Greensburg Hempfield Area Library weighs funding options amid revenue uncertainty

Greensburg Hempfield Area Library is expecting a funding boost under the recently passed Pennsylvania budget, which includes an $11 million increase for public libraries across the state.

Although the amount has yet to be determined, it will be a welcome hike for the library at a time when it has lost a $53,000 annual rental fee from the state Department of Revenue and faces the prospect of losing another $15,000 if Southwest Greensburg Borough ends its 1-mill tax in support of the library.

“We’re operating on a bare-bones budget,” library Director Jamie K. Falo said. “Were going to have to really look at the budget in October. Our budget is so tight right now, we may look at reducing library hours while still meeting the number of hours we need to get money from the state.”

The revenue side of the library’s $785,000 budget includes $179,000 from state coffers and $138,000 generated through 1 mill of taxes levied in Greensburg and Southwest Greensburg specifically to support the library.

The taxes were approved by referendum votes in 2018. Now, officials in Southwest Greensburg have agreed to let voters there decide — again by referendum — if they want to repeal that tax.

Falo said library officials appreciate that the municipality’s funding priorities might have changed during the four years since the tax was enacted. She said the local tax revenue has helped with a variety of library needs — including purchase of books, staffing and utility bills.

“We are very aware of our budget and stay within it,” she said, adding revenue losses “just put more work on us to try to raise more money.

“We’re coming up with new ways to fundraise, and we’re looking into additional grants.”

The library joined forces with its counterpart in Delmont to land a grant for a program that will teach kids skills in robotics and digital literacy, she said.

A committee is scheduled to meet next week to review ideas for new fundraising activities.

As the covid-19 pandemic continues to produce new virus variants, Falo said, “Having outdoor things, I think, is helpful now. We’ve talked about having food trucks.”

“We’re trying to reach a broader audience now,” said Kimberly Tuscan, the library’s communications and marketing coordinator.

Two semiannual fundraising campaigns usually net a total of $35,000 or more for the library, while a fall libations event has brought in about $25,000 and a spring bingo event contributes about $15,000.

Book sales, featured quarterly, each typically ring up about $1,000 in proceeds, but the most recent sale exceeded expectations, raising $2,500.

Falo said the library has spent all the federal pandemic recovery funding it received, which helped to cover the costs related to protective equipment and technology while allowing the library to keep its eight full-time and eight part-time staff employed.

A $748,000 grant from the state Department of Education paid half the costs of a renovation project that is wrapping up at the library. The project has provided new lighting and a new circulation desk while improving accessibility. But, most of the changes occurred behind the scenes, upgrading mechanical systems in the 1911 building to meet current standards.

Another committee is considering options for use of the 3,100 square feet on the library’s second floor that was vacated in January after the state Department of Revenue shifted many of its employees to remote work and ended its lease for the physical tax office.

“We’re considering whether we’ll look into renting it out again or creating some kind of library space, possibly for workforce education and development,” Falo said.