Status of Public and Private School Library Media Centers in the United States: 1999-2000. Washington, DC: NCES, March 2004.http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2004313
Status of Public and Private School Library Media Centers in the United States: 1999-2000. Washington, DC: NCES, March 2004.
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2004313
This publication from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the U.S. Department of Education summarizes findings from the public and private School Library Media Center Questionnaires, a component of the 1999–2000 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). Topics addressed in this report are:
Fifty Years of Supporting Children’s Learning: A History of Public School Libraries and Federal Legislation from 1953-2000. Washington, DC: NCES, March 2005.
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2005/2005311.pdf
This publication illustrates the historical progression of federal funding support for school libraries. It may be useful for library advocacy and grant writing, and the data is provided for national, regional, and state levels.
Budgeting for Mean, Lean Times (PDF File)
http://www.doug-johnson.com/handouts/budget.pdf
This document includes detailed handouts from a presentation by Doug Johnson. In the presentation he discusses current funding realities facing schools, gives a short primer on school district finance, describes types of budgets, outlines the elements of effective budgets and suggest ways media professionals can increase their influence in the budgeting process. The handouts include a sample budget and budgeting strategies.
Market Data Retrieval. “Library Trends 2005.”
http://www.marketdataretrieval.com/pdfs/library_results_05.pdf
MDR surveyed school librarians from across the country in May 2005. This report summarizes their findings in the areas of budgets, influences on buying behavior, and spending trends, among others.
Dickinson, Gail. Empty Pockets and Full Plates: Effective Budget Administration for Library Media Specialists. Worthington, Ohio: Linworth Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-58683-056-2
This book includes a step-by-step guide for generating a budget plan that looks at the long term and produces a reliable stream of funds every year.
Farmer, Lesley S.J. When Your Library Budget Is Almost Zero. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1993. ISBN 0-87287-990-9.
This is a practical guide for small libraries operating with tight budgets. Although it is a few years old, the information is still useful.
Martin, Murray S. and Martin T. Wolf. Budgeting for Information Access. Chicago: American Library Association, 1998. ISBN 0-8389-0691-5
This is an authoritative guide to planning resource budgets. It aids readers in making financial decisions involved in access to electronic networks, online services, interlibrary loan, electronic delivery, and shared resources. All the factors in developing a resource budget for access are discussed, including resource sharing, document delivery, and purchase alternatives. It is available from the ALA Online Store.
Evaluation of Definitions and Analysis of Comparative Data for the School Library Statistics Program. Washington, DC: NCES, September 1998.
Although older, this document includes data definitions for use in grant writing and budgetary advocacy.
Articles:
Miller, Marilyn L., and Marilyn L. Shontz. "The SLJ Spending Survey." School Library Journal, October 2003: 52-59.
This article reports on the 2001-2002 biennial survey on spending, resources, and services. It includes data and tables about per pupil expenditures, collection size, technology, and library media specialists' years of experience and salaries.
Kinney, Brian. “The Price You Pay.” School Library Journal, March 2006, p. 13.
St. Lifer, Evan. “2005 Book Prices.” School Library Journal, March 2005, p. 11.
St. Lifer, Evan. "Average Book Prices 2004: Stop the Insanity." School Library Journal, March 2004: p. 11.
In recent years, the SLJ editor has used his column in the March issue to discuss average book prices. These are three recent articles. More detailed price information and other statistics can be found in The Bowker Annual Library and Book Trade Almanac. This annual publication might be a bit expensive to purchase every year; consider consulting it at a public or academic library.
Book Report, May/June 2002. Theme issue on budgets, “Spending Smart: How to Budget and Finance”.
For more information, see also Library Funding