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More than half of the public libraries in the country have seen their budgets cut or level funded this year. Is your local library one of them?
A new report by the American Library Association takes a look at how libraries across the country are being affected by the Great Recession.
Their findings from Galleycat (a book publishing industry blog): "To address the dropping budgets, libraries are buying less new books for their collections and some libraries are cutting staff. According to the report, budgets for adding to collections dropped 15 percent in 2009, 45.4 percent in 2010, 33.9 percent in 2011 and 37 percent in 2012. Budgets are expected to drop only 4.9 percent next year."
Libraries are often serve as a community center for readers, students, job searchers, families, seniors and more. How is the current economic climate affecting your local library?
Talk to local librarians - are they cutting back services? How do they choose?
Talk to town officials - how much to they value what the library offers? Will cut funds be restored?
Talk to residents. Try to get a cross-section of the population the library serves - how do seniors, students, families and other use the library? How will they be affected by the cuts?
