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Library funding still an issue
By Kelly Craig Staff Writer
About $500,000 in state funding needed for a 3,000-square-foot expansion of Rabun County Library remains in doubt.
Northeast Georgia library officials are facing a confusion between the state librarian and Sen. Nancy Schaefer, who lobbied on behalf of Rabun County during the past legislative session.
"We understood from Sen. Schaefer that our project was put in the budget," said Rabun County Librarian Jewel Eller.
Northeast Georgia Regional Library System Director Emerson Murphy agreed.
From the beginning of the legislative session until Murphy received the draft guidelines for the "Major Repair and Renovation Grant Program" from Georgia Public Library Service, he said he believed Rabun had a good possibility of getting state funding.
Now, Murphy said he was getting a different story from State Librarian Lamar Veatch.
"He tells me that there seems to be some confusion, and it's just not resolved between the governor's office, the legislature and Georgia Public Library Services as to how that money is going to be distributed," Murphy said.
Schaefer said though she had always felt the funding could be provided when she worked for it on the Senate floor, she never told anyone the money was secured.
"I never said 'here's a check' because I can only take it so far," she said.
Deputy State Librarian David Singleton said the $2 million appropriated for library construction in House Bill 85 outlined no specific projects or amounts for those projects. The grants are awarded based on priority.
Libraries damaged from natural disasters would be first to get appropriations in the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1.
"I can't really comment on the likelihood of whether they will be funded by the $2 million project," Singleton said about Rabun County.
Murphy said six county libraries in a state list of construction projects remained in limbo. Five others have secured funding.
"Sen. Schaefer has informed the Chair of the Regional Building Committee, Thad Bynum, that she will handle this, so the final resolution of the issue is really out of our hands," Singleton wrote in a letter to The Tribune. "We cannot comment on her efforts toward resolution until we know the results, and any comments I might make as to the disposition of the issue by Georgia Public Library Service would also simply be speculative."
Emerson said Rabun was at the bottom of the list of 11 libraries eligible for funding for next year's construction projects.
Murphy said he hoped to find out if the library would receive funding by July 1. He plans to submit an application for a fiscal year 2007 grant through the Board of Regents channels by the June 19 deadline in case the library does not receive funding in fiscal year 2006.
"We feel like this money was really appropriated to be for something specific, so we want to try for it," Murphy said.
Rabun librarian Eller keeps an optimistic outlook.
"We locally are confident because we have confidence in those who make decisions for us," she said.
Northeast Georgia library officials are facing a confusion between the state librarian and Sen. Nancy Schaefer, who lobbied on behalf of Rabun County during the past legislative session.
"We understood from Sen. Schaefer that our project was put in the budget," said Rabun County Librarian Jewel Eller.
Northeast Georgia Regional Library System Director Emerson Murphy agreed.
From the beginning of the legislative session until Murphy received the draft guidelines for the "Major Repair and Renovation Grant Program" from Georgia Public Library Service, he said he believed Rabun had a good possibility of getting state funding.
Now, Murphy said he was getting a different story from State Librarian Lamar Veatch.
"He tells me that there seems to be some confusion, and it's just not resolved between the governor's office, the legislature and Georgia Public Library Services as to how that money is going to be distributed," Murphy said.
Schaefer said though she had always felt the funding could be provided when she worked for it on the Senate floor, she never told anyone the money was secured.
"I never said 'here's a check' because I can only take it so far," she said.
Deputy State Librarian David Singleton said the $2 million appropriated for library construction in House Bill 85 outlined no specific projects or amounts for those projects. The grants are awarded based on priority.
Libraries damaged from natural disasters would be first to get appropriations in the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1.
"I can't really comment on the likelihood of whether they will be funded by the $2 million project," Singleton said about Rabun County.
Murphy said six county libraries in a state list of construction projects remained in limbo. Five others have secured funding.
"Sen. Schaefer has informed the Chair of the Regional Building Committee, Thad Bynum, that she will handle this, so the final resolution of the issue is really out of our hands," Singleton wrote in a letter to The Tribune. "We cannot comment on her efforts toward resolution until we know the results, and any comments I might make as to the disposition of the issue by Georgia Public Library Service would also simply be speculative."
Emerson said Rabun was at the bottom of the list of 11 libraries eligible for funding for next year's construction projects.
Murphy said he hoped to find out if the library would receive funding by July 1. He plans to submit an application for a fiscal year 2007 grant through the Board of Regents channels by the June 19 deadline in case the library does not receive funding in fiscal year 2006.
"We feel like this money was really appropriated to be for something specific, so we want to try for it," Murphy said.
Rabun librarian Eller keeps an optimistic outlook.
"We locally are confident because we have confidence in those who make decisions for us," she said.
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