, bills, and equipment. I will go into further detail about the new expenses needed for the home school program.

Items That Will Require More Expenses Our library prides itself on having over 75,000 titles and a computer lab in which library staff trains patrons. In order to align with the county curriculum, our library will need to spend a little over $200,000 on relevant library materials. It is important that there are several copies of books in order to prevent “wiping out” of a topic. Also, $34,225 will be spent on buying several new computers to accommodate more users and to purchase new computer programs.

New Necessary Expenses The following items have been added to this year’s budget in order to complete our transformation: A part-time worker that will not require benefits but will be available to assist during busy student hours Science equipment for experiments Video and audio reference materials on curriculum topics Advertising  Flyers and brochures will be sent to home schooling organizations about our efforts to facilitate learning

Why Should We Spend? Although extra expenses will be needed, improving our library is necessary to accommodate the growing needs of our patrons. Library staff and local volunteers are willing to implement programs, provide assistance, and facilitate the learning of students that are frequently visiting our library. The county also needs to do its part in contributing to the very important task of educating our youth.

“It is impossible to enter a large library without feeling an inward sensation of reverence, and without catching some sparks of noble emulation, from the mass of mind which is scattered around you.” -James Crossley