« Cuts to library jobs, services, hours loom as state slashes aid | Main | Monmouth board delays library tax levy vote »

April 12, 2010

Cutting funds to libraries will hurt residents

DailyRecord.com
Letters to the Editor

April 12, 2010

National Library Week is April 11-18. This annual celebration of libraries and librarians comes at a time when libraries are busier than ever.

This year, libraries of all types are facing very challenging times. Gov. Chris Christie's proposed budget eliminates most of the statewide services that New Jersey residents have come to expect in their local libraries. A 74 percent reduction in state funding will eliminate the core services and infrastructure that support a majority of libraries, including the Internet, loaning and delivery of materials between libraries, support for summer reading programs for children, databases and electronic resources, and a reduction in funds to libraries used to purchase books, computers and audiovisual collections, which are in great demand from our customers.

The N.J. Library Network and member libraries -- most likely your neighborhood public, academic, school or special library -- have worked tirelessly over the past 25 years to coordinate services. This group has been purchasing books and databases together for more than two decades. It is not only a good business model, but also was done because statewide library funding was essentially flat for the two decades. Now a 74 percent reduction in state funding will eliminate most of that good stewardship. This is not shared sacrifice.
Residents depend on libraries as essential places in their communities for lifelong learning, the use of computers for job hunting, and to borrow books, DVDs, magazines, and more to help the family budget. More than 170,000 people visit N.J. libraries each day. More than 48 million visits were made to libraries in 2009.

There is a bill in the state Assembly, A-2555, to eliminate the dedicated minimum funding for municipal public libraries. If enacted, this would greatly weaken libraries and could render them incapable of providing the necessary levels of service that New Jersey residents expect. Often the public library is the only center in the community where anyone can go for service for tax forms, resume preparation, homework assistance, teen and children's programs, literacy programs, recreational reading, research and much more.

While we recognize the terrible budget problems that Gov. Christie, the Legislature and citizens face, the answer is not to eliminate funding for statewide library services for residents of all ages and stages of life at an average annual cost of $1.19 per person. We look forward to working with Gov. Christie, the Legislature and citizens to preserve and save New Jersey libraries.
Susan Briant
President
N.J. Library Association

Posted by tumulty at April 12, 2010 1:39 PM

Comments

Post a comment