Some challenges facing libraries nationwide

My previous post on the library budget seemed to generate quite a bit of interest, so here's an NYTimes article that paints a not-so-pretty picture of the trying times facing libraries:

As the national economic crisis has deepened and social services have become casualties of budget cuts, libraries have come to fill a void for more people, particularly job-seekers and those who have fallen on hard times. Libraries across the country are seeing double-digit increases in patronage, often from 10 percent to 30 percent, over previous years. (By SUSAN SAULNY and KAREN ANN CULLOTTA)

I'm a believer that budget cuts need to be across the whole budget - schools and all town departments. But I also believe we need to keep in mind the situation in which we find ourselves.

Tim White