Budget Cuts - Description | Budget Cuts - Contact Legislators | Budget Cuts - Media Coverage, Sample Letters, etc.
After a long summer of fighting, advocates for Connecticut's libraries were elated at the restoration of funding for statewide library programs. The celebration was short-lived, however, when it was announced that the approprations would be subject to severe budgetary holdbacks. We urge CLA members to contact Governor Rell and key legislators to respectfully request a reconsideration of these holdbacks!

• The iCONN Statewide Digital Library program was appropriated $1,968,794 but was subject to a recent holdback of $461,772. With the holdbacks in place, the State Library has had to cancel cooperative/statewide database contracts with software vendors and publishers, including contracts with Associated Press Images, Campus Research from Westlaw, CINAHL with Full-Text (index is retained, however) and several full-text national newspapers such as theBoston Globe. Other databases may need to be eliminated if the holdbacks continue.
• The reQuest Statewide Database program was appropriated $674,696 but was subject to a recent holdback of $181,437. The reQuest program provides a statewide catalog containing information on 22 million items in the collections of schools, public libraries and colleges throughout Connecticut. It also provides a very low cost, consolidated source of records for local library catalogs, thereby allowing local libraries to benefit financially from the shared cataloging. Because of the recent holdbacks, the State Library is endeavoring to negotiate a new lower-price deal with the vendor, but this will certainly result in reduced services for Connecticut libraries and library patrons.
• The Cooperating Library Service Unit (i.e., Connecticut Library Consortium (CLC)) was appropriated 350,000 but was subject to a recent holdback of $84,389.The CLC negotiates and administers discounts on library books, media, supplies, equipment and scholarly databases. It leverages the consolidated/cooperative purchasing power of nearly 900 member libraries (184 public libraries, 586 school libraries, 47 academic libraries, and 27 special/corporate libraries) as well as state money to provide cooperative projects and deep discounts on purchases. In FY 2008, the total CLC savings from just two of CLC's book vendors was $6.8M ($6.5M from Baker & Taylor and $347,000 from Ingram).
• The InfoAnytime 24/7 reference service was appropriated $42,500 but was subject to a recent holdback of $36,167. The serivce had to be cancelled altogether due to lack of funding. InfoAnytime had been receiving hundreds of calls from students and researchers who needed assistance when libraries are closed (late nights, weekend nights, and holidays).
• Legal/Legislative Library Materials was appropriated $1,140,000 but was subject to a recent holdback of $151,488. Under the holdback, the State Library is forced to reduce the acquisition of important legal, educational and historical materials. The State Library serves as the principal law library for Connecticut residents and is a crucial resource for all residents conducting historical, genealogical and public policy research. The depth of available resources to residents will be reduced.