The Pennsylvania state budget, which by law should have been passed by July 1, has been at an impasse for 71 days.

That means many state payments are in “limbo,” and key services are being significantly impacted — among those are services many of us enjoy at our public libraries.

Pennsylvania's state funding for libraries comes through direct state aid (also called the state subsidy), with funds allocated for general operating budgets (quality aid), local funding incentives (incentive for excellence aid) and flat sums (equal distribution grants).

On Monday, Sept. 8, Cranberry Public Library officials approached Seven Fields Borough Council to ask for an increase in annual funding ahead of upcoming budget discussions this fall. This will likely be a recurring theme for public libraries throughout the region as they struggle to figure out how to maintain their services as our state legislators continue to fight among themselves.

Seven Fields has provided the library $5 per resident since 2012, for a total of $14,545 in 2024. Library board of trustees president Robyn Gross pointed out the funding has remained stagnant while costs have continually risen.

Nine institutions in the Butler County Federated Library System receive state funding through a tier-based system of aid. When the state government can’t meet its budget deadlines from year to year, those institutions are among those that have to figure out alternatives to keep their doors open.

The state budget doesn’t just determine how much will be spent, but it also is the document that authorizes any spending at all.

According to an Aug. 20 Spotlight PA article, state Secretary of the Budget Uri Monson estimated in letters to affected service providers that Pennsylvania would have to delay at least $2.5 billion in planned payments in August and early September. The majority of that money is earmarked for the Department of Education, but it doesn’t only impact schools — it also affects our libraries.

Spotlight PA found that roughly $14 million in library funding that has been delayed was specifically supposed to flow to Pennsylvania’s 29 library districts. Districts, in turn, pay for a lot of services that are used across networks of individual libraries. These include databases, which give people access to online books and other resources, and cataloging systems, which libraries use to track all their print and digital material.

Plainly speaking, libraries can’t operate very long without those funds unless they cut services.

Something needs to change.

Our legislators need to get back to the practice of passing state budgets on time — regardless of today’s political climate. This is part of their job, period. Municipalities and school districts have to meet budget deadlines or face repercussions. Why are our legislators allowed to drag out budget battles year after year, holding so many of our most treasured and needed services hostage?

Our libraries are a huge asset, a necessary resource in our communities. They’re not the only reason legislators need to think about what they’re doing to ordinary Pennsylvanians while they carry on these debates, but they should definitely be near the top of the list.

— KL