Libraries in the Recession
As part of their Library Budgets 2010 project, Library Journal is running a feature I wrote on how libraries and library staff are coping with the recession. ‘When Service Matters‘
Most mornings, Terry Ann Lawler arrives at the Palo Verde Library, a branch of Phoenix Public Library, to find a line of over 50 adults waiting for the building to open. She and her staff want to help them all search for benefits or employment or just figure out how to use the computer, but they simply lack the time. This scene repeats itself at many libraries across the country. There is a surging need for services, placing high demands on staff time just as staff time and resources are shrinking. The increased demand coupled with decreased resources puts stress on those on the front lines and on administrators, many of whom are themselves suffering the same financial anxieties as their patrons.
Nationwide, public library circulation increased six percent in 2009, according to LJ’s budget survey (see p. 44), with patrons borrowing more free books and media than ever. Yet, hit by the recession and rising unemployment, libraries have faced massive budget cuts, with hiring freezes, reduced hours, and layoffs becoming the norm. This paradox strains the system, and the strain is adversely affecting libraries from Connecticut to California.
Major media outlets from the New York Times to the Today Show have trumpeted the spike in library use, especially as job services have become a priority, but they miss the story of how public libraries deliver services in spite of budget cuts and the impact on those who deliver them. Nevertheless, for some library systems, for some librarians, this crisis has been an opportunity. On a personal level, many library employees have been reminded of how essential their work is, and, on the systemic level, some institutions are finding ways to rise to the current crisis, through collaboration, outreach, and innovation. (read the whole article on LJ’s website)
