For Immediate Release
May 15, 2008
Contact:  Karen Scheffey
Legislative Assistant
 717-627-0036
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Local Library Funding is Focus of Legislative Breakfast

Senator Brubaker helps to bring together local officials

LANCASTER – State Senator Mike Brubaker (R-36) helped bring together Lancaster County elected officials with representatives of the Library System of Lancaster County and local libraries this morning for a legislative breakfast. 

In his opening comments, Brubaker spoke about the value of the Lancaster County libraries and the need to ensure they are adequately funded. 

"Our libraries must have appropriate state and local funding to invest into their systems," Brubaker said. "This is one of my priorities because libraries have a significant impact on our young people." 

Other Lancaster County legislators and their staff, as well as County Commissioner Craig Lehman, also spoke of their support for Lancaster County libraries and shared stories of their experiences with libraries throughout their lives. 

"I am 100 percent committed to supporting libraries throughout Lancaster County and the entire Commonwealth," Brubaker said, noting that he has written a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Gibson Armstrong (R-13) requesting a total increase of $3.7 million to the Public Library Subsidy in the 2008-2009 state budget. 

In his budget address, the Governor proposed a $1.5 million increase to the Public Library Subsidy. While Lancaster County libraries are certainly grateful for any increases in their state subsidy, Brubaker said the additional $2.2 million is necessary to reinstate part of the state funding formula, which has been out of use for six years. Restarting this formula in a limited number of categories would provide incentives to leverage additional local funding and to serve as an important transition step to running the full formula in future years to help libraries across the state meet their unique needs, he added. 

"I was very pleased to see so many of my colleagues and their staff at the legislative breakfast this morning to talk about this very important issue in Pennsylvania's budget," Brubaker said. "We will continue to work in Harrisburg, as well as in collaboration with our local communities, to help our libraries continue to provide their wonderful services to County residents."