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April 5, 2010

Libraries say budget cuts could kill book-sharing program

By ABBOTT KOLOFF • STAFF WRITER • April 4, 2010
dailyrecord.com

Library directors across Morris County say they fear proposed state budget cuts will affect the most popular service they offer -- the ability of patrons to order books and other items from any library in the area and have them delivered to their home library.

Local librarians have been distributing fliers and getting the word out on how Gov. Chris Christie's proposed budget cuts might affect their services, an area they say hasn't received much attention with much of the state focused on proposed cuts to school funding. They say a proposed 74 percent cut in the state library budget, from $14 million to $3.7 million, would have a big impact on their patrons.

Library directors say it would end state funding for transferring materials among
libraries. They say it also would dry up funds for various databases that town and school libraries offer for students to research papers, for small businesses to conduct market research, and for job seekers to get information about prospective employers.

"Funds for all deliveries would be eliminated,'' said Lynne Oliver, executive director of the Morris County Library. "It undermines the resource sharing network.''

Local librarians said they are looking to purchase delivery services as a group, but that could mean cuts elsewhere.

Interlibrary loans account for 29 percent of the county library's more than 500,000 annual circulation and 14 percent of the more than 5 million circulation of libraries comprising the Morris Automated Information Network, a consortium of 37 libraries -- mostly municipal -- known as M.A.I.N.

Maria Comela, a Christie spokeswoman, issued a statement Friday saying the library cuts were part of the "unfortunate reality" of the state's economic crisis and that the governor had to make "tough decisions" to get the state's budget in order so that "priority programs" are funded in the future.

The proposed state cuts come as a state assemblyman calls for eliminating a formula that guarantees funding for municipal libraries. Municipal libraries presently receive a penny for every $30 of assessed value in each town. Library directors say ending that requirement would result in some towns reducing library budgets on top of the state budget cuts.

State Assemblyman John DiMaio, R-Warren County, said he proposed the change because the present system of funding libraries has its roots in the 19th Century and is "archaic.'' He said local officials should be allowed to control spending on local libraries.

"We are going through extraordinarily difficult times,'' DiMaio said. "I think the people on the front lines should have every tool at their disposal to rein in spending. ... I don't think this would eliminate library services.''

He added that he expects local government officials to take the state cuts into account when allocating money to local libraries.

But local library directors say they are concerned about DiMaio's proposal on the heels of state cuts. They say they already have had to cut budgets because their funding is based on assessment values that are going down in the face of foreclosures, successful tax appeals and declining real estate values.

And those cuts are coming at a time when library circulation has been increasing,
librarians say, with more people using the library as a resource for job searches. M.A.I.N. consortium libraries reported a circulation increase of 11 percent over two years, to more than 5 million last year.

Jayne Beline, director of the Parsippany Library system, which has a main building and two branches, said her $3.4 million budget for 2010 was cut by almost 4 percent from last year because of decreasing property values. She said state cuts will cost her half of the $50,000 in state aid she received last year. And that doesn't include cuts to interlibrary loans and databases. The library plans to make up for those cuts by taking money from other areas of its budget, Beline said.

She already cut back the number of Sundays the library will be open, from 37 last year to 30 this year, because of reduced revenue. She said additional cuts in hours and staff might be required to make up for lost state funds. She also said she might cut down on purchases of new materials.

"That's why interlibrary loans are even more critical,'' she said.

Parsippany library patrons this past week said they depend on interlibrary loans and some of the databases funded by the state.

"It would be harder to find a book (without interlibrary loans),'' said Betty Hong, of
Morris Plains, who said she uses the system weekly.

Jessica Sperling, 17, a Parsippany Hills High School senior, said she depends on a database called EBSCO to research school papers. That database is paid for by state money that would disappear under the proposed budget.

Jodie McDonnell, 31, of Parsippany, said she's worried other programs might be cut. She said her 2-year-old daughter Hannah looks forward to a weekly program called Story Time, which includes a librarian reading stories and children singing songs.

"I'd be upset if that was gone,'' McDonnell said.

Barbara Owens, director of the Kinnelon Library and president of M.A.I.N., said consortium members are looking into the cost of purchasing a service to transfer materials among libraries. Librarians said they expect each library to pay thousands annually for the interlibrary service, perhaps totaling more than $100,000 across the county. Owens said they also are looking into purchasing databases as a group, with each costing an additional $70,000 for the entire consortium.

"We're trying to identify and prioritize what we need,'' Owens said. "Clearly, delivery
is a priority, and will have to come from our budget.''

But smaller libraries may have a tough time coming up with their share for interlibrary loans or databases. Rita Hilbert, director of the Wharton Library, said she doesn't believe she'd have enough money to pay for more than one day a week of deliveries.

"I'd probably drive around to deliver books for my patrons,'' she said.
Abbott Koloff: 973-428-6636; akoloff@gannett.com

Posted by tumulty at April 5, 2010 6:09 AM

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