HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 152

(By Delegate Rowe)

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study the long-term needs for maintenance and construction of local public libraries and methods for providing adequate funding to meet those needs.

            Whereas, Local public libraries have played an important role in the achievements of our democracy since its inception and their role in sustained development of this country has been recognized by the Founders of this country, by the great statesmen and orators of the Nineteenth Century, by civil rights leaders, industrialists, journalists and technology innovators; and

            Whereas, Local public libraries serve not as a mere adjunct to our educational system, but as an integral and critical component of it, which is as significant as the construction and maintenance of public schools; and

            Whereas, Local public libraries are critical to the economic development of the communities in which they are located and have a proven correlation with higher property values, better schools, increased wages and higher levels of employment than in communities without local public libraries; and

            Whereas, More than seventy-seven percent of the public libraries in this country are located in small communities and rural areas; and

            Whereas, Local public libraries are often the only public depository of local history books and resources available to local historians, public officials, teachers, students and families; and

            Whereas, Despite technological advancement and the widespread availability of books, research and other information through digital media, libraries find sustained demand for their services, and, in the year 2013, the Pew Research Center found that Americans under the age of thirty visit libraries at the same rate as older Americans and are more likely to use the technical resources of libraries than their older counterparts; and

            Whereas, West Virginia can ill afford to neglect or ignore the sustained need for up-to-date, efficient, safe, comfortable and well-funded local public libraries throughout the state; therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

            That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to study the long-term needs, in consideration of the impact of local public libraries on their communities and their role in economic development, education and welfare of their communities, in regards to maintenance and construction of local public libraries and the methods for providing adequate funding to meet those needs; and, be it

            Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance establish a select committee on local public library improvement to conduct the study on this and such other relevant topics as the Joint Committee may deem appropriate; and, be it

            Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2016, on the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the select committee, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

            Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.