2013 Library Operating Budget Information
FAQs about the 2013 Operating Budget
How can I share my feedback about the 2013 Library Operating Budget?
London Public Library acknowledges the challenges facing Council in continuing to ensure the best possible services for Londoners in this difficult economic time. Council has begun the process of how it will achieve a budget that balances service delivery with cost containment and reduction measures.
We urge you to share your feedback with your local City Councillor.
If you wish to send a copy of your correspondence to the Library, please address it to the attention of:
Josh Morgan, Chair, London Public Library Board & Susanna Hubbard Krimmer, CEO and Chief Librarian,
By mail: London Public Library, 251 Dundas Street, London, ON N6A 6H9
By email: susanna.krimmer@lpl.london.on.ca
By phone: 519-661-5145
Background
At its meeting on August 9, 2012, the London Public Library Board expressed concern about the impact of reaching a 0% City of London operating budget target. They were clear that a 0% target would come at the cost of service cuts and would have a significant impact on the public and the organization.
The Board will submit its 2013 LPL Operating Budget request to the City incorporating the following three service reductions: Reduction of Library Hours of Service ($210,000); Reduction of the Collections Budget ($100,000); Elimination of Sunday Service ($40,000); and Personnel-Related Matters ($60,000). The Board feels that these actions are the only way to get to 0 but are not actions they would take in the absence of a 0% target.
Given its concerns around the impact of service reductions and the fact that the library has worked very hard to meet previous years' budgets, the Board will also send a letter to the Mayor and City Council stating that while the 2013 budget includes the three service reductions in order to meet a 0% target, the Library Board is not recommending these actions and is asking Council to consider sufficient funding for the Library to maintain these services.
Given the economic environment the Board felt that if only a portion of the required funding were to be made available by City Council that first priority be given to maintaining hours of service, followed by maintaining the Collections budget and lastly continuing Sunday service.
Frequently Asked Budget Questions
What is the London Public Library “Operating Budget”?
London Public Library has an annual operating budget that provides the funds required to operate the library on a daily basis. It funds our services to the community, all internal processes, and the infrastructure required to support services and processes.
Specifically, the money pays for wages and benefits, collections, technology, utilities, supplies, furniture and equipment, rent, etc.
What is the process for obtaining City funding?
Each year LPL makes a submission to the City of London to request an “appropriation”. The appropriation submission includes the base amount of the previous year’s funding and a business case requesting funding for any additional and/or new needs.
“Additional needs” could include inflation in the cost of goods and services, such as collections, utilities, insurance, wages, benefits, etc. “New needs” could include service growth initiatives such as new initiatives, expanded services or new branches.
How has the current economic environment affected the budget process?
As part of the multi-year forecast which was developed during the 2012 budget process, the Library projected that a 2.5% or $444,000 increase would be required in 2013, to fund inflationary impacts such as increased energy costs.
Where does Library operating funding come from?
In 2011, City of London funding accounted for $18,323,133 of London Public Library’s total revenue of $20,677,907. Other revenue comes from the Province of Ontario (an annual provincial grant provided to public libraries based on population size; funded by provincial taxes) as well as fines, fees, rental of meeting spaces and other grants.
How efficiently is London’s library service run?
Ontario municipalities measure this with a figure called “cost per use”.
London Public Library has been working for years to improve effectiveness and create efficiencies in both public service and support areas.
London’s cost per use is low and has continued to drop from 2008 to 2010. It is significantly lower than that of other municipalities in Ontario.
According to the Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Initiative (OMBI), London Public Library had an average cost per use of $1.19 in 2010.
Compare this to $2.16 for Waterloo, $1.73 for Hamilton and $1.71 for Toronto.
The 2011 OMBI report will be published this fall and we expect figures to be similar.
How much do Londoners use London Public Library?
Ontario municipalities measure and compare library use per capita.
According to OMBI, London had average of 39.6 annual uses per capita for 2010 and use has grown each year from 2007 to 2010.
Compare this to 17.4 for Waterloo, 28.2 for Hamilton and 35.6 for Toronto.
Londoners use their library more than ever. In 2011 there were:
- 3.2 million in-person visits to library branches to borrow materials, ask reference questions, use materials, attend programs or connect to the community. This represents a 10.5% increase since 2007.
- 4.5 million visits to our online services such as renewing borrowed materials on our website. This represents a 150% increase since 2007.
- 4.25 million items borrowed. This represents a 20% increase since 2007.
- 1.31 million reference questions asked. This represents a 17% increase since 2007.
- 192,000 people who attended library programs. This represents a 24% increase since 2007.
- 567,000 uses of library computers onsite at branches. This represents a 38% increase since 2007.
- 972,000 holds placed on materials that were out on loan or at another branch. This represents a 31% increase since 2007.
What happens next?
City of London 2013 Budget Timelines:
- Submission from the Library to the City of London – September 4, 2012
- Review with City of London Budget Reps and Senior Management – October -November, 2012
- Tabling of the general property tax supported budget at Council – December 2012
- Budget deliberations – January – February, 2013
