Everyone,

One or another of my colleagues may have already posted this notice, but we
do not want our friends and patrons to be surprised: PLEASE NOTE: The
Reading Rooms at the Library of Virginia will be closed to the public on
Mondays, beginning with this coming Monday, 21 October 2002. The Reading
Rooms will be open to the public from Tuesday through Saturday. This action
is part of the Library's response to the severe budget cuts demanded from
it. A full description of the consequences of those budget cuts is given
below.

Having been involved in the deliberations of the Library's senior management
about what to do in the face of inexorable demands for brute dollar amounts
in cuts, I can assure you all that the decision making was extremely
difficult and done with great seriousness and sorrow. The text below gives
the results.

But, there are still great people at the Library of Virginia, which remains
a great institution. Your support as they prepare to carry on after this
devastation is important.

John

Library of Virginia Service Reduction Summary


The Library of Virginia - the Commonwealth of Virginia's official research
library and archival repository serving government officials, state and
local agencies, public libraries, college faculty, students, historians, and
genealogists - has experienced several rounds of budget reductions during
the past two years.  The cumulative effect has been a 28 percent permanent
reduction in the Library's overall general fund appropriation (22 percent of
that occurring with the 7 and 15 percent reductions this fiscal year).  The
Library has had to absorb a disproportionate amount of these cuts internally
rather than pass them on in full measure to localities and other state
agencies that receive funding through the Library's budget.  Thus, the net
effect of the past two years (including the 15 percent reduction announced
by Governor Warner this week) has been a loss to the Library's operating
budget of a staggering 39 percent.

Among the painful outcomes of our current fiscal situation are the

Layoff of  23 full- time staff (out of a maximum employment level of 216)
and 17 part-time staff, with an additional 19 vacant positions that will not
be filled - leaving a total staffing shortfall of 59 valued individuals

Reduction of collection development budget (purchasing of books,
manuscripts, journals, and databases) by 45 percent

Reduction of hours of operation in the reading rooms by one day per week.
The reading rooms will be open to researchers Tuesday through Saturdays
(with limited staffing on Saturdays), but will be closed to researchers on
Mondays.

Elimination of the Digital Library Program, which has allowed the Library to
make heavily-used collections available to researchers through the Library's
web site

Elimination of the Imaging Services Program, which for decades has conducted
all preservation microfilming for the Library, its patrons, and numerous
local agencies

Elimination of the Virginia Center for the Book Program

Elimination of all state funding for the Infopowering the Commonwealth
initiative, which provides citizens and libraries access to a wide array of
key information databases

Elimination of Educational Programs, including teacher workshops, tours for
K through 12 students, and other activities that open the Library's
resources to a younger audience

Elimination of the Publications Division as a separate organizational unit,
with key editorial functions and staff consolidated within another division

Elimination of Virginia Cavalcade magazine, the Library's award-winning
quarterly magazine published continuously since 1951

Elimination of all planning for 2007 related projects

Elimination of the Building and Construction Grants program and consulting
services that have supported and assisted local libraries with planning and
oversight of major construction initiatives

Reduction by 22 percent of state funding for local libraries, which is
administered through
the Library of  Virginia's budget.  This will have a serious impact on the
hours, book buying,
and staffing of local libraries across the Commonwealth

Significant reduction of the State Documents Depository Program, which
provides citizens
with access to state publications through local libraries

Significant reduction in services to state agency libraries

Significant slippage in archival processing targets addressing the
collections backlog

Significant delays in processing photo duplication orders and on-line
research and reference requests for researchers

The Library staff is committed to maintaining fundamental services to our
many users.  This difficult budgetary situation unravels much of what has
been accomplished during the last decade, and further reductions will erode
the agency's ability to function effectively as the reference library at the
seat of government, archival agency of the Commonwealth, and advocate for
Virginia's library community.

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