Library Community Outraged by Proposed $20 million Cut in Funding
ALBANY, NY (Nov. 13, 2008) – From the New York Library Associatin.

The NYS Division of Budget has recommended to Governor Patterson a $20 million cut in Library Aid that amounts to an additional 20% reduction in state funding for library services and would bring Library Aid down to a level not seen since 1993.

“The library community is outraged by this proposal and the continued targeting of libraries to solve the state’s budget shortfalls. Library Aid has already been cut twice this year, in April by 2% as part of the adopted 2008-09 State Budget and then again at the Special Session in August by another 6%”, stated Michael J. Borges, Executive Director of the New York Library Association.

Library Aid was reduced from $103 million in 2007 to $100 million in April and then reduced further to $99 million in August of this year. Library Aid had remained stagnant for eight years between 1998-2006, when the Legislature finally agreed to modest increases in funding and began utilizing the 2000 Census to calculate Library Aid instead of the 1990 Census.

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