Library Budgets

In my last lesson I was asked to reflect on how familiar I am with my school and district's budgeting process.  I have to say I am not clear on this process at all.  I do not know the formula by which the district allocates funds to school libraries (it seems to be a token amount of a few hundred dollars for our library). I don't even know if the province earmarks library funds for our district and what autonomy the district has in allocating these funds.

As far as our school budget we do not allocate any funds to an overt library budget.  Instead the library receives an unspecified and unsecured amount of funds through the learning resource budget.  Traditionally all my Canadian literature purchases were funded through the learning resources budget ($1200 annually).  All office supplies and consumables are covered through the school supplies budget and the remainder of my funds are all raised through book fairs, Times-Colonist grants and PAC support.  In recent years I have been fairly successful at fund raising and as a result saw my funding through the learning resources budget evaporate.  I now know that I need to more forcefully advocate for a library budget that comes from school based funding and secure it no matter how small the amount.