Oklahoma: State Arts, Libraries Agencies Prepare for Further Cuts

From KWGS Radio:

A state House budget subcommittee asked cultural agencies Monday how they’re preparing for another year of cuts.
[Clip]
Oklahoma Department of Libraries Director Susan McVey told the subcommittee she has to spend money on certain things in order to get more than $2 million in federal dollars.
“And that’s what we use for some of the projects that we talked to you about, like the statewide licenses for databases and the public library summer reading program and interlibrary loan,” McVey said.
The subcommittee asked to hear from the arts council and the libraries department on how budget cuts of 2.5 percent, 5 and 7.5 would impact them next fiscal year.
[Clip]
The two agencies’ budgets are down nearly 30 percent from 2008. Both directors said they’ve done everything they can to save, from eliminating travel budgets to carrying a 44 percent vacancy rate.

Read the Complete Article

Filed under: Funding, Libraries, News, Public Libraries