California Budget Cuts State Funding for Libraries

By Jason Boog 

KLAW reported earlier this week that “state funding for California libraries has been completely eliminated” in the state’s budget for the year.

Check it out: “Now libraries in the Bay Area, as in the rest of the state, will lose funding for literacy programs, InterLibrary Loans, and miscellaneous expenses such as librarian training programs and books. Libraries in rural areas will be hit the hardest because they receive more state funding than libraries in larger cities with larger budgets.”

Visit the California Library Association’s advocacy page if you want to add your support for the state libraries. This GalleyCat editor is a regular patron of the California library system.

These cuts had been rumored for months. In January, American Library Association President Roberta Stevens released this statement about the cuts: “What will happen to the thousands of people who depend on libraries as a lifeline while they look for jobs and improve their skills to be competitive in today’s job market? U.S. public libraries are first responders in a time of economic uncertainty … Every service hour lost in our libraries translates into a million lost opportunities to connect people to distance education, unemployment benefits, and other e-government services.” (Via Victoria Strauss)