« Morris librarians travel to Trenton to protest Christie's budget cuts | Main | Morristown mayor to meet with JCP&L over blast under library »

May 9, 2010

Phillipsburg Free Public Library elicits support from community to protest state library cuts

Wednesday, May 05, 2010
By SARAH M. WOJCIK
The Express-Times
PHILLIPSBURG | Town library advocates want legislators to understand how deep cuts in state funding to libraries would hurt patrons.

The Friends of the Phillipsburg Free Public Library launched an initiative April 12 asking members to sign postcards in support of the facility. As of Friday, 1,300 users had added their names to the protest.

A group of representatives from the Phillipsburg library plan to join other state library advocates Thursday in Trenton to protest a 74 percent reduction in state funding.

Interlibrary loan delivery, database subscriptions and Internet access are among the service cuts that most concern Phillipsburg library advocates.

Library Director Ann DeRenzis hopes the neon orange postcards, coupled with the thousands being gathered at other facilities, will catch the attention of local legislators.

"When you dump thousands and thousands into the lap of a legislator, they might see that wow, some people really do care about their libraries," DeRenzis said.

Gov. Chris Christie's proposed budget cuts would go into effect July 1. The governor has justified the cuts throughout the state as the only way to rein in New Jersey spending.

Library board President Richard Buralli says the facility's interlibrary loan program is popular. Last year, 1,500 items were borrowed through the program.

"There is no way that we could afford to buy all those books ourselves," Buralli said in a statement issued by the public library.

DeRenzis said the Internet and database access at the Frost Avenue location would hurt Phillipsburg patrons who rely on the library for free access to such technology.

"A lot of people come in to access our computers, read the newspapers and check our want ads," DeRenzis said. "Then again there are not a lot places in the area you could go to. We want to make it easier for the average person out there."

DeRenzis said the state expected cuts, but no one anticipated such deep reductions.

Buralli said the town won't be able to pay the costs for those services without passing costs onto customers or taxpayers.

"If we have to pick up the tab locally, we will lose the advantage of the state's buying power, and it will be a real drain on the local taxpayers," Buralli said in a statement.

Reporter Sarah M. Wojcik can be reached at 610-258-7171, ext. 3631, or swojcik@express-times.com. Talk about issues in your town at lehighvalleylive.com/forums.

Posted by tumulty at May 9, 2010 7:12 PM

Comments

Post a comment