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Original Articles

Future Economic Realities for Libraries: A Lesson in Current EventsFootnote

Pages 249-268 | Published online: 19 Aug 2009
 

Abstract

This article focuses on three current events for learning about what is possible in library policy. The first is the run up in the price of fuel and food (“Too Expensive to Ignore”), the second is the cheapening of some kinds of communication (“Too Cheap to Matter”) and the hugely successful Obama for President Campaign that used the Internet to develop a new way of successful mass fund raising, voter activation and building grass roots support. The author explores the implications of these changes to interpret ALA's late October 2008 request for $100 million in federal funding as the antithesis of successful constituency development for public libraries.

Notes

The original version of this article was delivered at a conference organized by Clarion University SLIS, Columbus Ohio, on May 1–2, 2008.

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4. Cited in The Economist, March 15, 2008, p. 8.

5. A ravenous dragon: A special report on China's quest for resources. The Economist, March 15, 2008, pp. 1,3.

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11. ALA. Library Fund Raising: A Selected Annotated Bibliography. ALA Library Fact Sheet Number 24. Available at www.ala.org/library/fact24.html.

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14. 2008 library design showcase. American Libraries. 39:4 (April 2008), pp. 44–58.

15. An “environmental scan” has clear purposes. It “develops a common perception” of your organization and what it faces. “identifies strengths, weaknesses, trends and conditions. “ “draws on internal and external information.” And “is a key on‐going process for internal and external honesty and openness to changing conditions.” Purpose statement accessed on April 4, 2008, from http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/ts.html.

16. Anderson, Chris. Free! Why $0.00 is the future of business. Wired Magazine, 16.3 Posted February 25, 2008, Downloaded on March 28, 2008, from http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16‐03/ff_free

17. Wells, Jennifer. In the new economy, ‘free becomes inevitable’. Posted May 5, 2008. Downloaded on May 19, 2008, from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080505.wranderson05/BNStory/Technology.

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19. Elliott, Don; Holt, Glen; Hayden, Sterling & Holt, Leslie Edmonds. Measuring Your Library's Value: How to do A Cost‐Benefit Analysis for Your Public Library. Chicago: ALA, 2006.

20. Yost, Pete, and Sherman, Mark. High Court won't hear two religion cases Posted October 1, 2007. Downloaded on June 1, 2008, from sfgate, at http://www.sfchroniclemarketplace.com/cgi‐bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/10/01/national/w081818D71.DTL.

21. Downloaded on December 6, 2008, from http://wiki.answers.com/. The quote is found many other places on the Net along with many published books.

22. Author's files.

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24. NCLIS. Final Report from NCLIS. Meeting the Information Needs of the American Public: Past Actions and Future Initiatives. Washington, DC: April 2, 2008. Downloaded on June 1, 2008, from http://www.resourceshelf.com/2008/04/02/final‐report‐from‐nclis‐meeting‐the‐information‐needs‐of‐the‐american‐public‐past‐actions‐and‐future‐initiatives/, pp. 55–56.

25. Downloaded on December 6, 2008, from http://www.urbanlibraries.org/mission/index.html.

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27. From National Library Board [of Singapore]. PowerPoint presentation to Bertelsmann International Networkers. 1997. Slides 2–3. In author's possession.

28. Koh Buck Song. To help make S'pore a Renaissance City National Library Board to spend $1 billion over 8 years. Newspaper clipping labeled Singapore Times, April 7, 1996. From National Library Board PowerPoint Presentation to Bertelsmann International Networkers. 1997. Slide 4. In author's possession.

29. Quotation downloaded and discussed by sources at The Dirksen Congressional Center, on May 22, 2008, from http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_emd_billionhere.htm

30. US, Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2005. NCES 2008‐301. By Adrienne Chute & P. Elaine Kroe. (Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, November 2007), pp. 4–5. Downloaded on April 6, 2008, from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/36/2d/74.pdf.

31. Laura Bush announces $1.3 million in school library grants. Downloaded on June 10, 2007, from American Libraries Direct at http://us.f821.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?action=welcome&YY=136895591&.rand=cifk63ljb1fun.

32. Profile of rural public libraries in the United States”‐ A comparison of public library statistics. From Chute, A., E., Gamer, P., Polcari, M., and Ramsey, C.J. (2002). Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 1999. (NCES 2002‐308). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: 2002. Downloaded on June 2, 2008, from http://www.ala.org/ala/olos/outreachresource/Rural_and_Small_Library_Statistics.pdf.

33. It's official: Recession since Dec. '07. Downloaded on December 7, 2008, from CNNMoney.com at http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/01/news/economy/recession/?postversion=2008120115.

34. Rathberger, Bob. The economy: Recession or depression? Posted December 6, 2008 at http://news‐press.com/article/20081206/BUSINESS/812070387

35. ALA seeks $100 million in stimulus funding as U.S. libraries face critical cutbacks, closures. American Library Association Press Release, October 29, 2008. Downloaded on December 8, 2008, from http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2008/october2008/ALA_print_layout_1_517914_517914.cfm

36. Jackson, Tom. Libraries want a bailout too. Sandusky Register online, November 25, 2008. Downloaded on December 8, 2008, from http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2008/11/25/viewpoints/blogs/tom_jackson/doc492c133bcc3eb152118453.txt

37. R. John Xerxes | Where's the Library Bailout Plan? Posted November 20, 2008. Downloaded on December 8, 2008, from http://isgreaterthan.net/?p=8417.

38. Nicollette. Library stimulus request is not a bailout. Posted November 8, 2008, from http://www.librarian.net/stax/2577/library‐stimulus‐request‐is‐not‐a‐bailout/

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