Local Libraries Brace for Tough Budget Year

With all the recent bad news about state aid cuts, it's no surprise that libraries weren't spared from the slash. But word has been slow to spread about what those cuts will be.

As it stands, Gov. Chris Christie's proposed budget will cut funding to the state's library services by 74 percent from fiscal year 2010 to 2011, thus causing many programs to go unfunded, including inter-library loan delivery service, online databases, cooperative purchasing, the statewide summer reading program and the state's library for the blind and handicapped.

On Wednesday night, Scotch Plains Public Library Director Meg Kolaya and Boards of Trustees President Joe Duff presented their budget to the town council, sharing with them how the state aid cuts and other funding losses will hurt locally this year.

"It hit people out of the blue," Kolaya said of the state aid cuts announced in March. "We're expecting $10,000, or possibly no money, in state aid. When you couple that with the fact that the equalized valuation in town went down $40,000 this year, it puts the library in a very difficult position."

If the governor's budget is approved in June, the Scotch Plains library is slated to lose 50 percent of its state aid, Duff said. Since its funding from the township each year depends on the equalized valuation in town — and that number dropped in Scotch Plains over the last year — the library will lose $39,699 there as well. Coupled with a number of rising costs, they're looking to make up for a $138,000 difference over last year.

Kolaya said Wednesday that right now the library is looking at a number of service reductions effective July 1, including closing two more nights a week, cutting out the purchase of all new music CDs and reducing part-time hours. At the same time, they're looking at having to pick up at minimum $55,000 in costs for their electronic databases now that the state won't fund them. Postage will also be an issue if the state's delivery service ceases this summer.

"This year we've had to use all of our reserve money that we hadn't had to use when we had state aid," Kolaya told the council. "We're risking no provision in here for any emergency. We've taken out all the severance money."

"We're really in a bind," Duff added.

Mayor Nancy Malool acknowledged the library's woes, but emphasized the same point she made to the Parks and Recreation Department earlier in the evening: there's just no more money to go around.

"In previous years we've funded you above and beyond the minimum," Malool said. "With the equalized valuation down, it affects us as well. If the money was there, we'd be happy to discuss giving it to you, but the money's just not there."

A proposed state bill may mean there's even less to go around next year. Introduced by Assemblyman John DiMaio, Senate Bill AS2555 would eliminate the minimum funding formula that requires municipalities to give libraries 33 cents of every $1000 of assessed value. If passed, the bill would give towns full reign to decide how much they want to fund the library.

"For many libraries, the 1/3 of a million funding is barely sufficient to provide quality service," said Fanwood Library Director Dan Weiss. "So it goes without saying that eliminating that requirement would make things quite difficult to impossible for libraries in many communities if the governing body saw fit to reduce support."

The state aid cuts have undoubtedly hit Fanwood just as hard as they've hit Scotch Plains. Weiss recently told Patch that the state cuts could mean reductions to many services there as well.

During Kolaya's presentation to the Scotch Plains council, she and Duff again emphasized the library's variety of services and the large percentage of residents who come through the doors each day.

"When you look at who has to take the big hit, please look at us us in proportion to the kind of service we give the town," Duff said.

"We can certainly appreciate how much you've done," Malool responded. "I just wish I had better news, and I don't. If something changes through our discussions, you'll be the first to know."