How libraries are facing Christie's budget cuts

With around 27,000 volumes and a single location, the Audubon Public Library is one of New Jersey's smaller libraries. A resident interested in an academic text or the early work of an obscure novelist would have to request the volume through the state's interlibrary loan system.

That program - which makes larger libraries' vast troves available to their smaller brethren, and vice versa - is among a number of popular services jeopardized by funding cuts in Gov. Christie's proposed budget, library advocates say.

"Someone likes James Patterson, we have the most recent novel. But one of his older novels, we'd usually have to borrow," said Audubon library administrator Kathy Ostberg. "We're a small library. We depend on those services."

Christie's plan would cut funding - which also pays for items such as database subscriptions and adult-education classes, and provides a proportion of individual library budgets - by $10.4 million, a 74 percent reduction from last year, according to the Office of the State Librarian.

"This is not shared suffering," said Pat Tumulty, executive director of the New Jersey Library Association, a nonprofit advocacy group.

With the governor reducing spending across all divisions of government, few areas of public life in New Jersey are not scaling down.

"We had to close a $10.7 billion budget deficit and all the choices were difficult at best," said Mike Drewniak, spokesman for the governor's office. "It was an agonizing process. We had to cut programs that in any other time we would support and fund as fully as possible."

Libraries have seen a major upturn in usage in recent years. Circulation in the Camden County system, which operates six branches, increased 22 percent between 2005 and 2009.

"Libraries serve the unemployed and the underemployed, who need online access to find jobs," said State Librarian Norma Blake. "This is the wrong time to be cutting community anchors."

The recession has led more people to borrow rather than purchase books, and youth programs available free at the library have replaced for-fee enrichment classes in some cash-strapped households.

One program on the chopping block provides funds to pay for Internet service. Camden County Library Director Linda Devlin said system officials are trying to figure out how much it would cost to provide services traditionally covered by the state.

"We'll see if we can pay for them out of our operating budget," she said.

Libraries are primarily funded by the towns and cities they serve. A state provision requires that a portion of municipal property taxes - around $33 for every $100,000 of property valuation - goes their way.

But a bill introduced by Assemblyman Joe DiMaio (R., Warren) would give local leaders a free hand in deciding how much to allot to libraries. If passed, municipalities - which also are seeing a reduction in state funds - could make deep cuts to their contributions.

DiMaio's office did not return a phone call for comment.

In Cherry Hill, Camden County's largest municipal library system, there is discussion of layoffs, reduced hours, and increased fees for services like DVD rental and computer usage, said Katie Hardesty, the library's public relations director.

"The library as people know it might not be there anymore," she said.