NJ Proposes 74% Cuts in State Library Aid,State Library Faces Merger
Disproportionate cuts in state support would jeopardize $4.5M in federal aid
Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 03/17/2010
- Database initiative would be axed
- Cuts hit libraries disproportionately
- Broadband funds jeopardized
Moreover, the state has proposed that Thomas Edison State College, the distance learning institution that also houses the New Jersey State Library (NJSL), be merged with the New Jersey State Museum and governed by Rutgers University starting July 1, 2010.
Broad cuts
In a widely circulated message, Blake delineated proposed cuts:
- $1.449 million, all the funding for databases under the much-praised New Jersey Knowledge Initiative (NJKI)
- $4.299 million, all the funding for Network Aid, including delivery, databases, interlibrary loan, and continuing education
- $1.170 million, all the funding for virtual aid, including databases and the public library JerseyConnect Technology System.
- $3.5 million in per capita state aid, nearly half of the allotment, leaving $3.676 million
Beyond the cut in federal aid, Blake noted that "if the cut to JerseyConnect is maintained, the State Library cannot accept the $7.5 million Broadband funds if awarded."
The State Library, she wrote, has begun talks with the New Jersey Library Association regarding their mutual concerns.







