Testimony of Patricia A. Tumulty, Executive Director, on the Success of the Public Library Construction Bond Act before the Senate Education Committee (February, 28, 2005)

On behalf of the library community, I can say that the Public Library Construction Bond legislation passed in 1999 has been an unqualified success. It provided state funding of $45 million for public library construction. Sixty-eight communities received funding to build a new library facility or to substantially renovate an existing facility. Many of these projects had been discussed locally for many years, if not decades. The state funding was the ultimate “tipping point” that made these projects a reality. Not since Andrew Carnegie provided funding for library construction in the beginning of the last century have so many communities invested in their public libraries at one time in our state. During this past year I have had the opportunity to attend many library dedication ceremonies celebrating the completion of local library buildings. The large crowds and enthusiastic reactions of the communities to the new library facilities were testimony to the tremendous success of this program.

Yet there is still so much more to be done. The initial $45 million allocated for this program is now exhausted. Currently, the NJ State Library has a list of over 80 communities who have indicated that they would apply for a second round of grant funding if it were to become available. There are over 400 public library facilities in New Jersey and most are in need of renovation and expansion. They were built before computers and technology became essential in libraries and many are still not ADA accessible.

Today’s public libraries are vibrant community centers providing a vast array of services for the entire community. These include: preschool storyhours that promote the joy of reading at the earliest ages; reference collections and assistance for students of all ages and the business community; cultural programming; literacy assistance including ESL tutors and technology training to bridge the digital divide. Last year, there were over 40 million visits from residents to our public libraries. Libraries are the heart of the community. It is essential to have modern, spacious, technologically equipped library facilities to provide these services. That is why a second round of grant funding for the Public Library Construction program is so desperately needed.

A bill has been introduced to accomplish this. S195 sponsored by Senators Bob Smith and Robert Littell is now in the Senate Education Committee. The New Jersey Library Association strongly urges this committee to take action on this legislation. We hope, however, to work with the sponsors to seek additional amendments to this legislation as it moves through the legislative process. We believe it is imperative that this legislation be expanded. There are several specific amendments which we support.

First: An urban library component. Even though the construction bond act has been a tremendous success most of our urban libraries including Elizabeth, Trenton, Jersey City, Irvington and Paterson could not apply for the first grant program because of the 3-1 local match. We believe it would be more appropriate for a 1-1 match in our urban areas. These communities often have large main library buildings as well as library branch facilities which must be renovated. The need in our urban areas for public library construction funding is most acute. We support the addition of a separate $45 million program for urban libraries at a 1:1 match because of the financial difficulties of our urban communities.

Second: State Library funding. In addition we hope the construction bond program would be expanded to provide funding for a new State Library. The New Jersey State Library should be the premier library in our state serving as a model for all other libraries. Instead, it is an aging 40 year old facility in poor condition with severe structural and water damage. It was not designed to handle the sophisticated research needs of the 21st century. We believe the renovation of the State Library must be a priority for state government. I invite the members of the committee to tour the facility to see its problems first hand.

Third: Technology funding. S195 provides for $5 million for public library technology funding. The last program to assist public libraries with the purchase of new technology was in 1997. Many libraries are in desperate need of additional funding for technology to keep pace with the demands of the public. We support raising the amount of technology funding to $20 million.

We believe that the incorporation of amendments to address the three areas stated above would be essential in strengthening this legislation.

The New Jersey Library community is extremely proud of the success of the Public Library Construction Bond Act and grateful to the Legislature for its passage. It has transformed library service in New Jersey. Yet there is still so much more to be done. There is demonstrated evidence that more communities are desperately seeking a second round of library construction funding. We look forward to working with you to accomplish this vital goal and are excited about the potential for increased library service that a second round of construction funding would bring to many communities in our state.