News Release Available for Libraries Facing Budget Cuts

The Library Service Areas and the State Library have developed a news release to help you inform your community about budget cuts libraries are facing due to major reductions in city and county budgets. The news release is available in PDF format on the Telling the Library Story web site.  (Look under "Script.")

As Karen Burns from Southwest Iowa Library Service Area noted in an e-mail to her libraries, these cuts will be difficult. But "in the face of this challenge, librarians have an opportunity to really step forward as leaders; the manner in which we deal with it will speak volumes about our professionalism and our commitment to service."

The State Library is aware of, and sensitive to, the potential impact of these cuts on meeting requirements of the standards, which determine your funding level for Direct State Aid. We are working on a response that will be sensitive to that concern while maintaining the integrity of a system of standards. The Iowa Commission of Libraries will discuss this at their meeting on June 17. You will be hearing more from us.

Thanks.

Mary Wegner
State Librarian