State Funding Cut - Again!

The budget that Governor Ed Rendell will sign today includes a 9.1% cut for the public library subsidy.

CCLS has not received final figures, but it is clear that we will need to cut at least $106,056 next year.

Oddly enough, it seems that library advocates' message about the importance of the statewide library card program and POWER Library databases was heard. The line item for these two programs was increased $30,000.

However, that amount is really a drop in the bucket. CCLS alone lost $288,780 in support from the statewide library program in this year; so a $30,000 increase for the state program isn't going to make much of a difference for Cumberland County citizens.

This latest state budget just continues a three-year trend of cuts for library services:

• In 2009, CCLS lost approximately 9% or $163,430 of its state support.
• In 2010, CCLS lost 33% or $594,712 in state support. Plus, we lost approximately $138,000 in state-subsidized services such as POWER library databases. This is a total of $732,712 lost in 2010.
• In 2011 CCLS will lose 9% or $106,056 of its state support, plus approximately $138,000 in state-subsidized services (POWER Library databases). This is a total projected loss of $244,056 in 2011.
• This brings the total value of state services and payments lost since 2009 to $1,141,198 in Cumberland County

There is no doubt that library service in Cumberland County will be even more strained next year.