Erie County Exec's 2012 Library Allocation Will "Necessitate Major Changes"

Collins plans to cut 300 jobs in 2012. (Buffalo News, 6/7/2011)

Excerpt:  Collins will keep the county's operating support for the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library at the $18.2 million level that sent library officials scrambling for more money this year. Collins cut the subsidy by $4 million for 2011 but later restored $3 million in a one-time-only gift to coax his budget through the Legislature.

"They need to do better. They need to understand they need to do more with less," Collins said of the library's trustees when reporters asked why he cannot provide more when the county's reserves are projected to reach $80.5 million by the end of 2014. He said library officials rely too much on the county when they should do more to raise money on their own.

Sharon A. Thomas, who heads the library system's board of trustees, said the Collins allocation would "necessitate major changes," such as shorter hours, the closure of facilities and fewer services from the staff.

She said trustees are devising "strategies and options" for next year and beyond, and intend to work with Collins and the Legislature "to alleviate these proposed severe cuts to library services for the people of Erie County who love and use their libraries."

Related articles:
County Exec builds a surplus by pulling the rug from under the library. (4/27/2011)
Funding picture gets progressively worse.  (2/26/2011)
Unhappy times continue.  (1/21/2011)
Library officials ask for final decision on budget. (12/22/2010)
Additional funding for library but not for arts groups.  (12/12/2010)
Legislators restore County Executive's $4,000,000 cut to library - for now.  (12/2/2010)
"No more worthwhile program of service".  (11/14/2010)
A bibliopocalypse @ the library.  (11/6/2010)
WBEN online poll offers 3 general options for public library future. (10/31/2010)
Reimagining the library.  (10/27/2010)
Budget cuts = reduced hours.  (10/21/2010)
Deep cuts (again) in the works.  (9/17/2010)
Editorial puts in 'a word about libraries'.  (8/30/2010)
Library could lose 25% of funding.  (8/19/2009)