Public Libraries: New York Area Libraries Receive Some Funding; Money is Restored to Budgets
An article by Beverly Goldberg that does a superb job summarizing recent funding activity (hooray) for New York area public libraries.
1) New York Public Library
New York Public Library staff members heaved a sigh of relief June 24 with the announcement that the system had dodged a catastrophic $37-million budget cut.
As you can see on this NYPL web page, 130,000 people wrote letters/made phone calls and protested. The library also received $144,000 in online donations. All of this will allow the library to stay open at least five days a week.
2) Queens Library
Queens Library offered public thanks to elected officials and supporters alike for restoring $17 million to the budget, thus "making libraries a priority, for ensuring every one of our libraries remains open an average of five days a week."
What does it mean for service and staffing levels:
+ All 62 libraries will remain open.
+ We will maintain an average service schedule of five days a week.
The New Jersey Library Association heralded a budget agreement between Gov. Chris Christie and the legislature that restores FY2010 funding levels for resource sharing and the New Jersey State Library. "We can breath a sigh of relief, but it doesn't mean it won't happen again next year," NJLA Executive Director Pat Tumulty said in the June 24 Vineland Daily Journal.
Pat Tumulty, executive director of the state Library Association said the money will allow libraries to continue offering Internet access, sharing materials through interlibrary loans and purchasing academic databases for users of the 304 state libraries.
Internet access for all state libraries would be provided through federal money for 2011, but would not be funded beyond June 30, 2011.
The libraries faced a cut of $10.4 million, or 74 percent, under Christie's March budget proposal. The now-$6 million cut will mean the state libraries will have to make some cuts.
The articles goes on to mention budget issues in past months in Boston, Los Angeles, Charlotte, and and countless points in between)...
Finally, the American Libraries article offers bit on the last minute library "save" in South Carolina that we posted about on June 17th.
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