California: Proposed San Diego Public Library Budget Shifts $500K Away from Books Fund, to New Tutoring Program

UPDATE: At the bottom of this post is the full text of the San Diego Public Library’s FY2015 Budget Request
From City News Service/Time of San Diego:

San Diego City Council members praised the mayor’s proposed budget for libraries Wednesday, but expressed concerned about a fund for acquisitions being reduced by $500,000.
The same amount was redirected to pay for a pilot program offering after-school tutoring at 18 branches in areas where students scored poorly on standardized tests.
With the $500,000 reduction, Mayor Kevin Faulconer budget for the fiscal years starting July 1 sets aside $3 million for acquisitions, according to library Director Deborah Barrow. She said the money is used to buy books, magazines, electronic materials and online subscriptions.
Library officials suggested shifting the $500,000 to the tutoring program, while they evaluated emerging technologies, such as the popularity of downloading e-books from library websites. They said they hoped to make their operations more efficient.

Read the Complete Article
Note: Overall San Diego Public Library 2015 Budget Request $45.2 million, up $1.4 million from FY2014.

Proposed FY2015 San Diego Public Library Budget by LJ’s infoDOCKET

Filed under: Libraries, News, Public Libraries