Budgeting for a School Library

Budgeting is a serious topic at this point and time given the current economy. It seems like we have to figure out how to "do more with less" in a variety of situations and budgeting for a school library is just one of those situations. According to Empowering Learners, librarians need to "create a budget that ensures the library is adequately funded to support the program guidelines." Developing a budget that can support the school's learning goals takes much planning, creativity, and being somewhat assertive. Prior to reading these chapters, articles, and blogs I really did not have an understanding of budgeting for a school library and had no idea how much was really involved in order to create an attainable budget.

Several of the articles indicted the best way to help get budget approval is to show how the budget has influenced the learning that is taking place and the progress that has been made as a result. In Doug Johnson's article, Budgeting for Mean, Lean Times Part 5, he suggests that it is more productive to create an effective program then seek the funds to make it happen. If the program shows how specific goals and/or needs can be met for the students and teachers then it may be more likely to receive the funds needed.

Similar to creating the physical space of a "learning commons," getting the student, teachers, staff, etc. involved will allow them to have a sense of ownership. If purpose and need can be created by and for the teachers, students, and staff and demonstrates benefit for the school as a whole then it is more likely to gain support from the administration. Johnson also recommends getting an advisory group together to work towards getting a budget approved. If more than one person is proposing and supporting a budget then it may be more apt to get approval. I originally thought the library budgeting would only involve the librarian, but after these reading I understand that is would be helpful to get others involved and develop a committee.

Budgeting can vary from one school district to another. Some districts get very little funding while others may be given regular funding. I have seen this vary even within a district, from one school to another. I am fortunate to work in a school that is very well funded and has a lot of support from the parents while there are other schools within the district, approximately 10 miles apart, which have very little support and funding and may be experiencing budget cuts. The librarians in these libraries are definitely having to learn how to "do more with less".

According to some of the responses in Karen Jerolamon's article, many districts handle budgeting very differently. The funding may be created based on a minimum budget, per student formula, percentage of the total school's funding, or given based on the principal's preference. Some districts may use a line-item budget where each item is placed on a separate line with a description and an account number. It is suggested that the librarian may need to check the state requirements in order to determine how the budgeting is set up in his or her district.

Although there can be various types of budgeting for school libraries, Woolls indicates that most states use line-item descriptions as discussed in the previous paragraph. This form of budgeting usually begins with the revenues and then includes any funding. The expenditures are listed next remembering to include a description for each line. I now recognize that it would be beneficial for the librarian to determine the most appropriate person in the district to go to if there are questions or if help is needed in preparing the budget especially if it is the first time you have done this. It may also be useful to collaborate with other librarians in the district especially if the libraries are similar. In my district we have a district library office that would be helpful as well as our school secretary. I have learned over the past few years that it is very important to be well acquainted with the school secretary. The secretary is one person who can be very helpful when a need arises.

Woolls also mentions that considerations need to be given to writing specifications, cost accountability, and writing proposals. It is important to be specific when ordering materials and equipment to make sure that they will meet the needs that are trying to be fulfilled. Cost accountability or assigning a dollar amount to a variety of things including services can be challenging and will need to be carefully calculated. When trying to validate the library needs it may be helpful to use these costs to influence the approval of the budget. Writing proposals to explain needs to expand library programs is another aspect when creating a budget for a school library.

Once the librarian has a sense for the budget expectations it is important to include certain aspects when writing a proposal for the school library. In Effective Library Budgeting, Johnson suggests making sure your budget can be easily understood and that the information is accurate. He also recommends that your budget be specific, goal driven, and assessable. I know that the principal in my building is very busy and would appreciate having a concise, easy to red, and to the point proposal. If she has to spend too much time and effort sifting through the proposal then it may be less likely to get approval.

Upon exploring the link found within the blog post from Effective Library Budgeting, https://dougjohnson.wikispaces.com/file/view/Budget+handout.pdf/226182120/Budget%20handout.pdf, Johnson's budgeting handouts state, "As much as I hate sounding like Newt and Rush, I have to say more money is not always the answer to better services to staff and students. A good budget requires planning, prioritizing, and accountability. When those things are done, better programming is the result - even without an increase in funds." After all, the librarian is not necessarily seeking more money for the money aspect but ultimately to create a program and learning environment that will be the most beneficial to the students, teachers, and staff.

When you understand the areas to include in the library budget and how to create the budget to best support the school's needs and goals it is then time to process the orders from the budget. Jacquie Henry says it is important to follow a few steps in order to make sure you use the budget to the fullest and that you do not lose any of the money. I now have a clearer picture of the importance of knowing the budget process, being aware of the deadline for submitting the budget, and that using book jobbers can be an efficient way to get orders filled. Again, there are many aspects to consider with budgeting and a large part of the process is determining what works most efficiently for the school and the librarian.

In conclusion, I have learned that creating a school library budget in much more involved than I realized. These articles, chapters, and blogs certainly gave me a lot to think about. Making sure the budget is specific, accurate, goal driven, and assessable will take much planning, prioritizing, and accountability. I know when I am responsible for creating my first library budget I will need to take a great deal of consideration into the aspects that were discussed and will try collaborating with fellow librarians and seeking help if needed from appropriate staff. Making sure, as stated in Empowering Learners, "The school library program has sufficient funding to support priorities and make steady progress to attain the program's mission, goals, and objectives."

Works Cited

American Association of School Librarians. Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs. Chicago: AASL, 2009. Print.

Henry, Jacquie. "Book Budgets – Hanging on to What Is Yours." Wanderings 20 Nov. 2009. Web. 27 May 2011. <http://wanderings.edublogs.org/2009/11/20/book-budgets-hanging-on-to-what-is-yours/>.

Jerolamon, Karen. "HITLibrary Budget as Line Item." Mailing list. LM_NET. Syracuse U., 17 May 2012. Web. 3 June 2012. < http://bit.ly/L0QFjm>.

Johnson, Doug. " Budgeting for Mean, Lean Times Part 5." The Blue Skunk Blog 20 Dec. 2009. Web. 27 May 2011. <http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2009/12/20/budgeting-for-mean-lean-times-part-5.html>.

---. "Effective Library Budgeting." The Blue Skunk Blog, 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 3 June 2012. < http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2012/1/23/effective-library-budgeting.html>.

Woolls, Blanche. The School Library Media Manager. 4th ed. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008. Print.