Bless You SLA!

The Special Libraries Association (SLA) "sent a letter to Governor Edward G. Rendell on 17 March 2009 expressing strong concern over the proposed 50% budget cut for the State Library of Pennsylvania."

That's as reported Tuesday in the SLA "Public Policies Connections" blog.

It calls Rendell's budget slashing "short-sighted" and expresses the SLA's desire for postponing any huge cuts until there is

a detailed plan is produced and vetted by qualified information and policy experts who understand the critical nature of maintaining valuable services and access to information for current and future users.

The blog further reports that

SLA asks that Governor Rendell and his leadership team provide a detailed plan of how the State Library will function after such an extreme budget cut. SLA believes a more fully funded library budget will serve the interests of government, business, and private citizens and will save more money in the long run.

Good luck with that!

Here is a link to a PDF version of the March 17th letter from the SLA Chief Executive Officer Janice Lachance to Pennsylvania's governor Rendell.

Again, thank you Special Libraries Association!

SLA's Public Policies Connections Blog Supports Us

Okay, then, the original post in the Special Libraries Association "Public Policies Connections" Blog, dated February 23rd 2009, is titled 'Pennsylvania 2009/2010 Proposed Budget Cuts Library Funds.'

The text of their post was picked up by the other SLA blog we just quoted, so we won't repeat it here.

Thanks for your support, SLA!

Special Libraries Association's Government Information Division Weighs In

The blog sponsored by the SLA's Government Information Division has a supportive post titled "SLA on PA State and Other Library Cuts".

It is citing the SLA Public Policy Connections Blog, 23 February 2009. And it pretty much tells our story:

News that Pennsylvania Governor Rendell’s 2009/2010 budget cut would cut library funds did not come as a huge surprise; budget cuts are sweeping the globe. The current recession is affecting businesses and individuals on every level, from mega conglomerates down to the self-employed business owners working at a desk that doubles as a breakfast table.

What may come as a surprise to many, however, is the proposed 50% budget cut to the Bureau of the State Library. Information about library services, under the Department of Education, begins at E14.20 of the proposed Pennsylvania 2009/2010 Budget. What is currently unknown is who and what will be affected by the proposed budget cut from 4.8 million to 2.4 million.

SLA is following this issue, and would like to hear from you as well. Please contact Doug Newcomb, Chief Policy Officer, with any news that you might have regarding this or other major budget cuts affecting libraries.

I'd suggest readers here also flood Newcomb with your stories about the effects of this budget proposal. The more information he has, the better advocate he and the Special Libraries Association can be.