Executive summary: state grants to public libraries, Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
State Grants to Public Libraries
Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
September 2002

Russell W. Hinton, State Auditor

Performance Audit Operations Division Department of Audits and Accounts

254 Washington St., SW Atlanta, GA 30334

Background
The purpose of the Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) is to enable public libraries to meet the informational, educational, recreational, and enrichment needs of the state's citizens and local communities. As part of its responsibilities, GPLS administers a program of state grants that are provided to 58 locally governed public library systems: 33 multi-county regional systems and 25 single-county systems. Grants are also provided to the state's 13 sub-regional libraries for the blind and physically handicapped; these grants were addressed in a performance audit released in June 2002. Brief descriptions of the state grants received by the public library systems are provided below.
Maintenance and Operations (M&O): Each library system receives $.56 per capita that may be used for general operating expenses.
Materials: Each library system receives $.60 per capita for purchasing books and materials. Regional systems receive an additional $3,600 plus $1,000 for every county in the system over two.
Professional Librarian Positions : Library systems receive grant funds for a minimum of one librarian position for each county served by the system. Systems also receive grant funds for one librarian position for every 50,000 persons (or portion thereof) they serve above 50,000, up to a maximum of five additional positions. Library systems serving fewer than 50,000 persons may receive funds for an additional librarian position by providing double the minimum amount of funding required to receive a grant. Grant funds are provided to pay a $75 per month supplement for library directors and a $50 per month supplement for assistant directors.
Travel: Library systems receive $750 per state-paid librarian position for travel expenses.
The public library grants (excluding the amount provided the 13 sub-regional libraries for the blind and physically handicapped) totaled $27.2 million in fiscal year 2002. The grants budgeted for fiscal year 2003 total $27.8 million. The total amount expended by public libraries each year (excluding capital outlay) is about $145 million.
Since 1996 the Georgia Public Library Service has moved from the Department of Education to the Department of Adult and Technical Education and then to the Board of Regents. It should also be noted that the position of State Librarian was vacant from 1995 through September 2001.
Recommendations
Action should be taken to clarify who is ultimately responsible and accountable for the quality of public library services in Georgia. Currently, the responsibility for the state's public library services is assigned to both the Board of Re-

gents and the boards of trustees of local library systems. The Board of Regents, through GPLS, currently provides about $28 million a year in public library grants but does not monitor the grants' impact on the quality of services provided. Similarly, the local boards of trustees do not have to meet any standards of performance as a condition of receiving the grants.
Action should be taken by GPLS to determine if the $28 million in grants that is currently provided to pubic libraries each year is effective in having public libraries that meet the needs of Georgia's citizens . Although the state has been providing grants to public libraries for more than 50 years ($100,000 in state aid was appropriated in 1945), information is not maintained for determining if the grant funds have resulted in public libraries that meet the needs of the state's citizens and local communities.
GPLS should evaluate the extent to which public library systems meet minimum standards of service. Although the Georgia Public Library Directors approved a list of library standards in February 2000, no action has been taken to evaluate libraries' compliance with the standards.
The Board of Regents, through GPLS, should annually determine the amount of state funds needed by the state's public libraries to provide a minimum level of service. Although state law requires the Board of Regents to annually determine ... the amount of funds needed for ... public libraries, formal assessments of libraries' funding needs are not conducted. The annual budget requests are generally based on incremental adjustments to the prior year's budget.
Action should be taken by GPLS to revise the amount of local funding that library systems are required to obtain as a condition of receiving state grant funds. Although library systems are subject to a local funding requirement, the amount of funds required is not based on any type of objective methodology.
Consideration should be given to revising the grant allocation procedures to provide additional assistance to rural counties that serve a large area but have a limited tax base. The current method of allocating grant funds among the library systems does not account for differences in area (size) or ability to pay (financial resources).
Consideration should be given to streamlining the grant allocation process by reducing the number of different grants provided each system and by revising the grant allocation procedures for personnel positions. Reducing the number of different grants that are provided the public library systems could streamline the process while providing the library systems increased flexibility.
The procedures used by GPLS for determining the amount of grant funds provided to each of the state's public libraries should be formally documented in Board of Regents' policy. Our review found that the current practices were developed prior to GPLS being transferred to the Board of Regents and are not included in any rules, regulations, or policies.
Although the Board of Regents did not agree with all of the recommendations presented in this report, the Board indicated in its written response that they felt that, overall, the audit represents sound advice and views shared by the Georgia Public Library Service.
For additional information or to request a copy of the Audit, contact Paul Bernard at 404-657-5220.
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