There is a small program in place that provides $200 to each library in the state.
By Mal Leary
Capitol News Service

AUGUSTA – Even as demand for the services they provide are going up, Maine public libraries are having to cope with less revenue and reduced budgets.

“I think everybody is feeling the pinch,” said Anne Davis, president of the Maine Library Association and director of the Gardiner Public Library. “Even those that are getting an increase, it is just not enough to keep up.”

Davis said at a recent statewide meeting of library directors that all were pointing to an increase in demand for services from traditional book lending to the use of public computers to access to the Internet.

“I think it is all a ripple effect,” she said in a recent interview, “with the economy down, we are getting less revenue just when people are coming in to borrow more books or look for a job on the Internet.”

The impact on libraries varies widely, as does the response to the economic downturn. State lawmakers have cut the Maine State Library budget by $770,000 over the two-year budget cycle. State Librarian Gary Nichols said last week that all libraries in Maine will share in those cuts.

“We have a small program that did provide $200 a year to every library to help them purchase books,” he said. “I don’t think that many libraries know that the budget has eliminated that program.”

Nichols said while $200 is not very significant to the large libraries, it will be significant to the many small libraries across the state that often are open only a few hours a day for a limited number of days.

“We lost a position last year, but this year we were flat-funded,” said Lewiston Public Library Director Rick Speer. “I consider myself very fortunate compared to my colleagues around the state.”

Speer said overall library use is up, and use of the 14 public computers has skyrocketed. He said a one-hour limit on use has been implemented because demand is so high.

“We nearly had to close our branches,” said Portland Public Library Director Sheldon Kaye. “We had asked for a $200,000 increase and the proposal was a $250,000 cut. That was a big gap on a budget of $3.3 million.”

But, Kaye said, the City Council approved a budget that flat-funded the library, which is the only one in the state with multiple locations. In addition to the main building, there are five branch facilities in the city. He said flat funding means falling behind in meeting the needs of the library users.

“We will be buying fewer books, so people might have to wait a little longer to borrow a copy,” said Barbara McDade, director of the Bangor Public Library. “And we are lucky; we did get an increase, although a very small one.”

The increase, just less than 1 percent, does not begin to make up for the decrease in revenue the library gets from its endowment fund. McDade said the overall decrease in the stock market means there will be $33,000 less to spend on buying books this year.

But not all libraries have been cut or flat funded. Rich Boulet, director of the Blue Hill Public Library, said the town increased its appropriation to the private, nonprofit library.

“But, we have felt the impact of the economy,” he said, “the demand is up, and what we get from our endowment is down.”

A number of steps have been taken to make funds go farther. Maine libraries pool their purchasing power through the State Library and buy books at far lower prices than individuals pay in book stores. Nichols said the discounts were 40 percent and higher for some purchases.

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