When it comes to discussing what is happening with library finances during COVID-19, the best quote I found was that since the pandemic has hit, staff have been “running around with our hair on fire” (Conkling, 2020). Libraries are feeling the crunch of dwindling budgets and are scrambling to find solutions to less money, yet still trying to meet the increased need of support for their communities.
Academic libraries seemed to have been best prepared for the virtual needs of the pandemic. A huge part of this can be attributed to the fact that these types of libraries “have steadily increased their investment in virtual services and digital resources over the past several decades” (Frederick, et. al, 2020). Public and school libraries have been busy creating more virtual friendly library collections since the pandemic, but academic libraries already had these in place due to students that participated in distance learning. However, this doesn’t mean academic libraries are without worry. Of the 638 library directors surveyed from four-year colleges in the United States, around 75% of them have experienced cuts because of COVID (Federick, et. al, 2020). Academic libraries are attacking budget cuts in the same ways that many other types of libraries are handling them-hiring freezes, eliminating vacancies and furloughing employees. It is not a secret that personnel take up a big chunk of libraries’ budgets, so that is the part of the budget that administrators are scrutinizing.
School districts are trying to turn to the federal government for help with budgets, but the funds are not coming. In California a proposal was made for a school district to cut all librarians. They proposed employing one professional to rotate schools to serve 3,000 children (Bamberger, et. al, 2020). Desperate times call for desperate measures but I don’t see how this type of situation helps anyone.
Public Libraries are trying to salvage their shrinking budgets by also reviewing personnel portions of their budgets. Peet (2020), discusses how public libraries in California and Wisconsin are leaving vacancies open, eliminating positions, and rescinding job offers. Other strategies implemented are instituting shift schedules, offering early retirement incentives, temporary furloughs and reducing hours of branches. A creative strategy I applaud is working with publishers and vendors to hold journal and database subscriptions to a flat rate. I feel inventive ways such as this, along with cutting hours and having shift schedules, are the best options to budget shortfalls and much more efficient than eliminating positions.
One shining example of success during COVID-19 seems to be the New York City Public Libraries. Conkling (2020) describes how the libraries have adapted and aided their communities during budget cuts. They have “shifted spending especially in respect to digital collections and virtual programming” (Conkling, 2020) and turned to their community partners to provide a huge array of services to their patrons. Since pandemic started, they have held 4,000 programs online to grow literacy and to help with civil issues. They have partnered with community members to distribute PPE, provide COVID testing, used ipads to provide virtual libraries to inmates, held virtual storytimes, offered online homework help, and even made their Business and Career Center available online for the many who are now jobless. By reaching out to community organizations they have been able to fund these programs and stepped up to the needs that have been presented by their patrons. Their efforts have proven how libraries can meet new needs despite less money in their budget.
Resources:
Bamberger, C., Bryan, C., Campbell, J., &Schultz, A. (2020, July 1). As COVID-19 budget cuts loom, relevance of school librarians put to the test. EdWeek. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/as-covid-19-budget-cuts-loom-relevance-of-school-librarians-put-to-the-test/2020/07.
Conkling, A. (2020, December 11). Gothamgazette.com. https://www.gothamgazette.com/city/9974-new-york-public-libraries-adjust-pandemic-nyc
Frederick, J. K., & Wolff-Eisenberg, C. (2020, December 9). Academic Library Strategy and Budgeting During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from the Ithaka S+R US Library Survey 2020. https://doi.org/10.18665/sr.314507.
Peet, L. (2020, September 24). Budgeting for the new normal: Libraries respond to COVID-19 funding constraints. Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=budgeting-for-the-new-normal-libraries-respond-to-covid-19-funding-constraints.