Database Funding, K-12 schools FAQ
(December 1, 2004)

1. What databases will we have next year (July 2005 – June 2006)?

A. This year (July 2004 – June 2005) we were able to retain 48 TexShare databases. (For a list go to http://www.texshare.edu/programs/academicdb/databasecontractlist.html.

Next year’s databases (July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006) will be paid for with money already appropriated to us. Although we will have to cut some databases, we will still have a good slate of databases next year.

Because we are working with a reduced budget, the Electronic Information Working Group is discussing priority content for retention. They are using membership surveys, database title lists, database usage statistics, vendor reliability, and best value to help them determine priorities for retention. Please contact any member of the working group with your comments on the database selections (http://www.texshare.edu/programs/electronic/electronic2003.html).

Our initial negotiations with vendors have indicated that they will work with us to contain costs and maximize the content we retain. We will retain a solid package of database content in the subscription package that runs from July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006.

2. Why are we losing databases?

A. When we signed contracts to begin July 1, 2003, we still had money left from the TIF grant. Because we anticipated loss of funding in the next biennium, we used part of the TIF grant money to negotiate a 2-year contract with one of our major vendors at special pricing. This allowed us to stretch our funding. As we negotiate for subscriptions that will begin July 1, 2005, we are no longer able to benefit from that 2-year subscription. This means that additional databases must be dropped in order to keep the database service within its budget.

3. Will we have more pledge drives to support the databases?

A. We used the pledge drive process to retain two valuable products, Heritage Quest (genealogy database) and Stat!Ref (medical database).

Soon we will ask libraries and genealogical societies to renew their pledges for Heritage Quest, and we will offer non-pledging libraries another opportunity to pledge funding for this resource.

Unfortunately, pledged amounts for Stat!Ref only covered 60% of the cost of that resource. Last year, we were able to supplement the pledged amounts with TexShare funds. This year, there are not enough TexShare funds to put toward a subscription to Stat!Ref. It is unlikely that a new pledge drive would generate enough money to pay the entire cost of Stat!Ref. However, we will negotiate for discounted (TexSelect) pricing for libraries that want to subscribe to this resource themselves.

Aside from Heritage Quest, we do not anticipate any other pledge drives at this time.

4. What kind of TexShare funding can we expect next biennium?

A. TexShare database funding currently comes from a variety of sources – federal LSTA grant funding, membership fees, and state funding. We anticipate stable funding through the next biennium from federal LSTA grant funding and from membership fees. As part of the state budgeting process, we have asked the state legislature to increase its appropriation for TexShare.

Each biennium Texas state agencies request funding through a legislative appropriations request process (LAR). I have highlighted parts of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) budget request for the database program:

4A. TSLAC Exceptional Item requests

In addition to the request for a base budget, state agencies were allowed to ask the legislature to fund “exceptional items” that would require funding above the amount in their base budgets. TSLAC has two exceptional item requests that would address TexShare needs:

• Restoration of the 5% cut, to bring TexShare funding back up to the level of funding we had in FY04 and FY05
• An additional $6.5 million general revenue in FY06 and $7.5 million general revenue in FY07 for the TexShare Library Consortium.

5. Additional budget-related questions you may have

• What is general revenue dedicated from TIF? Didn’t TIF go away?
  Although the TIF (Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund) Board no longer exists, the state is still collecting TIF money, and there is still a pool of money in the state treasury from the TIF assessment. Right now, the TIF assessment is scheduled to end in August 2005. The Texas Library Association reports some legislative interest in continuation of the assessment.
• Why are you still asking for funding from TIF rather from general revenue?
  A state agency is not allowed to request significantly more funding from state general revenue than it had been previously appropriated in its base budget. Therefore, the portion of the database funding that has come from the TIF assessment must continue to be supplied through the TIF assessment.

The 79th Texas Legislature will consider our budget request when they convene in January. By having a variety of funding sources (federal, state, membership fees), we can assure a statewide database program will survive even if one revenue stream suffers cuts. The Texas Library Association (http://www.txla.org/html/govt_aff.html) provides information on legislative and funding issues.

If you would like more detail on the TSLAC LAR, it is explained and summarized on our Web site at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/agency/FY0607_LAR_Summary.html.

6. Are K-12 libraries going to be added to the database program?

A. Including K-12 school libraries in TexShare was one of the top four recommendations generated in the Statewide Resource Sharing Planning session held January 20 - 21, 2004 (http://www.texshare.edu/memberinfo/advisoryboard/strategic_2004.html).

Right now, TSLAC does not have the statutory authority to negotiate contracts for K-12 libraries. A change in statute is required to provide that authority and to allow TSLAC to collect database fees from schools. A core of state funding for statewide K-12 database subscriptions (and the administrative costs of providing statewide K-12 databases) is also needed. By establishing K-12 libraries as educational partners, we can use the combined influence of the academic, public, and school library communities to realize great cost savings in database services.

If you are interested in this legislative issue, keep informed through the Texas Library Association (http://www.txla.org/html/govt_aff.html).

7. When would database service to K-12 libraries start?

A. If legislation regarding a partnership with K-12 libraries is passed effective 9/01/05, we will be able to include K-12 libraries in a database selection and purchase process for database subscriptions to begin July 1, 2006. Unless something unpredicted happens, service to K-12 libraries should start July 1, 2006.

8. What impact would K-12 libraries have on the TexShare database service?

A. If the statute is changed to include K-12 libraries as educational partners in the TexShare program, we would work in consultation with the TexShare Advisory Board to establish K-12 library representation in a database selection process. The Electronic Information Working Group (EIWG) could be expanded to include K-12 libraries. K-12 libraries would be included in database surveys and other tools used to gather information and feedback about the database service.

9. How will you safeguard current TexShare members?

A. While K-12 libraries would be a large constituency, the needs of public, academic, and medical libraries will be safeguarded. As in the past, we will tabulate survey results and usage statistics by constituent group so we can track which database products are most important to each type of library and so that we can insure that the needs of each group are addressed. Representation on the Electronic Information Working Group would include each library type equitably.

10. I need more information. Who can I contact?

A. Send e-mail to texshare@tsl.state.tx.us or call 512-463-0188.