The director of the Piedmont Regional Library thinks it’s time for local county governments to invest more heavily in their public libraries.
Speaking to the Commerce Kiwanis Club last week, Alan Harkness pointed out that nationwide, libraries receive government support at an average of $27 per capita. Georgia, however, spends an average of $18 per person.
But in the Piedmont District, comprising Jackson, Banks and Barrow counties, the support is a dismal $7 per person.
The good news is that Jackson County’s municipalities are chipping in $30 per person; the bad news is that Jackson County is paying only $2 per person.
“Two dollars a person. That’s the rate at which your county is supporting library services,” Harkness said. “If this bothers you, talk to your county commissioners.”
Georgia also ranks last in the nation in the number of books per person in its public libraries.
“Folks, we’re behind Arkansas,” he said. “We’re behind Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Georgia does not need to be last in that regard.”
Harkness argued that spending today in libraries will pay dividends later.
“There are states now that determine the number of beds they will need in their prisons by the reading readiness levels of second and third graders,” he said. “Where do you want to spend your money, on the front end to educate children or on the back end to incarcerate them?”
Harkness said he asked the Jackson County government for $1 per person — about $55,000 — in additional funding, an amount that translates to about $17,000 for the Commerce Public Library.
“It doesn’t look like we’re going to get it,” he admitted.
And while some people claim that libraries are of declining importance, Harkness pointed out that library usage is at record levels.
“Libraries aren’t dead, they’re changing,” he said.
Commerce Library Director Susan Harper confirmed Harkness’ analysis, noting that the local library had more than 65,000 patron visits in 2007 and that summer attendance averages more than 300 patrons per day.
The regional director praised the Commerce government for its support.
“You are supporting the library better than any city in our region,” he said. “I think that’s good.”
Apologizing for the “doom and gloom” of his report, Harkness said his intent was to inform the community “what the state of libraries currently is.”
“People love the idea of a library,” he concluded. “What they’re not wild about is funding their libraries.”
