Pennsylvania State Budget Update and Call To Action
August 7, 2025

As you are likely aware, Pennsylvanians have been waiting for both bodies and the Governor to agree to the budget. You can support public libraries by contacting your your PA senators and representatives to emphasize to their leadership that the state budget getting done is important to our public libraries!

To contact them, use the links on the left side of this webpage to find them by name and district, or search by address at https://www.palegis.us/find-my-legislator.

What to say?

1. Libraries need the state budget to be finalized! It far is past the June 30 deadline; time to get it done.
    
2. Public libraries use the public library subsidy (a line item in the state budget) for important services to our community. Without a budget and language in the legislation to distribute funding, libraries can't move forward.
    
3. A payment to the 29 library districts was scheduled for August 2025, but can’t happen until the state budget is completed.
   • Most libraries in PA are non-profits and do not have a large reserve to cover late payments.
   • Libraries don’t have a way to recover expenses for taking loans – so instead, they are more likely to cancel services if they don’t have the money on time.
      
4. In Cumberland County, we are served by the Capital Area Library District out of Dauphin County. Cost-efficient purchasing of the Libby platform, databases like Weiss Financial Ratings and Universal Class, and interlibrary loan services could suffer or be eliminated.

How to say things:

1. This is YOUR elected official. You are sharing information and asking them to assist your library. Share the name of your local library or mention the Cumberland County Library System.
    
2. For the library’s financial needs, this is not a political issue but a critical process that needs to be completed.
    
3. Be professional and respectful and focus on a positive working relationship with both the staff and the elected official.
    
4. Phone calls to staff or elected officials are the best action, but if you need to email or use a web contact form, that is ok too.

Your support in contacting legislators to advocate for Pennsylvania’s public libraries is greatly appreciated!