Budget reports to city council

Responsibility: Report regularly to the governing officials and the general public

Every year, library boards should present the library budget to the city council (or, for township libraries, the township commissioners). Iowa Library Services provides a number of documents for presenting the city budget. <http://tinyurl.com/bl465ck>
  • These examples encourage PowerPoint presentations to the city council. I recommend using the outline and script to guide the content of the presentation.

  • Outline for the Budget Presentation provides fill in the blank sentences about what to say. The outline covers topics such as mission, some use statistics, brief descriptions of staff and collection, where the library’s money comes from, expenditures, how this helps the community.
  • Sample Script for a PowerPoint Budget Presentation is another version of what to say.
Calef Memorial Library in Vermont <http://caleflibrary.wordpress.com/> had lots of improvements in 2012. Library Director Sarah Costa noticed one-page annual reports are seldom read. Therefore, Sarah announced these improvements through poetry.

Calef Memorial Library Annual Report

Oh what a year in library land!
More news than you could possibly stand
To read about in boring dry prose
So in poetry, that's how this all goes!

If you want a book (or a movie, at that)
Head to our website to see where it's at
All our stuff's listed there with the greatest of care
No more will lost books have us pulling our hair.

New passes are here for your family to take
A fun-filled trip at a really great rate:
Free visits to museums, farms, or state parks,
And so much more - oh, what a lark!

We have new databases for whatever you ask
So when Google isn't quite up to the task
Of teaching you French or fixing your truck
Take a look at our site, we'll get you unstuck!

E-books are expensive, we know that it's true
That's why the library has them for you:
To save you money while feeding your habit
So download like smart patrons from Calais to Cabot.

Stories are on Monday, Tuesday's AA,
Tech Help happens every Saturday,
Book clubs and all new special events -
The calendar's online, in case you forget.

If you have old cell phones, recycle them here
To earn us some money and give us a cheer
We'll take inkjet cartridges, recycle them right,
It's green fundraising - what a delight!

You gave us approval, we thank you - hooray!
This library WILL be accessible someday.
Grants may yet come -- they would be a boon --
So we're waiting to ask for bids until June.

Stop by the library to see that we've more
Than just books hiding within our door.
There's something for everyone, I promise it's true.
Come see what the library might have for you!