BUSTI – Libraries play a vital role in education and in communities.

And for about the cost of a new book, two libraries would be able to keep pace with inflation.

This year the Hazeltine Library along with the Lakewood Memorial Library are asking for fund increases from the Southwestern Central School District to offset rising costs. Both libraries have not asked for a funding increase since 2018.

“Books run $30 to $35 on average,” said Hazeltine Public Library Director Katie Smith. “So, it’s a cost of a book or pretty close to it, depending on your assessment.”

Hazeltine is asking for $16,000 while Lakewood is asking for $36,000.

“It will basically allow us to keep pace with inflation,” Smith said. “Since our successful 2018 vote, we haven’t asked for an increase. We’ve managed, and the minimum wage has gone up. Utilities have gone up. All of those things go into running, essentially a business, even though we are a library, we’re still a business.”

Smith added that the library has been able to keep up, but now the library is seeking more funding as prices for materials increase.

When Hazeltine asked for $16,000, and Lakewood $36,000, Smith said, it based on statistics, the consumer price index, the rise in minimum wage, inflation,

With the proposed increase the Hazeltine total budget is $81,000 while the Lakewood Library is $175,000.

Information that can be found on websites of both libraries (lakewoodlibrary.org and hazeltinelibrary.org) states that according to Section 259 of education law, “the Board of Education of the Southwestern Central School District is authorized to levy and collect an annual tax, year after year, separate and apart from the annual school district budget, in the amount of $256,000, of which $175,000 shall be paid to the Lakewood Memorial Library for the support and maintenance of that library and $81,000 of which shall be paid to the Hazeltine Public Library for the support and maintenance of that library; with this appropriated amount to be the annual appropriation until thereafter modified by a future vote of the electors of the Southwestern Central School District.

Both websites say the proposed increase will be approximately 7 to 8 cents per $1,000 assessed value, depending on the location of your property. For a property in Busti assessed at $100,000, the annual increase would be $7.96. For a property in Ellicott assessed at $100,000, the annual increase would be $7.10. For a property in Harmony assessed at $100,000, the annual increase would be $7.52.”

Both websites include a library vote calculator where property owners can see what their estimated library tax would be in the towns of Busti, Ellicott, and Harmony.

The library funding vote will take place at the same time as the SWCS budget vote: May 21, from 7 to 9 a.m. and 2 to 8 p.m. in the Southwestern High School gym.

For more information contact Smith at director@hazeltinelibrary.org or Lakewood Director Shannon Taylor at director@lakewoodlibrary.org.