From SLA’s Public Policy blog:
At a press conference on 29 October the Governor’s Office announced that Governor Patrick is considering closing the State Library of Massachusetts as a cost-saving measure. The State Library of Massachusetts now has an online petition to collect support to ensure that these collections remain freely accessible to all members of [...]
Archive of posts filed under the Budget Concerns category.
Governor’s Office Considering Closing the State Library of Massachusetts
Pittsburgh Officials Look To Stave Off Library Closings
From Library Journal:
Perhaps five branches of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) won’t be closing, as previously announced. Yesterday, as CLP submitted an updated 2010 budget to the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD), projecting a structural gap of $1.5 million for 2010, increasing to $5.1 million by 2014, City Council members announced a new effort [...]
Library Levy Landslides Make History in Ohio
From American Libraries:
Election Day in Ohio reaped an unprecedented show of library support: Voters in Ohio approved 29 of the 37 library levies placed on ballots by cash-starved public libraries reeling from 11th-hour cuts to state aid for FY2010–12, with one more apparently passing but close enough to require a recount. The impressive display translates [...]
State Support for Libraries in Pennsylvania Cut Nearly 27%
From Library Journal:
After nearly 100 days of deadlock on the Pennsylvania state budget, legislators last week agreed to a compromise, including a 26.7% slash in state support for libraries, from $93,246,000 to $68,322,000, cutting back on direct public library aid and even more so on statewide services.
Given the national economic downturn, and particularly Pennsylvania’s painful [...]
Philadelphia libraries in danger of closing are now safe
From the Seattle Books Examiner:
The people of Philadelphia can breathe easy now. It was announced earlier this evening that the Pennsylvania State senate passed bill 1828 by a vote of 32 to 17. This was the legislation that was needed for the City of Philadelphia to avoid the layoff of 3,000 city workers and the [...]
State Legislation Passes, Free Library of Philadelphia To Stay Open
From Library Journal:
A little more than two weeks before the Free Library of Philadelphia was prepared to close, under a “doomsday” budget prepared in case the state legislature refused to pass a new sales tax, the state Senate has acted, and the library will remain open.
Wealthy Chicago Suburb Prepares To Cut One-Third of Library Budget
From Library Journal:
The affluent Chicago suburb of Oak Brook has long relied on significant tax revenues from its large mall in lieu of property taxes, and those revenues have supported library service at more than $160 per capita for a community of about 8700. Sales taxes, however, are down, and city officials want to cut [...]
Michigan Governor Proposes Killing Department of History, Arts, & Libraries, Dropping State Librarian
From Library Journal:
Aiming to consolidate government during lean times, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has proposed eliminating the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries via executive order, transferring most Library of Michigan functions to the Department of Education, abolishing the position of State Librarian, and downgrading certain library services, including circulation and interlibrary loan of [...]
Hawaii Libraries Face 20 Percent Budget Cut
From Library Journal:
In response to an anticipated state deficit of $2 billion for FY2009-11, the Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS) faces a 20 percent budget cut and has come up with a plan that includes freezing all 67 vacant positions and closing five branches across the 51-branch, state-wide system. Further staff reductions are possible.
The [...]
Final state budget lightens hit to Ohio libraries
From The Advocate:
Ohio library officials learned Monday that they were spared the 30 percent budget cut proposed by Gov. Ted Strickland, but the biennial budget passed Monday by the Ohio Legislature nevertheless contained more bad news for the state’s 251 libraries.
The Associated Press reported Monday that the new Ohio budget reduces library funding by $84 [...]