State requirement – Information from the report is used to determine state aid eligibility and the maintenance of standards to receive state aid.
PA Statute (24 PA C.S.)
- § 9333. State system of aid to libraries.
- (a) Establishment. --A system of State aid to assist in the support and maintenance of local libraries, county libraries, library systems, district library centers and Statewide library resource centers is established.
- (b) Aid available to any local library or library system. --Subject to the standards and eligibility requirements under this chapter, the following categories of aid are available to any local library or Library systems
- (1) Quality libraries aid under section 9334 (relating to quality libraries aid).
- (2) Incentive for excellence aid under section 9335 (relating to incentive for excellence aid).
- (3) Equal distribution grants under section 9336 (relating to equal distribution grants).
- (4) Equalization aid under section 9340 (relating to equalization aid).
PA Regulation (22 Pa Code)
- § 131.32. Proof of eligibility. To show that the library meets the requirements for eligibility in Article III of The Library Code (24 P.S. § § 4301—4304) [Subchapter C. State Aid To Libraries 24 PA C.S. §§9331 – 9344], supporting documents shall be submitted as follows (3) Statistical report. An annual State statistical report shall be submitted as required by the State Library
National tools – information from the report contributes to a national file of public library data that will be available to the library research community, state and federal policy makers, private grant officers, and other interested users.
Advocacy – information from the report can be used to support the need for more state funding, used by local libraries to show trends and usage to request increased support from municipalities, grant funders, and community organizations.
Local Decision Making – use the data and annotations within the report to make decisions about the services, programs, budgetary needs for the future as well as providing a picture of your library in a given year – a snapshot of what happed in the year to share with interested parties.
