Groups to speak about state library funding

The Montana Library Association and Trust for Montana Libraries are set to share information about their legislative agenda regarding library funding during a talk in Kalispell on Thursday, Sept. 29.

ImagineIF Libraries will host this event at its Kalispell location at 6:30 p.m.

Local leaders and the general public are encouraged to attend, and light refreshments will be available.

The session is intended to share details of critical library funding legislation that the groups have drafted ahead of the 2023 Montana Legislative Session.

Two bills are on their legislative agenda.

The first is a bill to continue funding for existing Montana law that provides 40 cents per capita in state aid to local libraries. This year’s appropriations bill requests an increase to 50 cents per capita for all public and tribal libraries across Montana. The total cost of this legislation is $542,112.50.

The second is a bill to fund collaborative library services, including the Montana Shared Catalog, the Statewide Courier Alliance, Montana Library2Go, Hot Spot Lending Programs, and expanded digital content. These projects are some of the most cost-effective programs for local libraries, and among the most popular among library users, the groups note. The total cost for this legislation is $4.85 million.

“These bills represent a tremendous opportunity for Montana libraries, and have the potential to utterly transform the way that they work,” says Bruce Newell, of the Trust for Montana Libraries. “We want to share this potential with Montanans, and demonstrate the value of their investment in Library infrastructure.”

The goal of the information-sharing sessions is to ensure that libraries and library users are informed about these legislative priorities and to answer any outstanding questions about statewide library funding, organizers say.

For detailed information about 2023 library legislation, visit https://bit.ly/FundingForMTLibraries

For more information about the Trust for Montana Libraries, visit https://www.mtlibrarytrust.org.