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January 22, 2009

Wrong time for deep cuts at libraries

January 22, 2009
Asbury Park Press

Irony of ironies, New Jersey's public libraries are facing some of their worst financial struggles just as their users need them the most.

Libraries are rarely more important than when the economy heads south, as patrons call on them for cheap forms of entertainment like reading a book or borrowing a video.

But they play an even more crucial role when employment is scarce and personal finances are stressed by providing job seekers with key resources, be it educational texts or access to computers. Yes, not everyone is online, especially in the cities.

"We're finding our libraries are being called on now to an even greater extent than they were six months ago," said Patricia Tumulty, executive director of the New Jersey Library Association. "In this economic downturn, many have nowhere else to go." Indeed.

Newark's public library system — unable to sustain itself without heavy infusions of state assistance and public donations — nearly closed the doors on its Roseville Branch; it may yet be shut upon further review of its finances. Meanwhile, other library closures are being threatened in Bridgeton and Bayonne, while Trenton's system was also on the brink until the state agreed to bail it out.

Closure isn't the only worry, either. Shorter hours, layoffs and smaller budgets are being discussed around the state; suburban libraries are no exception, either.

Such a shame, since local libraries have done so well to reinvent themselves. Rather than falling prey to the fast and easy glut of electronic information available in one's home via the personal computer, libraries — in all of their bookish glory — have instead been able to capitalize on the advent of computers and their links to the Web mostly by luring patrons who want Internet services along with a good read.

Those successes, in turn, have encouraged libraries to adapt to the changing world in other ways few could ever have imagined, expanding their roster of services to include classes for children and adults, video clubs and video nights, even trendy coffee bars next to the stacks. Most amazing, libraries have morphed from a solitary experience into participatory community endeavors, places where neighbors can meet, learn a thing or two, and exchange ideas in a now fashionable setting.

It would be sin for libraries to lose ground now, just as they've reached these new heights of popularity and importance.

Posted by tumulty at January 22, 2009 1:52 PM

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