Nebraska: Omaha’s Proposed City Budget Includes Reduced Funding For Public Libraries

From the Omaha.Com/Omaha World-Herald:

The [budget] plan headed to the City Council for a public hearing Tuesday comes with a cut for the city’s libraries; the department’s $13.1 million budget is down about 5 percent from last year.
To avoid cutting staff or library hours, officials have plans to reduce the library’s materials budget — which means fewer opportunities to buy new books, e-books, DVDs and other materials, and longer wait times for some of the most popular titles.
[Clip]
Gary Wasdin, the Omaha Public Library’s executive director, said he’s glad the library has been able to avoid slashing hours as the city looks to keep its budget in check. But he said the city’s libraries remain as popular as ever, the cost of materials is on the rise and the effect of the cuts will likely be felt by users.
After calculating the budget cut and the expected increase in the cost of books and other materials, Wasdin said the library will buy 15 percent to 20 percent fewer items than this year.

Read the Complete Article (699 Words)
See Also: The Omaha Public Library’s Book Bike Hits the Streets For the First Time (August 6, 2014)

Filed under: Funding, Libraries, News, Patrons and Users, Public Libraries