This year’s state budget included a 73% cut in the funds that pay for the Power Library, which provides many of our online services. You may have noticed the change this month in the databases that are no longer available to you as a library patron. This includes the loss of Ebscohost among other services. Many of these resources were very valuable to students. For individual libraries to purchase these resources themselves would cost as much as $40,000 per library at a time when library budgets have also been cut significantly in many cases (including here in Aston).
The Governor and the state legislators are now beginning the process for next year’s budget. Let them know what you think about the “Library Access” money that funds these online resources by going here:
http://www.capwiz.com/ala/pa/home/
Thanks for your interest in this important issue!
Aston Public Library 