This article reports on a 2009 budget survey conducted by "Library Journal" in which a random sample of U.S. public libraries were surveyed via mail or fax in October 2008. Those that answered the survey projected a modest increase in budgets for 2009, just 2%, with less than a 1% increase in funds for materials, a predictable area for cuts. That…

Hard times bring out the ambiguity in politics. Except for fiscal extremists, most politicians in North America want to support their libraries. When "Library Journal" ("LJ") planned to name the heroes and villains in the politics of library funding, they rediscovered that politics just is not that simple, and that it may be a…

Sandwiched between Los Angeles and San Diego counties, nudging up to Riverside and San Bernardino to the east, Orange County, California is far more diverse than the stereotype. Orange County has no dominant city; its two largest, Santa Ana and Anaheim--each with populations around 350,000--are, respectively, home to lower-income Latinos and a…

According to the results of LJ's latest annual referenda survey, covering measures held between December 1, 2006, and November 30, 2007, voters approved both operating and building referenda at very high rates. If a library reported a referendum this year, chances are they are in high spirits. Operating referenda, with 69% of measures succeeding,…

A guide for libraries looking for foundation funds. (PF)

This article presents the results of the 2008 "Library Journal" Budget Survey. Libraries that responded to the annual "Library Journal" Budget Survey are doing reasonably well, continuing the modest growth reported last year. However, a closer look suggests that budget increases may not go far enough. While 81% of all respondents projected an…

Six years ago, the author shared some strategies on managing a cutback ("Budget Shortfalls," "Library Journal" 5/15/03, p. 34-35). Now, people are in an even more severe economic downturn. In this article, the author offers some additional tips on how to cope with more budget shortfalls during this recession.

Attempts to identify the trends, the issues, and the political nature of the debate over for-profit libraries, and discusses the precedents and practical aspects of user charges in an effort to offer some guidance to librarians faced with the decision of whether to charge for new information services. (Author/PF)

Focusing on networks, this review of some of the major library news stories of 1987 discusses OCLC, the Linked Systems Project, and rural needs in the context of networking. Salaries, preservation, funding, and several other issues are also discussed. (MES)

One of the most important issues for discussion at a White House Conference on Library and Information Services should be the nature and amount of government support for all types of libraries. (Author/PF)

Canadian Library Association Annual Conference report. (Author)

Some have proposed funding of library services through user fees, but their assumptions are anachronistic and wrong. Rather, drastic changes need to be in the direction of more public support. (CH)

As blogging software has grown increasingly user-friendly, many libraries are employing blogs to make their web presence as inviting and interactive as their bricks-and-mortar counterpart. Libraries are reaping the rewards, too: well-written, frequently updated public blogs help librarians relate to their patrons, generate support for new building…

Discusses the introduction of new technologies into library activities, focusing on benefits, expectations, staff, services, comparison of situations before and after adoption of new technology, costs, funding, and economic considerations. Thirteen references are cited. (EJS)

The first librarian ever elected to US House of Representatives discusses personal impressions of Washington's war on libraries, federal Office of Management and Budget's Circular A-76, power for counterattack, modernizing the library mission, the primary censor, new terms of recognition needed for librarians, and eight elements in program for…