Frequently Asked Questions

There are just a few ways Libraries may be publicly funded in Pennsylvania. Outside of voluntary funding by local municipalities from the general fund, a dedicated property tax, based on the assessed value of taxable property is the only other option. In the United States, nearly 90% of public Library funding comes from taxes. In Lancaster County, that number is currently much smaller.

The question being posed to voters is for .55 mills on the assessed value of taxable property. The average home value in Lancaster County is just under $400,000. This is the market value of the home. This same home has an assessed value of $179,000. The .55 mills would be applied to the assessed value only. For this average property, the dedicated Library tax, based on $179,000, would be $98.45 annually, or 55¢ for each $1,000 of assessed value.

As Library advocates reviewed the amount of funding required to provide public Library services across the county, the mill rate of .55 was agreed upon. This funding will provide stable, sufficient, secure funding for both county-wide services coordinated by the Library System of Lancaster County (LSLC) and local services provided by the independent, public Libraries of Lancaster County.  

LSLC supports local Library services by providing technology infrastructure, helps prepare items for lending, and purchases online reference and reading collections for all public Library card holders in Lancaster County. 

At the local level, independent public Libraries strive to meet the unique needs of their residents. This includes purchasing best-selling books in print, audio, and electronic formats, funding educational programming, providing opportunities for literacy development for all ages, and supporting entrepreneurial success in local communities and beyond. 

This amount is expected to provide stable, sufficient, and secure funding for the public Libraries in Lancaster County. If Libraries were to request insufficient funding, Library workers would remain trapped in the current position of insufficient funding and, instead of investing energy into excellent Libraries, they would remain caught in a cycle of fundraising that distracts from other vital work. 

Instead, by seeking sufficient funding, Libraries will be fueled with stable funding to help sustain collections, services, and hours over time. This mill rate will fuel all Libraries in Lancaster County with sufficient funds to provide excellent programs and services and meet the demand of the local community. Secure funding will empower Libraries to develop visionary budgets, take care of deferred maintenance issues, and prepare for generations to come.

People come to the Library for many different reasons. Some folks come to engage with their homeschool cohort while others come to print documents for insurance purposes. There are families who come to participate in 1,000 Books before Kindergarten and Story Times while others gather over a game or puzzle. There are also individuals and families who come to Libraries to fill their cooling or warming needs when the local shelters are closed. Public Library doors are open to serve everyone in the community with or without a Library card. Some Libraries have had to cut back on open hours and, if this funding measure does not pass, others will be forced to do the same.

The benefits of being a public Library cardholder are exponential to visiting without a card. People with a Library card can still check out books, audio books, and movies from the Library. Today, Libraries provide access to these items in electronic formats like eBooks and eAudio books. Documentaries can be streamed anywhere a cardholder has internet access and students can practice for their exams on their own device. Not only has the cost of print books escalated over the past years, so has the licensing costs for electronic resources. If Libraries do not receive stable, sufficient, secure funding, access to electronic resources and print materials will continue with long wait times. Some resources may be eliminated all together.

With referendum funding, the shared eBook and eAudio book collection will expand, making more titles available and shortening wait times for popular books. County-wide access to electronic magazines may be accessed in the same space where eBooks are found. Some resources that are currently only available in certain Libraries may be expanded with access for all.

At a local level, Libraries that have cut service hours, even days, may be able to restore service hours. Libraries may provide extended technology support for visitors, expand career building services, and provide access to specialized technology like soundproof audio/video conferencing spaces.

Studies show that communities with strong public Libraries have higher property values. Furthermore, high-quality public Libraries support high-quality K-12 educational programming in both public and private arenas. This support is extended by making life-long learning available and accessible to everyone in the community.

Here are two examples. Best selling books on Amazon are currently running around $19.95 or more per title. If a reader selected just one book per month this would add up to $239.40 (plus tax) over the course of the year. Investing about $100 through a dedicated Library tax provides much greater value, and nearly all the books one could possibly want.

Prefer to listen to your books? A basic audible subscription costs $8.99 per month for a single title that can be accessed only as long as the audible subscription is active. Over the course of a year, this subscription costs $107.88 and provides just 12 books for inspiration. With a Library card, a listener may download up to five books at a time, or 130 books over the course of the year. Audible’s highest lending plan provides access to a mere 24 books a year for $229.50 while a user may borrow up to 130 or more at no cost with their Library card.

Thousands of signatures will be needed to get the question on the ballot in November. People are needed to solicit valid signatures to ensure the question gets to the people of Lancaster County.

The VoteYes4Libraries team will be building traction to support acquisition of signatures and achieve a win at the General Election. From building talking points and a meaningful list of FAQs, the team will be actively spreading the word and providing support for advocates.

We need funding support to help make this possible. The team is developing a budget as we start raising support to move this project forward.