Library Director: Cuts Would Have 'Terrible Effect' Locally

State cuts in library funding could have "a terrible effect" on the Library of the Chathams, according to Library Director Diane O'Brien.

Gov. Chris Christie's preliminary budget proposal would cut the State Library budget by 74 percent, and would reduce state aid to libraries by 50 percent. If his proposal goes through, the New Jersey Knowledge Initiative—a program administered by the State Library that makes valuable commercial reference databases such ReferenceUSA, Business Source Premiere and Academic Search Premiere available to academic and local libraries throughout the state—would be completely eliminated. The program costs the state $1.45 million.

The State Library would also lose all of its network aid—almost $4.3 million. If that happens, JerseyCat, the statewide online library catalog, would likely cease to exist, which would put an end to a statewide interlibrary loan system.

It would also mean the Highlands Regional Library Cooperative, which allows libraries in Morris, Bergen, Hunterdon, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties to share materials, would be disbanded. Because no one library "owns everything," as O'Brien put it, the libraries can now loan one another books; if Christie's budget goes through, that system would cease to exist.

"Our feeling is it's a disproportionate cut for the libraries based on the little amount of money we get form the state," O'Brien said.

Christie also proposed the complete reduction—nearly $1.2 million—of virtual aid for online databases and the JerseyConnect Technology System.

O'Brien said the library's circulation has increased in the past decade. In 2000, for example, there were 155,606 circulations, and in 2009, there were 213,834.

"All libraries are busier than ever because of the economy, because it's a place where people can come to go job hunting," she said. "[It has] all kinds of information to help them retrain, all kinds of information to allow them to answer med questions.

"That is all being threatened," she said.

The library is also facing a bill that looks to get rid of the annual minimum requirement for municipal funding. This would make the library's share of municipal funds completely up to the discretion of the municipalities that support it.

The bill, which was submitted to the state Assembly last week, calls for the elimination of the requirement, which establishes a certain annual minimum funding level for a town's public library. Municipalities can fund above the minimum, which is not uncommon, but they cannot fund below it. The level is determined by looking at the value of all the real estate in a township and then allocating a certain percentage of that value to the local public library.

"If that level of support is no longer equal, the disparity between libraries becomes great," O'Brien said.

She noted that municipalities that choose to not support their libraries well will see them deteriorate. People who normally went to those libraries could then choose to start attending other libraries, which could put pressure on the ones that are well supported.

"It's like a trickle down effect," she said.

In addition, the governor has proposed that the State Library and its affiliate, Thomas Edison College, be merged with the State Museum and governed by Rutgers University.

O'Brien said she and her staff are still waiting for more information regarding the proposal.

"There has to be a lot of thought given as to how we approach trying to stay strong," she said.

In a statement on its Web site, the New Jersey Library Association, the main advocacy group in the state on behalf of libraries, said "these are the most serious threats we have ever faced for New Jersey libraries."

Cranford Patch editor Whitney Rhodes contributed reporting.