State library faces deep cuts
OLYMPIA — Gov. Christine Gregoire proposed cuts of $2 million in the next two-year budget cycle for the Washington State Library.
While it may seem like a local story for Olympia, it really is local for the entire state. The cuts mean a loss of 31 jobs and elimination of work to preserve many of the state’s oldest historic documents, according to Washington State Librarian Jan Walsh.
Columbia Basin Herald Publisher Harlan Beagley is concerned about the cuts. As a member of Secretary of State Sam Reed’s advisory committee, Beagley dealt with the planned Washington State Heritage Center and came to appreciate the value of the state library.
“Right now some of the state’s history is being housed in a basement in Tumwater,” he said. “If you wanted to do research, it would be difficult.”
According to David Ammons, communications director for Reed, Beagley’s concern has merit. He said a drop in funding of the state library could hinder its move to the heritage center. Also in question would be some of the funding for local libraries.
“Much of the money that goes to library districts from federal grants comes through the state library,” Ammons said.
Ammons said some of the people who would lose their jobs are those who write grant applications. Also lost would be people who are important to moving the state library to the heritage center.
“It’s over a third of our staff if the governor’s budget goes through,” Walsh said.
It’s a shame, Reed said. He noted the state library has seen “an amazing increase in usage” by the public, in person and online, over the past decade.
“I realize we face a tough budget crisis now, but the state library already has had more than its share of cuts,” Reed said. “These latest cuts are penny-wise and pound-foolish.”
Another problem is a federal rule that reduces federal funding when local funding is cut. He noted the state library’s funding, after the proposed cuts, will approach the funding level for that rule to take effect.
If the proposed cuts are adopted, it will bring cuts over the last decade to 36.4 percent. Staffing will have been reduced by 51 percent over the same period. The state library’s funding will stand at $11.5 million.
Even the heritage center itself is in question, Ammons said. It is scheduled for construction in 2011 on the West Capitol Campus with funds dedicated solely to the center. But now that it’s time to sign the mortgage for the building, the legislature is balking.
“With this economy, they’re worried about how it would look to put up a new building,” Ammons said. “It’s not a funding problem but a political problem.”
The Washington State Heritage Center was conceived and planned by Reed. It was approved by the legislature in 2007. It will be the first new building on the West Capitol Campus in nearly half a century.