Birmingham Public Library Makes Public Appeal for Donations to Buy Materials

Link to September 8 Birmingham News article, "With its books budget cut, the Birmingham Public Library seeks donations".

Excerpt:   The library's materials budget was cut from about $1.4 million to $800,000 this summer when the city of Birmingham slashed library funding. That came on top of $100,000 in materials funding the library had lost when the city revised its annual budget in April, Blalock said, for a total reduction of 48 percent.

Overall, the city's materials budget -- which hit a 13-year peak of $1.64 million in 2006 and has declined most years since then -- has had a hard time holding the line against inflation, Blalock said. In addition, the library must keep up with new demands for more expensive books and additional materials, including e-books and DVDs.