PORTLAND, Ore. — The State Library of Oregon is warning that rising library budget cuts across the state could greatly impact services to the community.
'We have seen a distressing rise in budget cuts to libraries in Oregon: from Eugene Public Library and Linn-Benton Community College to Beaverton City Library, and most recently, Salem Public Library," the statement, released on Thursday, said.
The Salem Public Library cut hours at the main location and West Salem branch back in December. State Library staff said these cutbacks will have an immediate impact.
"The Library is just not able to provide the level of service that may be expected of it," said Buzzy Nielsen, the Program Manager for Library Support at the State Library of Oregon.
Nielsen said this lack of financial support is weighing heavily on library staff who are already facing safety concerns and a record number of attempts to ban books.
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A recent audit of Multnomah County Libraries found a majority of staff members don't feel safe at work. County auditors also revealed that people dealing with housing and mental health crises across the county are turning to libraries, which aren’t equipped to meet their needs.
"People bring their different needs and issues into the library. That could be mental health; that could be objections to the way the library is run; that could be libraries acting as de facto first responders," Nielsen said.
Nielsen said these are troubling trends that have compelled some to quit the industry altogether. He's concerned libraries will lose the very people who make them integral to the community.
"Library staff are really the key to what makes libraries, libraries," Neilsen said. "They’re the people that select the material; they’re the people who run story times; they’re the people who coordinate the lecture programs; the people who drive the outreach vehicles."