Library
Allegheny County Library Association ( ACLA ) libraries are at the epicenter of shifts in education and workforce development .
We are fortunate to have community libraries throughout Allegheny County that provide residents of all ages with valuable resources . Many of those who have not visited a library in the past decade or so may wonder , “ Why do we still need libraries ?”
It ’ s been 25 years since Frank Lucchino , then Allegheny County Controller , issued a special report : A Quiet Crisis : Libraries in Allegheny County . This nearly 100-page report offered an in-depth discussion on the state of Allegheny County ’ s libraries and the problems each of the independent institutions faced . The dawn of the “ Information Age ” threatened to leave libraries behind , and funding was scarce . In fact , Allegheny County ranked at the bottom nationally for per capita dollars spent on libraries . Roofs were leaking , paint was peeling and HVAC systems were failing .
The report concluded that Allegheny County ’ s libraries needed to identify a new stable source of operating support and establish a broad-based organization to take advantage of potential economies of scale . Libraries accepted the call to action and
banded together . Twenty-five years later , the Allegheny County Library Association ( ACLA ), with the cooperation of its 46 member libraries , has met the challenges identified in A Quiet Crisis in ways that couldn ’ t have been imagined in the early ’ 90s .
With strong ( and loud ) backing from county residents , library service was recognized as an essential community need . When state legislation created the Allegheny Regional Asset District ( ARAD ), libraries advocated for a piece of the one percent sales tax revenue . In fact , since 1995 , the ARAD board has awarded nearly one-third of its funds to support community libraries . That support has resulted in widespread facility renovations , increased service hours , expanded programming and state-of-the-art technology tools .
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