SALSA stands for the State Aid Library Subsidy Application. It is how public libraries and Federated Systems apply for Quality and Incentive for Excellence categories of state aid from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If the statutory formula were running it would gauge eligibility and determine which category of aid the library or system qualifies to receive. When available, part of the SALSA will include a waiver application for libraries that did not meet the required standards to receive either Quality or Incentive for Excellence Aid.
The application is a tool to determine an entity’s eligibility to receive state aid for the municipalities it claims. The questions and requests for supporting information are directly related to the eligibility requirements and standards that are outlined in the law.
The purpose of the SALSA is to:
A library or library system qualifies for Incentive for Excellence Aid and/or Quality Libraries Aid by demonstrating it makes the minimum financial effort for each person residing in the municipalities that are part of the direct service area for which the entity is applying for aid (§9334 (a) and §9335 (a)). It is through the application process that an entity supplies proof of eligibility and claims municipalities (§131.32 (2) and (3)). Furthermore, if an entity intends to claim more (expand service area) or fewer (reduce service area) municipalities, it must be indicated as such in the application. Using the information collected in the SALSA, the Office of Commonwealth Libraries calculates the amount of state aid each approved entity is eligible to receive. (Since 2003, this amount has been determined by specific legislative language passed with each year’s budget, and the formula as outlined in §9334 through §9340 has not been used.)
If a library/system is ineligible to receive state aid due to non-compliance of standards, the State Aid Library Subsidy Application contains a waiver application that gives the library/system the ability to receive funding so long as waivers are legally allowable. If the library/system completes a waiver application, the following document must be attached to your State Aid Library Subsidy Application: Waiver Application and Board Resolution Signature Sheet. To fill this form out with digital signatures, please save the file to your device before editing.
Timeframe: July – August
Within LibPAS you will select the reporting form State Aid Library Subsidy Application. Please ensure that the correct time period is selected.
There are 3 different entity types that fill out an application: Independent Libraries, Federated System Member Libraries, and Federated System Administrations. The application for each is slightly different – however, we’ve already designated this for each library type. When entering information in LibPAS you should only see the application that is relevant to your library type.
The Administrative, Library Services, Collection, and Financial sections of the report are all tied to eligibility. These are requirements that enable a library to receive state aid and all questions will need to be answered. If the response of “No” is selected, libraries will need to add an external public annotation to that question explaining the circumstance. This can be as simple as “we are working on developing this policy” to justify why they are not meeting the requirement. Questions that are marked “No” and do not have a note added to the response, will be returned for corrections.
Throughout the report there are text boxes to enter your answers. If a text box will not let you add text, save and refresh the page. This should allow you to add text after the refresh.
All service area changes need to be reported at the time of application. Service area changes are only reported by Independent Libraries and Federated System Administrations. All changes will be reported in the Municipalities section of the SALSA. This will require listing the changes and uploading a copy of the library board’s or system board’s resolution or board minutes pertaining to the removal/addition of the municipalities. If System Member Libraries are affected by the service area changes, please provide the names of the System Member Libraries and the specific change that affects their service area.
This section is used to update records and help keep track of any changes that have happened since the annual report. If there are any changes throughout the year, please remember to use this form so we can keep all of our records and databases up to date.
This section’s purpose is to assess and record whether or not a library/system needs to apply for a waiver of standards. To determine whether a library/system meets these standards, they will use the Waiver Assessment for Libraries (WAFL) generated in LibPAS. A copy of your WAFL will need to be uploaded to the SALSA. Please ensure that you are using the correct file name format. For instructions to access and download your WAFL please visit the State Aid Resources LibGuide.
The general information at the top of the WAFL provides location information. It also provides population and the category of aid that the library is applying for. With the statutory funding formula not running, these two factors are frozen to the time that it last ran in 2003. Meaning that libraries must continue to meet the standards for the category of aid that they last received from the statutory funding formula.
The WAFL is made up of two sections for Quality and Incentive for Excellence Aid and is broken into four columns. The first two explain the waivable standards that must be met. The last two columns are the minimum requirements for those standards and the library’s reported data for the previous year. If the library data column is meeting or exceeding all of the minimum requirements for the type of aid it is applying for, the library will not need to request a waiver. If the library data is below any of the minimum requirements, it will need to fill out a waiver in its State Aid Library Subsidy Application. Libraries only receiving Quality Libraries Aid only need to meet the standards for the Quality Libraries Aid section.
If a library needs to apply for a waiver, they will select “Yes” to the question “Is the library board/system board submitting a waiver request with this application for the 2023 reporting year?” and the waiver application portion will open.
You will need to select which standards you are applying for. This will match the “No” selections from the previous section of the application. According to the statute (§9332 (b)(1)), waivers are only granted based on economic hardship. Libraries will then need to describe the circumstances of their economic hardship. Libraries will also need to provide steps that they have taken to try to meet standards and then their goals/plan for the library to achieve standards going forward. For guidance on completing the waiver application section you can view the SALSA preparation information.
Libraries/systems that are applying for a waiver will need to submit their budget for 2024 and a signed copy of the Waiver Application and Board Resolution Signature sheet.
The State Aid Library Subsidy Application will open Wednesday, July 10th.
State Aid Library Subsidy Applications must be submitted Wednesday, August 28th at 11:59 PM.
The OCL Review section is a way for the reviewer to communicate with the applicant. Above the text box you will be able to see the status of your report. The status options are Under Review, Correction Needed, Approved, and Delinquent. The default status will show Under Review. Reviews won’t start until after your SALSA has been submitted.
Once the initial review is complete, the status will change to Corrections Needed or Approved.
If the status is set to Approved, your application is complete and there are no further actions needed. You can print the screen if you would like to have proof of approval.
If the status says Correction Needed, there will be additional comments in the text box that will need to be addressed. After the corrections have been made, the library will resubmit their SALSA and it will go into the queue for a second review. This process will continue until all corrections have been made. If additional information is needed, there will be notes added to the text box. Items marked “ISSUE” will be items that need to be corrected by the library. When issues are corrected by the library, the reviewer will mark the comment “CORRECTED”.
Items marked “NOTE” are for informational purposes and do not require additional attention.
The status of Delinquent will be marked for libraries that miss the submission date. These applications will be set aside and will not be reopened for completion until all other applications have been reviewed. Independent Libraries and Federated Systems that miss the deadline will have a delay in their state aid payment. If a System Member Library is delinquent, it will be at the discretion of the Federated System to delay payment.
The purpose of this document is to provide context for common questions and errors that were previously found on the State Aid Library Subsidy Application (SALSA) and the Plans for State Aid. As a reminder, the waivers were a part of the SALSA application – they are not two separate items. The State Aid Library Subsidy Application is built on the requirements outlined in the Statute (24 Pa.C.S. Chapter 93) and Regulations (22 Pa. Code § 131) for libraries to qualify to receive State Aid. Select this link to download a pdf of this report.
Policies, Resolutions, and Agreements: All policies and agreements mentioned in the SALSA are necessary to be eligible for state aid. At this time municipal resolutions will not affect the library's eligibility for state aid.
Your application should answer all yes/no questions. For sections B, E, and F, If the response of “No” is selected, libraries will need to add an external public annotation to that question explaining the circumstance. Questions that are marked “No” and do not have a note added to the response, will be returned for corrections. This can be as simple as “we are working on developing this policy” to justify why they are not meeting the requirement.
All Federated Systems must hold system meetings at least once every two months with participation from the Federated System members.
Library Services
Collection
There were many issues with uploading the correct format of the WAFL. Please ensure that your library is attaching the correct “Template” format that generates a pdf for you. See here for instructions.
The biggest issue we encountered while reviewing waiver applications was how libraries addressed their economic hardship. We were generous with what was accepted as economic hardship this year. Moving forward economic hardship should address the following:
The biggest issue we had with the document section was libraries not following the directions for uploading documentation. It is necessary to provide all required documentation with the correct file naming structure. This allows for easy recognition and record keeping.
Ensure that the following documents are submitted correctly to apply for a waiver:
If you still have questions after viewing the training videos, please attend our virtual open office hours every Thursday (excluding Holidays) from 11 AM to Noon. Select this link at that time to join.
This staff academy will be accessed in the For Librarians section of POWER Library as a graphic on the right side.
Staff without a public library specific domain (most school and academic libraries, Gmail, Hotmail, yahoo, etc.), will be asked to email the administrator for access. Access requests should be emailed to RA-EDTraining@pa.gov.
1. Open PA Counting Opinions website: pa.countingopinions.com and click “Login” on landing page.
2. Login to the Pennsylvania Public Library Data Collection using your library’s username and password. If you need assistance with this information, please contact the State Aid Office at ra-stateaid@pa.gov.
3. Your library’s home page will open. Click “Begin”.
4. On Data Input screen, select one of the following collections, as available and appropriate for your needs: WAFL – Independent, WAFL – System, WAFL – System Member.
5. Ensure that the correct library is listed. Federated System Administrations should create a WAFL for both the System Admin Unit and the overarching system.
6. Once both the collection and specific library has been selected, the WAFL is ready to be made. Ensure that pop-up have been enabled for this step to be successfully completed. Click on the word PRINT in the upper right side of the site.
7. A pop-up “Print Form” box will appear, click on “Template”.
8. A pdf will be created and downloaded from the browser. In the Edge browser, a notification appears so the document can either be immediately opened or saved.
9. Retrieve the downloaded document, save it on the computer, and re-name the document using the following naming structure.
State aid, also known as the Public Library Subsidy, is paid to public libraries that meet standards found in Title 24 The Public Library Code (Statute) and Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code (Regulations) (Sections 141.21- 141.28.) State aid is not provided to libraries to allow them to meet the standards, but is granted to libraries that are already meeting the standards as set forth in the laws.
The Office of Commonwealth Libraries recognizes that libraries may periodically come into economic hardship which prevents them from maintaining standards year to year and has the authority to grant waivers of certain standards. In accordance with 24 P.S. 9332(c), the waiver is intended to facilitate the submission of information libraries must provide if they fail to meet applicable standards and, if approved, maintain eligibility for state-aid. Submitting a waiver application does not guarantee that the waiver will be approved. The Library Board of Directors/Trustees should strive to meet standards to ensure future eligibility.
Because the formula is not currently in use, the standards the library/system are required to meet to be eligible for state aid is based on the type of aid the library received in 2003, either Incentive and/or Quality. Waiver applications are for the specific reporting year that was applied for. If the waiver is not granted, State Aid may be withheld or delayed. Waiver applications are submitted as part of the State Aid Library Subsidy Application (SALSA).
The Library Board of Directors/Trustees seeking a waiver must adopt a resolution to apply for a waiver of standards if meeting the standards places an economic hardship on the library’s operating budget. Economic hardship is the inability to meet reasonable basic expenses associated with providing library service aligned with standards outlined in the statute or regulations to be eligible to receive funding through the Public Library Subsidy.
This page will be updated as questions are received by the State Aid Team.
Q. What system entity account is used to complete the Federated System's SALSA and when can it be submitted? added 7/25/2024
A. The Federated System's SALSA should be completed in the overarching system entity account. The overarching system report status affects the status of all member libraries and system admin unit account. Due to this, the overarching Federated System's SALSA cannot be submitted until all member libraries have submitted their SALSAs.
Q. How do we fix information that was incorrectly reported on a previous annual report?
A. Previously submitted annual reports cannot be changed. However, external public annotations can be added to the SALSA explaining any discrepancies.
Q. Where can I find standards tables?
A. Standards tables can be found here.
Q. Does a sign with our library name on the side of the building count as an "outside sign clearly identifying it as public library" even if we don't have the word "Public" in our name?
A. Yes.
Q. Is it required to submit the open hours per day of each location (branch and/or bookmobile)?
A. No. The open hours listed on the SALSA application should only be those of the administrative entity (central library location).
Q. What is considered a contributing municipality?
A. We interpret a contributing municipality as one that provide the “15% or more of the yearly income of the library from all local municipal sources” as stated in the regs §141.21 (2)(i)(B). Local municipal sources can derive from the following, per the definition of municipality from the regulations Title 22 PA §131, Municipality—A county, city, borough, town, township or a school district of the second, third or fourth class, which establishes or maintains a local library.
Q. If the library has a referendum with our municipalities, is it the same as a resolution?
A. The library should enter the date of the referendum and then add an external public annotation explaining that the date is that of a referendum and not a resolution.
Q. How do I answer the certification question (D-6) if I am System Certified?
A. For a System Certified librarian: Select "No" for D-6. Enter a note explaining that you are system certified. If you do not have a certification extension on file, please fill one out and explain the situation that prevents the library director from obtaining the required certification level.
Q. Should a library that is in the process of hiring for a director, hire based on the 2000 census population numbers or the 2020 census population numbers?
A: The current standards are based on the 2000 census populations.
Q. What documentation is acceptable to show that the library participates in the District Library Center Cooperative Program?
A. Any documentation that the library has stating its cooperation with the district library center program is sufficient to answer yes. We suggest using the district negotiated agreement since any original documentation is probably hard to find or may not even have existed.
Q. Not all of our periodicals are listed in the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, is that okay? Can we use another index for the periodicals not listed within the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature?
A. Only ten periodicals must be listed within the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (https://www.hwwilsoninprint.com/pdf/rdg_toc.pdf). All other periodicals may be added to your collection based on the criteria set forth in your collection development policy, which may include references to other periodical indexes.
Q. Can simultaneous use platforms - like Cloud Library - be used to count as periodicals?
A. The platform can be used to count periodicals but only titles that were used by patrons during the reporting period can be counted. See the Electronic Resources Decision Tree for clarification of how to report collection and usage statistics. A similar question is also referenced in the Annual Report FAQ which can be found here: Section E - Library Collection - Annual Report 2022 Overview and FAQ - LibGuides at State Library of Pennsylvania.
Q. For federated system overarching reports, does the Local Government Income (LGI) section rollup to provide a total LGI of our member libraries? added 7/16/2024
A. No. The system administrator will need to calculate the projected total local government income combined from all member libraries and the admin unit. Please ensure that county funds are not duplicated if the system disseminates county funds to the member libraries.
Q. The SALSA is requesting that the 2022 audit/financial review be uploaded. Shouldn't this be the 2023 audit/financial review? added 7/24/2024
A. No. Uploading of the 2022 Audit/Financial Review is correct. The timing of submitting audits/financial reviews was shifted last year. This allows municipal run libraries that historically struggled to submit their audits by the October 1 deadline to be able to meet the requirement. We will be collecting audits/financial reviews in this manner moving forward so the 2023 audit/financial review will be submitted in 2025.
Q. If I'm not meeting standards on my WAFL, how long does the library have to come into compliance with those standards?
A. A library should come into compliance as soon as they can.
Q. Is there a range from certain standards that a library can be short and not have to apply for a waiver? For example, if a library is only 1,000 books away from meeting the standard vs. being 5,000 books away, would they have to apply?
A. If a library is not meeting standards, they have to apply for a waiver.
Q. How is FTE calculated?
A. The total FTE standard is a combination of part-time employees, volunteers, and full-time employees' total.
Q. Does a library need a full-time employee?
A. An independent library needs at least one full-time employee according to the regulation §141.21(2)(iv)(d) - "The library must have one qualified staff member or full time equivalent (FTE) for each 3,500 persons in its direct service area. The library must have at least one (1) full time staff member (35 hours/week). If there is only one (1) full time staff member, that person must be certified at least as a Library Assistant."
Historically, system member libraries have not been held accountable for meeting this standard and because of this, the standard only applies independent libraries.
Q. The library's WAFL is showing a blank for CE for support staff, however the library doesn't have part-time staff working 20 hours or more that should be meeting the standard- what should I do?
A. The library should answer "Yes" to meeting the standard for support staff CE and add an external public annotation explaining the situation.
Q. In the waiver history section of the SALSA, libraries are to indicate if they applied for a waiver in the past three years. Should the answer be yes if a library or system applied for a waiver on the Plan for State Aid but it turned out not to be necessary because they met all the standards?
A. Libraries should only answer “YES” if they did not meet standards in the past and applied for a blanket waiver. If they applied for the blanket waiver and didn’t need to because they were meeting all standards, they should answer “NO.”
Q. When do I have to fill out a waiver request application?
A. A library will fill out a waiver application when it is not meeting the required standards for the type of aid they received in 2003. This type of aid will be found on the library's WAFL and on their application.
Q. If a library was not meeting standards in 2023 but currently is, will the library need to fill out a waiver application?
A. Yes. Please review the training listed on the Training and/or the instructions within the waiver section of the application for more information.
Q. Does a waiver application need to be completed for a temporary closure due to construction or emergency situations?
A. A library would fill out the Temporary Closure Notification form found here: Temporary Closure Notification.
Q. Are waivers being applied for the 2024 calendar year or the 2023 calendar year?
A. 2023. The need for a waiver is based on whether standards were or were not met for the 2023 reporting year.
Q. What do I do if my library board doesn't have a meeting scheduled before the deadline?
A. The library board may hold a special meeting to vote on the waiver application submission resolution to ensure adherence to the deadline.
Q. What do I do if my board meeting minutes are not approved until after the deadline?
A. A draft of the board meeting minutes will be acceptable.
Q. If my library runs on a July-June fiscal year, what budget do I attach? added 7/16/2024
A. You will attach the budget for the previous fiscal year. (Example: For the 2024 SALSA, the library would attach the budget for 2023-2024)