CONSORTIUM LIBRARY AFTER HOURS CUT DUE TO BUDGET WOES - Kathryn Dufresne, Northern Light

As early as August 29, paper signs were posted outside the UAA/APU Consortium Library entrances stating, “After Hours will not be offered this semester due to budget cuts.” According to Steve Rollins, Dean of the Consortium Library, over the last three years, budget cuts to the library have continued to get deeper. “We’ve lost, at this point, $1.7 million from the general fund. That’s about 28 percent of our general fund,” Rollins said. “Three years ago, we got cut $400,000, then it was $600,000, and then this year we’re in right now is $740,000 that’s been cut. We’ve cut collections, we’ve cut our book budget…” Robin Hanson, Head of Access Services at the Consortium Library noted that many do not realize “…how many dollars we’ve lost, and our reductions in staff and the decisions we had to make.” http://www.thenorthernlight.org/consortium-library-after-hours-cut-due-to-budget-woes/