Taxpayers eagerly pony up millions of dollars to improve schools and roads and even to create an expansive recreational trail system.

But the county ranks last in library spending in Central Florida, doling out less than half per resident of what its neighbors do. That means fewer books, cramped facilities and virtually no audio-visual materials, even though three out of four residents have library cards.

Even when residents turn elsewhere for library services, the county's shortfalls get in the way.

Beginning Aug. 15, Orange County's library system will modify its ties to Seminole's, cutting off cross-border access to its videotapes and DVDs. The reason: Seminole offers little in return.

"With Seminole County, that aspect of our services isn't really reciprocal," said Marilyn Hoffman, the Orange County library's community-relations coordinator.

Currently, 3,464 Seminole residents have reciprocal borrowing cards allowing them to check out books, tapes, compact discs and DVDs from Orange County libraries. Seminole offers mostly books.

By most standards, Seminole County's library system does poorly. It ranks in the bottom quarter nationwide in spending and books per person, according to the 2004 Public Library Data Service Statistical Report compiled by the Public Library Association.

Seminole County leaders, acknowledging their libraries are below par, recently began setting funding priorities, said County Commission Chairman Carlton Henley.

But he warned that libraries would compete against other services and projects -- from stormwater management and mass transit to the county jail -- also clamoring for funds.

Henley said he isn't surprised Seminole County's library system doesn't stand up well locally or when compared with other cities and counties of similar size.

"For a number of years in the late '80s, there was a focus on libraries," he said. In 1982, voters approved a $7 million referendum to build five libraries in the county.

But then county leaders made a conscious decision to focus funding elsewhere, Henley said, because of what they considered more urgent needs.

The price of that decision is clear.

Libraries now must compete against other services dipping into the county's general fund. In 2004, that fund totaled $138.2 million. Libraries got $5.3 million, or 3.8 percent.

A $54 library fee charged on each new house is intended to buy books, but a lack of space in current facilities has effectively stymied expansion of the system.

"Are we aware how woefully behind we are? Yes," said Leonard Greenbaum, chairman of the county's Library Advisory Board. "And we are doing our best to make leaders in our community just as aware."

The advisory board and library administrators are on the stump, trying to persuade city and county leaders to spend what is needed to improve the system.

The board has recommended the addition of six library branches -- each one 40,000 square feet. Now, the county has a 50,000-square-foot main branch in Casselberry and four 12,000-square-foot branches, in Oviedo, Sanford, Lake Mary and Longwood. Altamonte Springs runs its own library. The recommendations come with no price tag.

The new libraries would give the system desperately needed space. Librarians began shrinking seating areas to accommodate more bookshelves years ago. But in 2002, the county quit trying to expand its holdings because there simply wasn't any more space, said Suzy Goldman, library and leisure-services director.

Paying for any upgrades is another issue, though. Adding nearly a quarter-million square feet of space, hiring staff to run the new libraries and expanding the system's holdings would cost millions of dollars.

A subcommittee of mayors and city managers suggests placing a referendum on the ballot this year to ask voters for money. That could mean creating a dedicated funding source for libraries, something the county has never had.

But Henley said he would be reluctant to create a permanent new funding source for libraries. While county voters have consistently been willing to tax themselves for worthy programs in the past, the amount of the bonds or the length of time for new taxes is limited.

A dedicated tax would raise taxes indefinitely and give elected leaders less flexibility for financing other important programs, he said.