State of Vermont’s Public Law Library on “Chopping Block” Along With Other Potential Cuts to State Library Services

UPDATE March 27 2015  Vermont Library Association Voices Concerns About Proposed Vermont Department of Libraries Budget Reduction (Statement From VLA)
From the Rutland Herald:

Vermont’s law library is one of many programs potentially on the chopping block due to the state’s nearly $113 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2016. It is the only public law library in Vermont.
State Librarian Martha Reid said Gov. Peter Shumlin’s administration asked her to make about $471,000 in cuts to her department in an effort to help close the shortfall. She said one of her proposed cuts is $153,153 for the law library, which is part of the Vermont State Library located next to the state capitol in Montpelier. Other proposed measures include cutting ties with the National Library Consortium, reductions to the library for the blind, reductions to travel and mileage for staff and cuts in subscription digital resources her department makes available to the public.
[Clip]
“It’s really an important resource,” she said. “Not only for the legal community, and that means the Attorney General’s Office and the judiciary and any member of the bar, but also any member of the public that needs access to legal materials.”

Read the Complete Article (523 Words)
See Also: Vermont Dept. of Libraries FY 2016 Budget Request (53 pages; PDF)
See Also: Vermont Public Library Statistics FY 2014 (Recently Released)

Filed under: Libraries, National Libraries, Public Libraries, Resources