Malloy defends library cuts, librarians plan rally

Fairfield resident Pat Grossarth hands a book to her grandchild Gabriella Rubio, 3, at the Stratford Library in Stratford, Conn., on Tuesday Apr. 7, 2015. On a regular basis, Grossarth drops off books she has borrowed from the Fairfield library here too.Gov. Dannel P. Malloy defended his proposed $3.5 million cut to the State Library system claiming that the lingering effects of the recession and constitutional limits on increased spending forced his proposed cut to Connecticard, the program that reimburses libraries for loaning books to out of towners. less Fairfield resident Pat Grossarth hands a book to her grandchild Gabriella Rubio, 3, at the Stratford Library in Stratford, Conn., on Tuesday Apr. 7, 2015. On a regular basis, Grossarth drops off books she has ... more Photo: Christian Abraham Buy photo Photo: Christian Abraham Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Malloy defends library cuts, librarians plan rally 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

HARTFORD -- Gov. Dannel P. Malloy defended his proposed $3.5 million cut to the State Library System on Monday, claiming that the lingering effects of the recession and constitutional limits on increased spending forced his hand.

But Norwalk Librarian Christine Bradley, during a brief question session in the Capitol, warned that Malloy's proposed million-dollar cut in interlibrary loans could set the system back 40 years.

Speaking at a lunch break in daylong seminar on the future of Connecticut libraries, Malloy recalled loving Stamford's Ferguson Library while growing up and said he understands their changing mission in an age when anyone with a computer can click on Google.

"The economy has not roared back in any way approaching what was every other post-World War II recession recovery," Malloy said. "We just haven't. And we're six years into a recovery and still waiting for and looking for a robustness that has so far eluded us. And I think that is just as true on a statewide basis and maybe more so on a local basis."

He said that over the next few years libraries will have to depend on more independent fundraising and foundation support to supplement local and state money.

"Let me be honest," he said. "I understand that everybody in this room who is in the library business has already found ways to save money and to do things less expensively. Some of you have cut back hours. I know that there's a number of libraries in Connecticut that have closed satellite offices or limited the use of things like motorized libraries."

About 70 librarians and local leaders from throughout the state attended the daylong "Connecticut Dialogue on Public Libraries," which was co-sponsored by the Aspen Institute Dialogue on Public Libraries and the Connecticut State Library.

Malloy agreed to meet the librarians months ago, before he presented his contentious budget.

"I'm certainly happy to be here, even though I had to do some things that I don't find comfortable when it comes to libraries and that's trim back some level of the support that we can lend," he said.

Bradley, director of the Norwalk Public Library, told the governor that after 40 years, Connecticard, the program that reimburses libraries for loaning books to out of towners, deserves to retain its million-dollar budget line.

"Connecticut people love this," she said. "I can go anywhere with my library card and borrow things. Why? Because the state, since 1976, has made a small reimbursement to those libraries that go beyond. These are small programs that knit together a lot of local funding. Oh, give us another look."

Librarians have scheduled a rally Wednesday to push for restored funding in the next biennial budget, which takes effect July 1 and is currently being reviewed by the General Assembly.

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