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REGINA — Saskatchewan’s education minister is suggesting there are too many libraries in the province.

NDP MLA Carla Beck asked Don Morgan in the legislature how his government could justify cutting all funding to libraries in Regina and Saskatoon and more than half of all funding to regional libraries.

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Morgan replied that more than 90 Saskatchewan rural communities with a library also have one in their school.

He said there are opportunities to combine resources in those communities.

Morgan said there are five libraries between Martensville and Langham — all within 15 minutes of Saskatoon — and four between Indian Head and Regina.

He also said the number of items checked out of all libraries has dropped by 1.6 million items since 2007 and the number of library cards has dropped by 175,000.

“Mr. Speaker, in our province we have one library for every 4,000 citizens,” Morgan said Monday in the legislature.