The state of Pennsylvania finally has, after a long, annoying 101 days, passed a budget. And while it could have been worse for libraries, certainly, it’s not going to be fun. The latest numbers from PaLA reflect what appear to be heavy cuts to electronic resources, although it will be a few weeks before anybody knows what any of this means.
All I can tell you for certain is that if those cuts mean losses to the Pennsylvania POWER library, our statewide suite of databases? My job, and the jobs of everyone on both database committees on which I serve, just got even more interesting.
What absolutely kills me is that large libraries like my own will still be able to deliver some services via print journal collections. It’s the school libraries, and the small public libraries, in PA that are going to feel this the most. And my greatest fear is that these cuts are rooted in the pathetic fallacy (pun intended) that “everything’s on the internet now.” Not full-text journal articles from reputable sources. At least, not as many as there should be.
Ditto on the uncertain future of AskHere PA. I only staff the service a few hours a week, but every time I’m on, it’s crazy-busy, with many of the questions coming from students. The need for information literacy training, which we can often give on the fly during VR sessions, is great – for all their comfort with technology, young searchers do not intuitively know what’s best, or how to find the goodies that a simple Google search won’t reveal.
I understand and respect that there are critical needs that the budget must also cover. People must be fed, housed, clothed, employed, treated for various addictions, supported in concrete ways. However, it is not enough to give the people of the state the bare necessities of life. A responsible state government must also give them something to live for.
So, yes, I’m happy we have a budget. And I’m glad it wasn’t worse. But I fear for Pennsylvania, which is cutting the resources it needs to create the informed populace that will carry the state forward.
On the bright side, my workday thus far has been filled with reference goodness. The bulk of my efforts this morning were dedicated to helping a patron find resources on the history of the Bible and biblical translations. Fun stuff! I have a feeling it will only get busier from here on in, so I’ll stop for now. Next week, however, I want to talk about some things that have been on my mind, for which I finally have a relevant entry point: morale, leadership, and what “staying positive” really means (as opposed to what its detractors think it means).
Cheri said,
October 10, 2009 at 1:56 pm
greetings from the #saveohiolibraries front. thanks for making the point that the slashing of funds to the statewide databases & services like AskHerePa (nevermind the marvelous State Library) is more of a danger to rural & small-town public libraries – of which Pennsylvania has many – than to urban libraries,though these libraries will be affected as well. I don’t think it’s a case of either basic necessities/services OR libraries. Libraries are not luxuries, they are necessities – perhaps more than ever- and for some reason, Pennsylvania politicians have never quite gotten this. (remember, PA native., Clarion MSLS here).
I also work for our state KnowItNow service (staff my library’s shift, plus work for the service as an independent contractor evenings & overnights), and we are seeing an increased demand, just as some libraries who formerly staffed the services have to cut back their own participation because of reduced hours and/or staffing.
Excellent post.
Leigh Anne said,
October 10, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Hi Cheri! I hear you on libraries being necessities rather than luxuries – I was trying to think of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and think like a non-librarian might in order to combat that logic. We know how important it is…non-library folks don’t always…
Thank you so much for your hard work for libraries! We’re going to need everybody on board we can find if we’re going to turn this ship around….
Cheri said,
October 10, 2009 at 3:02 pm
You may be interested in this just-released report from the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation – The Knight Commission “Informing Communities: Sustaining Democracy in the Digital Age”, which a friend just forwarded to me:
http://www.report.knightcomm.org/ and yes, it recognizes the new demands on public libraries who are – in my words – helping more people with fewer resources.
The friend is a public radio consultant who is interested in raising the profile of libraries with decision-makers.
LAV said,
October 12, 2009 at 11:36 am
Thank you! I skimmed it this morning, and will make time to read it in depth!