Your Library and Its Finances

State Revenue Sources

Please note that state revenue sources often go to the local government body – the city or county – to be deposited in the library’s account. 

State Aid Per Capita

This funding source is given to public and tribal college libraries in Montana.

It is an appropriation from the Montana state legislature and can be used in whatever way the director and board needs. The Montana State Library sends a check to library directors in November each year. 

In order to be eligible to receive the funds, the library must meet the public library standards adopted by the MSL Commission.

Federation Grants/Funds

Montana's public libraries are part of a regional library network called a federation. 

There are currently six federations in Montana. 

[Map of Montana Library Federations. Tamarack, Pathfinder, Golden Plains, Sagebrush, South Central, Broad Valleys.]

Learn more about federations on the MSL Federation webpage. 

The legislature appropriates coal severance tax money for library federations. The federation determines how much money each library spends and how that money can be used through a budgeting process that happens each spring at a federation meeting.

The Montana State Library Commission reviews and adopts the budget requests of each federation at their June meeting.

State Entitlement Share

This is revenue that goes to each local government. It was created with the Montana legislature overhauled the property tax appraisal and revenue system in 2001. 

Local governments receive this funding to offset losses that occurred with the overhaul of the taxation structure in Montana. Many libraries receive a portion of these funds. It is roughly equal to the library’s percentage of the overall mills of a local government.