Money Issues

http://search-engines-web.com/ writes


From the "Creative Ways to raise needed revenue for the City Dept:"

...also a proposal to raise $1 million by adding cafes to 125 libraries where, presumably, the new latte tax could be collected on double caramel macchiatos.

Read the full story.

kctipton writes "The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports today that the Lubbock Public Library is dropping many periodical subscriptions to save money. It's also significantly reducing purchases of all sorts of other new materials, including increasingly popular audiovisual items. Very deep budget cuts are to blame (cut by much more than 50%)."

Same tune being played in Montreal, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Hawaii, and Georgia.

UK Magazine Managing Information reports that the UK based Prospect trade union will launch "The Librarians and Information Professionals Group of Prospect" and will be inviting corporate and government librarians to join. Group chair Suzanne Burge explained, "Professional bodies exist to represent their professional interests – that is very different to an effective trade union that can negotiate pay and conditions on their behalf. Traditionally librarians have often not been well paid. It is time their growing range of skills were recognised by employers.�
Here here!

Unfortunately, information professionals from public libraries or educational institutions need not apply.

madladyalex writes "Another library cuts hours to save money. The Greensburg-Hempfield Public Library (about 45 miles southwest of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania) has decided to close on Fridays. According to the director, Fridays are the library's least busiest days and cutting Saturday/evening hours would be bad for patrons. This move will save 14 fulltime staff jobs.
Here's The Story."

Heritage Public Library, in the western Pennsylvania borough of McDonald, is taking a rather noisy approach to the challenge of preserving the branch. To help ease the impact of Gov. Ed Rendell's proposed funding cuts, the library is raffling off a 2004 Harley-Davidson Softtail Classic to supplement its revenues. Tickets are $30 apiece, and the bike is valued at nearly $18,000. The library hopes to raise $10,000-$15,000 from the raffle. More from the Observer-Reporter.

Washington Post Reports, The Federal Communications Commission voted yesterday to tighten financial guidelines on the E-Rate. The new rules are designed to discourage needy schools and libraries from using discounts under the program to buy equipment for wealthier schools and libraries. Under the new rules, equipment must be held for at least three years before it can be transferred to another facility. In addition, the FCC voted to prohibit institutions from using discounts under the program to upgrade equipment more than twice in five years.

The Wallace Foundation is donating $6 million to New York City's three public library systems, specifically for programs to help libraries serve as learning places for school-age children during non-school hours. Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Public Library, and the Queens Borough Public Library (with 212 branches among them) will each receive $2 million in a three-year grant. Another $897,000 is going to the Urban Libraries Council to help improve coordination among the three library systems. Read more about the gift and the goals of the program in this press release on the Wallace Foundation site.

Library Juice has just published some correspondence from this past May on Mitch Freedman's Better Salaries Initiative. Rory Litwin raised some critical questions about the whole better salaries movement, in the context of other professions and other countries, suggesting that we're not so badly paid after all and that librarians are motivated by more than money. Luis Acosta, Mark Hudson, and Mary Ann Meyers offered intelligent responses.

Great headline, sad story from KY:

Library bill could leave libraries' bills. Librarians throughout the state are raising alarms over legislative proposals that they say could result in drastic cuts, including closing some libraries.

Evansville-Vanderburgh Pub- lic Library director Marcia Au said, "I don't know what we would be able to keep open if the bill is approved. It depends whether they are looking at just operating budgets or cumulative budgets."

Sad News out of CA where The UC library system is negotiating its contracts with publishers in an effort to maintain access to research materials for students, faculty and staff.

Escalating commercial journal prices, compounded by the state's budget crisis, threaten to undermine the UC's ability to maintain its extensive, up-to-date collection of scientific journals.

"The state and university budget crunch has directly hit the libraries, as it has almost every other entity in the university," said John Ober, director of education and strategic innovation at the California Digital Library. "But the real problem is the unsustainable nature of the commercial journal prices," Ober said.

Now that Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell has slashed state funding for libraries in half, the Erie County Council plans to adopt a budget on November 18 that will result in the closing of five out of the county's six library branches. At least one, and maybe both, of the two bookmobiles will also be eliminated. GoErie.com tells the sad (and by now, all too familiar) story.

Found this in an article entitled "20 Strange Ways to be Frugal" at Bankrate.com:


"20. Next time you need an umbrella, go to your local public library and ask for the lost and found department. Tell them that you left your black umbrella at the library last month. They will show you a selection of several black umbrellas. Select the most expensive and it's yours. The bigger the library, the better the selection of umbrellas."

Paul Coleman writes "This story from the Montreal Gazette provides a sketch of an urban, private library's evolution and possible demise, despite its continuing importance to the people of its neighborhood. The article also deals with the current shortage of public funds for Montreal's libraries."
They say Board members of the 175-year-old Mechanics' Institute of Montreal, mainly volunteer, non-profit private library are fretting about rising operating costs and a worrying list of building repairs.

Hired as new director for the Multnomah County Library system in Oregon, Molly Raphael is scheduled to start in November. It is unknown, however, if she has agreed to a reduced salary, as reported in The Oregonian.. Board of Commissioner members have been duking it out, and finally offered her $120k after being initially offered $138K.


The uncertainty is causing anxiety among system staff who don't know if they have a new director and library supporters who worry about the public perception of the system.

Daniel noted something about the ALAWON posting regarding the failure of the Reed amendment to increase funding for America's libraries: "I highlight with considerable displeasure the facts that (1) Of the four NONVOTING members, three were Democratic Presidential Hopefuls: Edwards (D-NC); Graham (D-FL); Lieberman (D-CT). (2) Given the vote of Yeas 47, Neas 49 IF all three Senators had been present and voted yes, library funding could have been increased in a time of near total fiscal starvation.

"Just another example of how much better Democratic leaders benefit America than Republicans. Not that I'm a fan of most Republicans. I realize that there was a debate last night and I don't know the exact time of the Senate vote, but couldn't working Senators have appeared by video link while serving their country?"

Carla Hayden continues to get some good press, This Time it's in The Record-Journal, in Connecticut, where she says:

"There have been problems before, but it has not been as widespread and all over the country,"

Others, are a bit more positive: "When I look around the country, we don't look too, too bad," said Kendall F. Wiggin, the state librarian"

See Also.

ALAWON is spreading the word on Sen. Jack Reed's(D-RI)amendment to the Senate Appropriations bill. Reed's amendment would add $35 million for libraries, bringing the amount for Improving Literacy Through School Libraries to the President's request of $27.5 million. It would also add enough money to LSTA to fund the new LSTA formula as well as fund Native American and Hawaiian American allocations.

Call your Senators and remind them of the vital importance of libraries to our communities and our children, and ask them to co-sponsor this important amendment. The Capitol Switchboard number is 202-224-3121.

Anonymous Patron writes "Library officials at Fossil, Oregon (pop. 420) have been informed by the City Council that there are no operating funds available for the library for the remainder of this fiscal year, due to a city financial crisis. The council voted to cut the entire library budget of $9,916.

Friends of the Fossil Library, the Fossil Library Board and community members were made aware of the situation at a special council meeting last week and are considering all options, including the possibility of volunteering time and effort to keep the library open at minimal hours each week until next July. Outside assistance is needed to pay for lights, internet connections, insurance and other bare-bones operating costs if the library if we are to succeed. The library is the only public library in Wheeler County.

The Oregon library community is kindly asked for help and support to get the word out about an important fundraiser for the Fossil Public Library --- the Fossil Murder Mystery Weekend, set for Oct. 3 & 4th

Sarah Johnson writes "It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. The Boston Globe has a story of the all-too-unpleasant reality of budget cuts in southeastern Massachusetts: library custodians are being laid off. Suddenly, the job that nobody notices is attracting lots of attention."

You may know the libraries are closed in Seattle (though not Quietly) and Minneapolis.

Meanwhile, Hagerstown, MD libraries brace for worst of state cuts. Pittsburgh Libraries prepare to cut staff, hours. Seattle expects even more cuts in city libraries' 'thin budget'. Similiar bad news in CT, MD, TX, and CA.

Does the ALA need to do More for budgets and worry about Filters Less?