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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Unmet financial needs and rising costs for Brooklyn Public Library
0:13:27
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95 sec
Johnson details the significant unmet financial needs of Brooklyn Public Library, emphasizing that these are essential costs for maintaining reliable service across all communities.
- Outlines $12.4 million in unmet needs for Brooklyn Public Library
- Highlights rising costs for books and digital materials, with a 5% increase over the past five years
- Mentions increased healthcare premiums and costs from wage increases
- Notes the strain of operating new and expanded locations without additional funding
Linda Johnson
0:13:27
But we cannot keep doing more with less.
0:13:30
Brooklyn Public Library faces a $12,400,000 in unmet needs.
0:13:36
These are not wish list items.
0:13:39
They are unavoidable costs of providing reliable service in every community.
0:13:45
The cost of purchasing books and digital materials is rising.
0:13:50
We've seen a 5% increase in material costs over the past five years and our digital collection alone now requires an additional $400,000 annually just to keep pace with usage.
0:14:06
Our buying power has diminished and without the ability to increase our book budget, Brooklyn Public Library lags behind the national and state averages in our per capita spending on collections.
0:14:20
Healthcare premiums have also climbed and we face uncovered costs from negotiated wage increases and minimum wage changes.
0:14:31
These are essential investments in our staff and the very people who keep our doors opened and our communities supported.
0:14:41
And now we operate two new locations as well as several recently expanded branches, all of which offer in demand programs that require more staffing and resources.
0:14:54
These new sites expand our reach, but without additional funding they stretch our capacity even thinner.