Magazine publishers weathered the difficult recession year of 2009 with admirable resilience. Although several magazines failed and many saw reductions in advertising revenue, a number of new publications have been launched as industry professionals continue to demonstrate their ability to adapt to new technologies and difficult business…

This article reports on a 2009 budget survey conducted by "Library Journal" in which a random sample of U.S. public libraries were surveyed via mail or fax in October 2008. Those that answered the survey projected a modest increase in budgets for 2009, just 2%, with less than a 1% increase in funds for materials, a predictable area for cuts. That…

This article reports on "LJ"'s annual book-buying survey of public libraries in which circulation took the biggest leap recorded since the survey was launched in 1999. This year's whopping 5.16 percent increase overall suggests just how many people are saving pennies by borrowing materials instead of buying them. In fact, libraries are being…

The year 2009 will be remembered as one of angst, with the economy dominating news around the world. Few libraries were immune to the extraordinary financial pressures. The library marketplace by year's end was in a weakened position, with prospects of a long recovery at best. Concern persists that even deeper budget cuts will come when federal…

Hard times bring out the ambiguity in politics. Except for fiscal extremists, most politicians in North America want to support their libraries. When "Library Journal" ("LJ") planned to name the heroes and villains in the politics of library funding, they rediscovered that politics just is not that simple, and that it may be a…

As waves of grim economic news wash over state and federal governments here and abroad, libraries of all types and sizes are bracing for budget cuts the likes of which have not been seen in three generations. Unlike most financial crises, this one is ubiquitous, with all but a handful of states in the red and getting redder. Globally, the meltdown…

Six years ago, the author shared some strategies on managing a cutback ("Budget Shortfalls," "Library Journal" 5/15/03, p. 34-35). Now, people are in an even more severe economic downturn. In this article, the author offers some additional tips on how to cope with more budget shortfalls during this recession.

Public libraries are suffering budget cuts in most states nationwide, according to an informal LJ survey, with a significant segment--though not a majority characterizing the strictures as worse than in the early 1990s, the last time libraries were hit hard. LJ contacted state library agencies and, in some-cases, state library associations, for a…

It is tough to make the staff of a large, highly centralized urban library system believe they should make their own decisions and even take risks--all to serve their community better. But that is what Mary Graham has achieved as Brooklyn Public Library's director of the Office of Neighborhood Services. A study of Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) in…

Reviews the idealistic origins of the public library in the United States and the gradual shift from private to public financial support. It is argued that a skeptical attitude toward the public sector led to the recent financial crisis for public libraries, and that strategies for funding must include reaffirmation of the original idealistic…

Previews the agenda for the American Library Association's 2002 Midwinter Meeting. Topics include the incompatibility of Bush administration national security initiatives with traditional rights of intellectual freedom; budget cuts; government funding; new roles for libraries in times of crisis; Internet access and control; and librarians'…

Discusses the use of document delivery by academic and research libraries and lists 28 private document delivery services frequently cited in a survey of libraries who use the services. Topics addressed include traditional interlibrary loan services; the effects of rising journal costs, restricted budgets, and staff cuts; and copyright issues.…

Social and economic issues affecting the vitality of public libraries in California are discussed. A 1993 study by the California State Library identified diminishing reference skills and reference collections, reduced funding which impacted staffing, increased demand, technology change, and language/culture issues as contributing factors to…

Reviews the most significant issues facing the library profession today and speculates on future possibilities. Topics include budget reversals, including federal and state aid; scholarly journal costs and Web-based scholarly communication initiatives; filtering debates, including lawsuits; library education; digital copyright; Web portals and…