Carnegie saves library by doubling its funding; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 12/23/16

Bob Podurgiel, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Carnegie saves library by doubling its funding:

[Kip Currier: One of the biggest misconceptions about public libraries founded by Andrew Carnegie seed money in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is that those libraries have permanent endowments to this day from those charitable beginnings. Most do not. And if they do, the amounts are modest or meager. The hard fiscal reality is that libraries like the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall in Carnegie, Pennsylvania (a suburb of Pittsburgh) struggle to provide ever-vital services with less money to do so. Through the leadership of Executive Director Maggie Forbes (a very inspiring guest speaker for my LIS 2700: Managing and Leading Libraries class a few years ago!), in collaboration with the Library Board and mobilized citizens/patrons, it's encouraging to see that this gem of a library and music hall has achieved unanimous buy-in for a strategic funding plan that will increase its chances of survival and the ability to continue with its mission:

"The Mission of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall is to serve as an outstanding library, theater and historic site that informs, entertains and engages its community and the region in lifelong learning."]

"As executive director of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall, Maggie Forbes faced some difficult decisions for 2017: drastically cut the library’s hours of operation to 20 hours a week, close entirely or become a branch of another library outside of Carnegie.

She appealed to Carnegie council for help, and council came through last week with a 7-0 vote to double funding from $35,000 a year to $70,000.

“We weren’t crying wolf. We would have closed,” Ms. Forbes said. “For the first time in 115 years, we have a stable source of income.”

“The new funding allows us to live within our means. The library had been borrowing $30,000 a year to remain open, a course that was unsustainable,” she said, adding that she is also excited about the possibility of extending hours and creating more children’s programming.

The need for programs geared to children is greater now since the Carlynton School District, which serves Carnegie, recently closed its school library, she said.

“It was a team effort,” she said of the push to obtain funding for the library. “The library board of trustees, and the residents turned out to support the library."