The year 2009 will be remembered as one of angst, with the economy dominating news around the world. Few libraries were immune to the extraordinary financial pressures. The library marketplace by year's end was in a weakened position, with prospects of a long recovery at best. Concern persists that even deeper budget cuts will come when federal…

A decade after the establishment of a library system, Spring Valley's Finkelstein Library has seceded from the system. (Author)

This somewhat satiric article reports on the termination rites for federal funding of Library Services and Construction Act programs held recently at HEW. Revenue Sharing is supposed to fill the void but assurances of that were not well received by the gathered mourners. (DH)

Libraries today operate on the assumption that they are a necessary and viable social institution with a long life expectancy. However, labor productivity, automation levels, and costs are not in line with todays economic requirements. Competing information services may replace libraries by the turn of the century. (DH)

Examines the factors that indicate slowing economic growth in the United States and their possible impact on library funding and expenditures. Areas discussed include government funding of libraries, regional economic differences, the increasing prices of library materials, and the overall economic outlook for libraries. (CLB)