The library budget at my school is determined by the principal after she has been given her school budget from the district. For each of the past three years, the library school budget has been set at $1000 years. This is generally used to purchase books and other library supplies. Generic office supplies and furniture come from other budgets through discussion with the principal. In addition to the school budget, the library receives money from Scholastic Book Fairs and from the Times Colonist Raise a Reader grant. Needless to say, the overall total is very small, especially when considering purchasing reference materials.
The recommended total value of reference materials for elementary schools of $3000-$7000 is really unattainable with this amount of money and the frequency at which reference materials become out of date. My school district subscribes to World Book Online for the entire district, but does not subscribe to any other resources or databases.
You are correct on all fronts - perhaps if you think creatively, you'll be able to come up with an "out of the box" plan to generate more funds for both resources and activities.
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