Gov. Christie's budget calls for a 74% decrease in funding for statewide library services. This cut, about $1 for each New Jersey resident, means the elimination of all statewide library programs and services. It will affect all types of libraries – school, college and university, public - in New Jersey. The impact will be multiplied because when state funding is eliminated, New Jersey will lose $4.5 million in federal funding for libraries as well.
What does this mean to New Jersey residents? Everyone will feel it. Visit www.savemynjlibrary.org for more information, and a link to send an email to your legislative representatives. Here are a few details:
1. Access to many online research databases will cease.
At Camden County College, library staff will recommend that the College find other funding sources to continue those we feel are essential to student success, such as Academic Search Premier from EBSCO or RefUSA, but community college funding is being cut too. (estimated price for A.S.P. is $12-15,000/year)
2. Statewide interlibrary loan via JerseyCat and delivery of library materials will cease. As a member of OCLC, the College library can opt to use another interlibrary loan system and pay for delivery. The staff must consider whether to devote several thousand dollars to this, or to database access.
3. Public libraries will lose 50% of state aid at a time when demand for services is increasing dramatically.
4. More than half of public libraries will lose access to the Internet; many will lose email service; many will lose their websites or access to them.
People who do not have Internet access at home are using public library computers to apply for jobs. Others attend seminars and workshops sponsored by the library to improve job skills. Governor Christie is wrong when he says that libraries will not close; some will.
5. The Talking Book and Braille Center (known as the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped) will close.
6. Group contracts which bring down the cost of other electronic resources purchased by libraries will cease.
When each library – those that can afford it - must make its own deals with vendors of online resources, the cost per user is much greater than when contracts are negotiated for an entire state. In the end, these budget cuts will cost residents more for the same (or probably less) service.
Sharing resources and services is what libraries are all about. No public entity makes the public dollar go further. Please talk to your library staff, then visit the website above and let your legislators know that your libraries – public and academic – are valuable to you.
