Libraries Continue With ALA After The State of Florida And Bay County Cut Public Funding

BAY COUNTY, FL - The Northwest Regional Library System released its December 2024 Directors Report.  Bay County Library Advisory Committee will meet at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 13 at the Bay County Public Library, located at 898 W. 11th St., Panama City.  The agenda allows for public comments, Discussion of Meeting Room Policy, Update on LED Light Conversion at Bay County Public Library (BCPL), Hickey, Jr. Trust: Funds for Craft Programming  and discussion of Saturday Hours at PSJ.  

The Northwest Regional Library System (NWRLS) states in their report they are able to use donated funds for American Library Association (ALA) training. The Bay County Commission decided to remove funding for ALA-affiliated events last year, after Florida officially joined multiple states, including Alabama, Wyoming, Missouri and Texas to cut ties with the American Library Association.
The Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services (DLIS)  officially announced in October 2023 that it would "not allow grant project activities" associated with the ALA and its affiliates."The state's ALA chapter, the Florida Library Association (FLA), said a memo from state officials claimed the decision was made in response to 'scrutiny' related to 'the use of public funds to support these organizations.'  

The NRWRLS report states  “ Objective 3.1 – An amount equivalent to 1% of the multicounty grant will be reserved for conference attendance and/or training. This may not be possible considering the prohibition of use of certain funds for American Library Association and affiliated conferences. We are able to use donated funds to support ALA-sponsored training. “

Until the Florida legislature changes the requirements for ALA accredited training, libraries are still required to attend. 

In other news, NWRLS received a $25,000 donation from the Edward F. Hickey, Jr. Trust to fund additional scholarships for the Career Online High School (COHS) program. This contribution will provide 19 students with the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and career certificate. Since its inception, 52 students have graduated from the program, marking a significant achievement for the library’s educational initiatives.

The library also faced challenges with its annual Summer Reading Program after the State Division of Library and Information Services (DLIS) discontinued funding for the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP). According to the DLIS website, “ We are exploring new partnerships for future themes and artwork for summer programming content. Currently two informal workgroups are meeting to brainstorm and share local themes, artwork, and activities.”

Donations from the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries and other local contributors funded CSLP content in Bay, Liberty, and Gulf counties.

NWRLS announced key staffing changes, including Ann Howard’s promotion to Branch Manager of the Panama City Beach Library. Additionally, the system welcomed several new employees across multiple locations.

The library continues to strengthen its community outreach, with programs like "Bee A Reader: 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten" and new STEM initiatives drawing strong participation. Recent outreach efforts include coordinating with “Little Free Libraries” in South Gulf and expanding mobile library services to underserved areas.

The Bay County Public Library (BCPL) engaged the community with a creative holiday display, constructing a Christmas tree made of books. Sarah Burris collaborated with Monica Walton, Laura Roesch (BCPL Foundation), and April Wilkes (St. Joe Foundation) to bring the project to life. The BCPL Foundation also sponsored a guessing contest, where patrons estimated the number of books in the tree. The contest drew 359 entries and inspired many visitors to take photos with the festive display.

In addition, Bay County secured a $17,900 grant through the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries to replace AWE educational computers at library locations. Funded by the NextEra Energy Foundation, this grant will provide five new computers, which offer access to 90 educational games for young children without requiring internet access. Bay County was the only county in the region eligible for this funding.

The library continues to serve local families, with the Reid House Homeschool Group making regular Tuesday visits during Bounce & Rhyme sessions, allowing about 15 children to check out books each week. 

Library programs continue to see strong community engagement, supporting the goal of increasing attendance by 1% annually, with a target of 23,191 attendees by September 30, 2025.

December and January featured a variety of successful events across multiple locations. Highlights include the Chapter Chat book discussion at Panama City Beach Public Library, which saw a record 24 attendees, and Gulf County UF/IFAS's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" program at the Charles Whitehead Library, which drew an impressive 72 participants. The final free movie night at Harder’s Park, in partnership with the Mobile Library and Parks and Recreation, attracted 54 viewers. Additional events such as Parker’s first Homeschool Hangout (10 attendees), Bristol Library’s "Cookies with Santa" (33 attendees), and BCPL’s Teen Game Night (10 attendees) contributed to the library’s vibrant programming. The Tuesdays at Two lecture and concert series remained popular, hosting three programs with 180 participants, while a Civil War seminar by Buck Lawhorn attracted 28 attendees. New initiatives, including Bristol’s kid’s yoga class (5 attendees) and Parker’s first adult book club (6 participants), demonstrate the library’s ongoing commitment to diverse and engaging programs.