April 4, 2025
Dear Library Supporter,
With funding for libraries being in the news, many are asking about how Monterey County Free Libraries (MCFL) is funded, what may be under threat, and what to expect from library services.
Events are changing rapidly, and though our direct local funding from property taxes is not under direct threat due to Federal or State actions, and provides the bulk of what operates your libraries, changes at the State and Federal level can and will impact what we are able to offer at MCFL.
Your MCFL team is watching closely, along with the County of Monterey as a whole, and all comments about library services are welcome at any time. There are links at the bottom of the memo for more information.
Thank you for using your Monterey County Free Libraries!
Hillary Theyer, Library Director
Phone: 831-883-7566
Email: theyerha@countyofmonterey.gov
Local Funding – County of Monterey
The majority of operational funding for MCFL comes from a dedicated portion of property taxes. Funding for facilities repair or construction comes from a variety of funds, and MCFL has many projects in progress including construction of new libraries. MCFL is also supported by all other Departments and services of the County of Monterey.
The operational funding is part of the County’s budget, which is adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The first Budget Workshop was held in March, and the Budget Hearings are going to be in May. While MCFL’s operational budget will be very tight, the only service we have ended at this time is lending hot spots. We have adjusted other budgets to manage increased costs.
California Library Services Act (CLSA) Funding
We resource share with our surrounding communities, benefitting from funding via the California Library Services Act (CLSA). This allows residents of any of these areas to use the library that best meets their needs. Those partnerships enable MCFL residents to have multiple library cards, and bring other funding and services to MCFL such as Flipster for online magazines, group purchase discounts on software we use for Inter Library Loan, an inter-library delivery service, and training for library staff. CLSA funding is allocated by our State of California representatives through the budget, and distributed by an appointed California Library Services Board.
State of California Funding – California State Library
The State of California, via the California State Library, directly funds some services we use via State funded grants. This includes Adult Literacy, Lunch at the Library, Zip Books, Career Online High School, and the California State Parks Pass program. In addition, the California State Library manages the connection of all public libraries to CalREN, the high-speed fiber backbone of the State, greatly increasing our speed and capacity for connectivity.
California also funds online resources through the Compass project for students, and we are able to offer these online resources such as Teaching Books, Brittanica School, and ProQuest without using the operational budget. California also funds other resources and services we frequently use to support patrons, or refer for specialized needs. This includes California Public Law Libraries, as one example.
Federal Funding – Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
The majority of Federal funding that allows MCFL to offer services, resources, or programs, comes from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) via the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Grants to States program. This funding also flows through the California State Library. For MCFL, this includes support for the Adult Literacy Program, online resources such as the Palace ebook app and contents, portions of Summer Reading Program, and a robust online training portal free to public library staff.
Federal funding also operates services we can refer patrons to, such as the Braille and Talking Books Library, enabling MCFL patrons whose needs we cannot directly meet to have library service another way.
Federal Funding – Other Agencies and Programs
MCFL also relies on a Federal program under the Universal Service Fund (USF) called e-rate for substantial telecommunications discounts. This subsidizes connectivity for branch libraries (computers and wireless) of up to 80%. We rely upon other Federal and State agencies for training or resources in other areas such as digitization and preservation of historic materials, and disaster planning and resiliency. Some Library programs also indirectly rely on Federal resources. For example, the State funded Lunch at the Library program relies on the National School Lunch Program, operated by the US Department of Agriculture.
Local Philanthropy, Grants, and Donations
MCFL benefits from our support groups and organizations. These include the Foundation for Monterey County Free Libraries (FMCFL) and Friends of the Libraries groups at many branches. FMCFL funds online homework help, services for job seekers, and support for veterans. They also fund supplies for the Student Support Centers, and the bulk of Summer Reading Club and Winter Reading Club including the online portal, programs, printing, and prizes. The Friends of the Libraries groups fund different aspects of service and this can include additional books, programs, and branch facility needs such as furniture and signage. They are all independent non-profit organizations, donations to these organizations are tax deductible, and on behalf of MCFL we deeply appreciate their support.
Conclusion
All the resources that are funded outside of the core operational budget allow increased services, collections, and programs. They also offer support for operational programs to be implemented locally, and funding to launch new programs.
While MCFL’s core operations remain strong, some internal changes are already underway. You have already seen changes in printing and faxing services, for example. Online resources funded by the State Library are likely to be available through the summer, and not guaranteed after that. Summer Reading Program and Lunch at the Library are funded and planned for Summer 2025 and will be happening at a reduced level. We are examining each expenditure carefully, analyzing options, and planning for the future.
MCFL is awaiting a few more things to happen before we can solidly plan. The California State Budget’s “May Revise” will be announced, and that may reduce funding for State programs and services. The future of the Universal Service Fund and e-rate was heard by the Supreme Court in March, with a decision expected in June. The future of IMLS and funding to library services in California is uncertain. As always, disasters, emergencies, and economic changes can rapidly impact our budget along with changing service needs for communities.
Your MCFL team is contingency planning, and we remain ready to pivot and provide the best library service we can with the resources we have.
MCFL has been part of Monterey County’s story for over 100 years - from muleback deliveries to digital access for all. No matter what changes come, we remain committed to being a responsive, resilient, and essential part of every community we serve.
If you live, learn, work, or play in the County of Monterey, this is your public library!
Thank you all!
Hillary Theyer, Library Director
831-883-7566
theyerha@countyofmonterey.gov
Resources for More Information:
County of Monterey Budget Information
https://www.countyofmonterey.gov/government/departments-a-h/administrative-office/budget-analysis
While the budget for the next Fiscal Year is being built, you can open the Recommended Budget Book for FY 24-25, and hop to page 604 to read about the Library’s budget.
An Overview of how LSTA Funds are spent in California
https://www.library.ca.gov/services/to-libraries/lsta/funds/
Braille and Talking Book Library – MCFL can help people register
https://www.library.ca.gov/btbl/
California State Library Compass Project
https://www.library.ca.gov/services/to-public/k-12-online-content-project/
California State Library initiatives are all here, MCFL does not participate in all of them. There is a note at the end as to if it is LSTA funded, Stated funded, or both.
https://www.library.ca.gov/services/to-libraries/initiatives/
Universal Service Fund information
https://www.fcc.gov/general/universal-service-fund
Foundation for Monterey County Free Libraries
https://fmcfl.org/
