Office of Commonwealth Libraries
Susan Banks, Deputy Secretary & State Librarian

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Library Funding for 2023-24

We are pleased to share with you that the long delay in the authorization of the budget language that enables us to distribute the Public Library Subsidy and associated spending on library services is over.

Below is a table that captures changes from 2022-23 budget to the new fiscal year 2023-24.  You’ll notice no change in the Public Library Subsidy, a small increase in the budget for the State Library and continued levels of funding for LAMP and Library Access.

Specifically, the Public Library Subsidy, $70,470,000 will be distributed as outlined in the language in the School Code. This includes retaining all the District Library Centers at the minimum $200,000 level as required in the Statute.

The Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) will initiate district library center aid payments as soon as possible and share a detailed distribution table with amounts each funded agency should expect. Please note the legislative language allows public library systems to use their local funding formulas to distribute state aid payments to member libraries. If you are a System member library, please consult with your System for your distribution.

Commonwealth payment processes take a few weeks, so districts can expect to receive payment around mid-January. All other categories of aid will be processed in January with payments expected on the usual timeline, from late January to early February.

Also, this year’s legislative language cites the 2002-2003 Public Library Subsidy funding level ($75,289,000) as the yardstick for waiving standards. Since this year’s funding falls below that threshold, OCL is granted the discretion to waive standards related to the qualifications for the receipt of state aid for local libraries, library systems, and district library centers.

Please join me in extending thanks to Governor Josh Shapiro and the General Assembly who showed their support for the essential work libraries do in concrete ways.  We thank our colleagues at the Pennsylvania Library Association, the advocates and lobby groups, and all the individual library leaders, trustees and staff who made the case for library support.

We thank Dr. Khalid Mumin, Secretary of Education who shared his support for libraries whole-heartedly with the Governor’s Office. Thanks the Governor’s Advisory Council on Library Development who guide us through the decisions that make things better for libraries in Pennsylvania, and thanks to everyone in the Office of Commonwealth Libraries who work together to provide a seamless fabric of support for excellent and equitable library services for every Pennsylvanian.

Onward to a brighter future for libraries across the Commonwealth!