Melrose Override Not 'Just About The Schools': Letter

The following was submitted by the Friends of the Melrose Public Library:

To anyone in Melrose who thinks that the upcoming Proposition 2 ½ override vote is“just about the schools,” we say: think again.

All schools in Massachusetts must be funded at minimum levels mandated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Lacking additional revenue that would be generated by a Proposition 2 ½ override, the Melrose Public Schools will have to make deep cuts just to meet these minimum levels —and other city departments will have to make deep cuts as well. As the mayor has explained, “because such a large share of city funds is dedicated to the schools, there is no room left for cuts to any city department without impacting direct services to residents.” Failure to pass the override will force funding cuts that will negatively impact many of the city services we depend on, even take for granted.

The Melrose Public Library (MPL) is a case in point. Last year, 2% of the municipal budget was allocated to “culture and recreation,” which includes parks and recreation, Memorial Hall, and the MPL. The library received $1,018, 756.65, which pays for staffing, purchases of books and other patron materials, and practical necessities like bar code labels and paper clips. It also includes the MPL’s membership in the North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE), a consortium of 26 libraries that share a single circulation system. MPL patrons—you, me, anybody with a Melrose Public Library card—can request any circulating items from any other NOBLE library and the materials will be sent to the MPL for pickup. While the MPL itself houses 92,333 physical items, its membership in NOBLE vastly expands these offerings to nearly 3 million. Also, as members of a state certified library, MPL patrons can check out materials from any other library in Massachusetts.

The library’s budget is supplemented by direct donations to the library ($10,000 last year), funds from the Library Board of Trustees ($50,000 last year), and the $15,000- $20,000 raised each year by Friends of the Melrose Public Library, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that helps support and promote the MPL. The majority of Friends money goes into library programming; in fact, the Friends fund 75% of all library programming. In 2018, the Melrose Public Library ran 447 programs, which were attended by 13, 222 people, an increase of 45.3% programs and 23.5% people since 2015. MPL programming is extremely popular with people of all ages and backgrounds. Just as the City of Melrose is required to invest a state-mandated minimum in its schools, so too must the city meet a municipal appropriation requirement in order for the library to remain state certified. The library is also required to spend a specific minimum amount on patron materials—for example, printed, audio, and eBooks; DVDs and CDs; newspapers and magazines; reference databases, etc. If the City fails to do this, the Melrose Public Library risks losing its certification. The direct impact on MPL library card holders is that they would lose in-person and interlibrary loan borrowing privileges at all Massachusetts libraries, including all NOBLE libraries and those in neighboring cities such as Malden and Medford. Melrose also will lose the ability to apply for any state grants. Currently, only seven public libraries in Massachusetts are not certified.

To do as much as we are able to assist the library in retaining its certification, all money that the Friends raise would be used to purchase materials. Programs of every type, for every age group, would be substantially reduced or even eliminated. Similarly, Friends funding would be unavailable for purchases like comfortable reading chairs, teen room furniture, room air conditioners, and other items that make our library a more inviting place for all.

This is just how the library stands to be affected if the override fails. Now think about—or take a look at (https://www.cityofmelrose.org/home/news/city-departments- face-substantial-negative-impacts-without-override) –how budget cuts to other city services will affect you. Clearly, the override is not “just about the schools,” it’s about preserving and investing in services that benefit each and every person in our community.

Please join us in voting “yes” for the Proposition 2 ½ override on April 2.

Sincerely,

Friends of the Melrose Public Library Board Members:
Julie Bakey, Alaine Breen, Christina Gagliano, Linda Hedetniemi, Seth Holbrook, Susan
Hollister, Fred White