It’s the same old story everywhere and apparently big news this week because I have heard two stories from non LIS sources in the course of the morning.
The ALA’s database shows funding cuts in almost every state, up to 50 percent in extreme cases, of more than $111 million. But circulation and library visits nationwide continue to climb.
It has always seemed funny to me that cities use their public libraries (and other public institutions for that matter) as a selling point, but when it comes time to cough up the dollars, the city council would rather have raises than fund something as silly as books or education.
In other library news:
Wow. Smart. Now you can fail one compliance to meet another. Way to use those tax dollars.
Take part in the poll at Curmudgeony Librarian about if you are attending ALA and how you are paying for it. At the time that I took the poll, there were 90 votes and it was close between the employer paying for, self paying for, and employer and self paying for options. I think the final results of this poll will be interesting. At MPOW, we have been discussing travel funding. We get part of three trips paid for which is much more than some and less than others. I think we are about average. I am just happy to be able to go this year.
–Jane, loathing Monday