By Norman Oder See also: Rich NYPL, Poor NYPL | Editorial New Yorkers are clearly engaged in the future of their libraries. Last October, when the directors of the city’s three city library systems gathered on a panel at the Municipal Art Society’s (MAS) Summit for New York City (see LJ coverage), it was the [...]
At Panel of New York Directors, an Undercurrent of Lament About Underfunding
April 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
ALA: America’s Libraries Battle Budgets, Book Banning
April 9, 2012 By 1 Comment
American libraries are struggling with budget cuts, according to the 2012 State of America’s Libraries Report released today by the American Library Association (ALA). Staffing cuts happened at every level in 2011, from the local public and school library to the Library of Congress, which lost nearly 10 percent of its workforce. School libraries were [...]
Update: Seattle Council Approves Putting Library Levy to a Vote
April 4, 2012 By 1 Comment
This article has been updated to include the results of the council vote. On April 9 the Seattle City Council unanimously approved placing a property-tax levy on the August primary ballot on behalf of the Seattle Public Library, according to the Seattle Times. The Council held a hearing on April 3 to hear testimony on the [...]
Academic Librarian Salaries Fall; Tech Spending Grows
April 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Research & Markets added the Primary Research Group’s Survey of Academic Libraries, 2012-13 Edition to its offerings as of March 29. The report contains data from 110 American academic libraries. When it comes to spending, libraries feel they’re not falling behind with the rest of their schools: almost 69 percent expect their resource allocation to [...]
Voters Keep the Doors Open | Library Referenda 2011
April 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The referenda landscape of 2011 was punctuated by strong voter support to keep library doors open—but little more. Libraries took a cue from three long years of budget cuts, a struggling economy, dwindling consumer confidence, and weary taxpayers and ventured out to voters with markedly restrained requests.
Astor Settlement Benefits NYPL
March 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The five year dispute over the estate of Brooke Astor has been settled, according to the Wall Street Journal. Among the beneficiaries will be the New York Public Library (NYPL), to the tune of about $15 million. Westchester County Surrogate Judge Anthony Scarpino signed the agreement on March 28, and State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman [...]
The Library Budget | Backtalk
March 22, 2012 By 1 Comment
A long, long time ago, when the earth was still cooling and dinosaurs roamed far and wide unburdened by thoughts of their own extinction, the library’s budget was a casually understood thing – there was always a little more than the year before, and the important thing was that you didn’t get carried away.
Pew: Philadelphia Free Library Should Get Back to Basics
March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment
A recent Pew report comparing Philadelphia’s Free Library to 14 other urban library systems concluded that the Philadelphia system should refocus on users’ top priorities. That means prioritizing providing a safe, educational place for children, a quiet space for reading, health information, job seeking resources, a connection to government services and access to the Internet [...]
Toronto Library Closed by Strike
March 19, 2012 By 2 Comments
This article has been edited to include comment from the union. The Toronto Public Library (TPL)’s workers are on strike, after four negotiation deadline extensions on March 18 failed to produce agreement. The union, TPLWU Local 4948, represents 2,300 workers, about half of whom are full time employees. “There are approximately 1800 FTEs,” Maureen O’Reilly, president [...]
Assault on Public Higher Education | From the Bell Tower
March 15, 2012 By 6 Comments
There’s been considerable debate lately on whether everyone needs to go to college. If funding trends stay the same or worsen, it may not matter. Only the elite will be able to afford it. America’s system of interstate highways is vitally important to our national economy, and it allows all of us the freedom to [...]
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