Time for Seattle to step up to its library obligations

The Seattle Public Library has grown tremendously since 1998. Square footage has nearly doubled and usage has increased 83 percent. However, the city of Seattle has not followed through on a commitment to adequately fund its operations.

The collections budget fell 26 percent from 2001 through 2004. Collections are now budgeted at 2001 levels, which were inadequate then and remain inadequate today.

Many adult readers wait months to obtain recently published material. Parents have trouble getting their hands on popular children's literature. Materials that "speak" to teens are inadequate. The world languages collection is too limited.

The city and The Seattle Public Library Foundation have historically enjoyed a healthy partnership. The city funded basic operations, including collections, and the foundation funded programs that allowed The Seattle Public Library to achieve excellence in patron service.

That partnership is now at risk. The foundation, by necessity, has poured more than a million dollars annually into library collections over the past four years, in large part to deal with the collections shortage.

The purpose of the foundation is to provide financial support for services over and above what is paid for by traditional tax-base funding. It should not be expected to pay for the basics.

If the city met its obligations, the foundation could direct its money to programs and services that make a significant difference in people's lives. The money now spent by the foundation on basic collections could instead be used to further extend the library's support of underserved communities.

Today, the foundation's money provides homework help to more than 1,000 kids each month, college-prep services for youth with limited private resources, and dozens of programs that give immigrants English language skills and computer literacy and access.

The foundation can deliver more critical programming, but not until the city does its job of funding basic operations.

The Seattle Public Library is a front-line social-service agency, providing access to skills and resources that give people the means to improve their lives.

The city needs to take care of the basics, including collections. The foundation can then provide funds to ensure excellence in programming that draws people in and engages their hearts, minds and spirits.

By adding $2.5 million to The Seattle Public Library's collections budget for next year, the City Council can help restore a partnership that, until recently, worked so well to create a truly extraordinary public library system in Seattle.