State Aid to Virginia Public Libraries
State Aid to public libraries in Virginia began with an appropriation by the General Assembly of $50,000 in FY1942-43.
State Aid is a formula based grant that encourages the formation of library systems at the regional, county, and city level.
FY 2010 State Aid to Localities Quarterly Payments Adjusted for Governor's Budget Plan Reduction
June 22, 2009 - Final FY2010 State Aid to Localities (Excel Spreadsheet) or (PDF )
2010 State Aid Forms
FY2010 State Aid Application (Interactive PDF Format)
Budget for the Expenditure of State Aid FY2010-2010 (Word Format, Interactive PDF Format)
Instructions for the Expenditure of Grants In Aid (PDF Format)
Certification of FY2008 Certified Financial Statement (Word Format, Interactive PDF Format)
Certified Statement of Budgeted Local Operating Income and Expenditures for Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2010 (Word Format, Interactive PDF Format)
Contract Between Virginia State Library Board and Board of Trustees and Library Accepting Supervisory Service (Word Format, Interactive PDF Format)
Application for State Aid Fellowship (Word Format, Interactive PDF Format)
2009 State Aid Forms
Final FY 2009 State Aid to Localities (pdf)
FY2009 State Aid Application (Interactive PDF Format)
Budget for the Expenditure of State Aid FY2008-2009 (Word Format, Interactive PDF Format)
Instructions for the Expenditure of Grants In Aid (PDF Format)
Certification of FY2008 Certified Financial Statement (Word Format, Interactive PDF Format)
Certified Statement of Budgeted Local Operating Income and Expenditures for Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2009 (Word Format, Interactive PDF Format)
Contract Between Virginia State Library Board and Board of Trustees and Library Accepting Supervisory Service (Word Format, Interactive PDF Format)
Application for State Aid Fellowship (Word Format, Interactive PDF Format)
Full Funding
Full funding occurs when the General Assembly allocates sufficient funds to permit each system to claim all monies due from the combination of local effort (40% or cap of $250,000), per capita, and square miles served.
This spreadsheet shows the effect on the loss of full funding to Virginia public libraries over the past 8 years. Please note: This spreadsheet has not been throughly proofed.
Lack of Full Funding 2000-2007 Summary (pdf)
Proration of State Aid
Code of Virginia 42.1 - 50 requires the Library of Virginia to prorate the state aid grants any time the General Assembly fails to provide sufficient funds. Massive lobbying efforts by the Virginia Library Association, Library Boards, local government officials and other supporters have been necessary to achieve full funding.
Uses of State Aid
Approximately seventy-six percent of State Aid is used for books and library materials. For many systems, State Aid is the only funding source for materials. Nine percent is used for salaries for professional librarians. The remaining 12% is used for equipment (including computers), furniture, automation systems, etc.
Application Process
To be eligible for a state aid grant, a library must:
- Comply with the Requirements of The Library Board (last amended in 1991). The major change affected requirement #3 - the "50% of the median local operating expenditure per capita" replaced a requirement of expenditures of at least $2.00 per capita.
- Apply for the grant by June 1 of each year
Program Administration
Code of Virginia §42.1-1: The Library of Virginia is hereby declared an educational institution of learning. The Library of Virginia shall be the library agency of the Commonwealth, the archival agency of the Commonwealth, and the reference at the seat of government. It shall have the following powers and duties:
- Code of Virginia § 42.1-1 (6): To give direction, assistance and counsel to all libraries in the Commonwealth, to all communities which may propose to establish libraries, and to all persons interested in public libraries, as to means of establishment and administration of such libraries, selection of books, retrieval systems, cataloguing, maintenance, and other details of library management, and to conduct such inspections as are necessary;
- Code of Virginia § 42.1 - 1 (7): To engage in such activities in aid of city, county, town, regional and other public libraries as will serve to develop the library system of the Commonwealth;
- Code of Virginia § 42.1 - 1 (8): To administer and distribute state and federal library funds in accordance with the law and its own regulations to the city, county, town and regional libraries of the Commonwealth.
State Aid Formula
Code of Virginia § 41.1 - 48 contains the formula.
Local effort: 40% of every [local] dollar expended by the political subdivision(s) in the system. The grant to any county or city shall not exceed $250,000.
Plus
Per capita: Based on population of area served and number of participating municipalities
- 30 cents for the first 600,000 persons served (county or city library) plus 10 cents per capita for each additional jurisdiction (regional)
- Libraries serving in excess of 600,000 receive 10 cents per capita for remaining population
Plus
Square mileage: $10 per square mile for single jurisdiction (county or city) libraries plus an additional $20 per square mile for libraries serving more than one political jurisdiction (regionals).