Karen Lindell writes: “In its National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment, ALA identifies financial skills as one of nine programming competencies that are vital to successful library programs. Financial skills include the ability to budget; use techniques like cost-benefit analysis; understand documents such as basic contracts and tax forms; and identify grants, partnerships, and other sources of financial support. Here are tips from programming librarians on how they keep track of what they’re spending, determine whether they’re using funds wisely, and seek financial aid from outside sources.”