I'm academic, but we're seeing more public folks come in as the local public libraries have reduced their hours and we're also seeing folks from 2 local colleges as their libraries have reduced their hours as well. it's not bad at the moment as they primarily use the space, but I wonder/worry that they'll start needing resources and how we'll manage that - Sir Shuping

hiring freezes, budget freezes, and lots of fear. - Jenica

What Jenica said. I'm almost afraid to listen to the news or read my email. The college is raising tuition, not a lot and we're one of the cheapest cc's in the state. A bit worried about what a 4-day class schedule might mean for staffing in the next year. -

Also curious if your hours are cut, can you please post what hours have been or will be cut. - Lori Reed

oh, yeah, and tuition hikes. That too. Ugh. - Jenica

Jenica nailed it. Oh, and a major budget issue aimed at buying more electronic resources for the state university system failed. - D0r0th34

Hiring freeze, wage freeze, travel budget freeze, having to justify almost every dollar spent. - josh neff, Fun Dip of FF

student enrollments are up. - Fiona Bradley

Not much, but I live in the state with the lowest unemployment rate in the country. The legislature isn't adding any money to the library endowment fund this year, but few if any libraries are cutting hours or staff. We're adding them in my county. - laura x

Both my wife and I work for state universities. They're warning us that we may have some unpaid furlough days this year. - Jàson Puçkett

Cuts to operations and collections budgets, no salary increases beyond covering the increase of health insurance costs, fewer applicants to the next Freshman class, stalled building projects, compromises in building/grounds upkeep. - lris

SU's library system cut 20+ employees in January. Salaries above $50,000 are frozen (no salary increases this year). Other areas of campus are looking at ways of reducing costs without impacting teaching. No academic positions will be eliminated. - Jill Hurst-Wahl

So far just the fear and loathing and promises of worse to come. - Steve is older than ever

Not much. I feel really insulated here in Nebraska, and especially in Lincoln. There's been a hiring "freeze" (though they won't call it that) but no layoffs. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. - Kårín Dalzĭel

layoffs, hiring slowdown (not quite a freeze), no salary increases for salaried staff, travel pretty much gone, tightened purse strings in most areas. collection budgets not reduced, at least. - holly

Hiring freezes, anxiety, and waiting for the other shoe to drop. In Illinois we are very much in limbo, as our legislature spent all their energy ousting the governor and none on determining budget and strategies. We really don't know what to expect, which is nervewracking - RudĩϐЯaЯïan

We're looking ahead, meeting with departments about priorities. No cuts yet, No jobs lost. No raises next year. But people at other libraries are cutting things we had to cut years ago. Our budget is lower than it was in 2000 and has been flat for some years. We've been making cuts routinely. Hey, we could become consultants! - barbara fister

Hiring feeze, wages freeze, budgets cut. Oh, and enrollment is up. - jönαthaη

You said it Rudi! I'm in the process of writing the budget for 2009/2010 and it's hard to do it not knowing what to expect...if anything. The state is so far in debt currently that it's inevitable that there will be some belt-tightening. But what it means for higher education hasn't been determined yet. And one of our unions contract will be up at the end of this fiscal year. Of course, costs for periodicals, databases, books, etc. continue to rise. When will the vendors get a clue? -

Pretty much the same here - hiring freeze, wage freeze (for most), budgets cut, travel/prof dev mostly out. Happy to have job, but fretting over combo of wage freeze combined with increased health insurance costs. - Rachel Walden

Jill, you're the first person I've heard from whose institution is freezing salaries only above a certain level. Anybody else's doing the same? - Rachel Walden

We've been told this year is a "protected" year - due to the way our budget and foreign exchange buying work we won't have many extra problems this year, but 2010 might be iffier. - Deborah Fitchett

hiring freeze, budget freeze, travel freeze, purchasing freeze... better hope nuthin' breaks 'cause we don't have $$ to replace it. - Ruth: Desert Librarian

Looking at our three budget/funding sources, hoping one doesn't just go away (new chancellor may equal new funding model?), wondering what has to shift to which source for the ongoing costs and thinking resource optimization & prioritization. Just getting a handle on comparative use stats & cost per use data... we're ready to reduce if the budgets say we have to - so far, all is on hold... - Aaron the Librarian

my staff are freaking out. lots of fear and anxiety. hiring freeze and no travel money. - Mary Carmen

Would it be safe to say that it's really North America bearing the brunt this year? Maybe it is a warning for the rest of us next year? - Fiona Bradley

Hiring freeze, travel budget freeze, having to justify almost every dollar spent. Hiring freeze statewide is particularly painful because our parent dept's IT staff is working at about 40% staffing and they provide our tech support. When they can. People *seem* to be using our library more, but I haven't plotted doorcounts for awhile. - Daniel Cornwall

Fiona, things are business as usual in Australia? The news around here is that other national economies are also spiraling down, in part due to US banks/mortgages, but also that Iceland thing? - RudĩϐЯaЯïan

Rudi - We're in recession, but it doesn't seem to have been as bad here yet (though corporate is hurting bad, lots of job losses). Maybe because we were near the end to go into recession. Christmas sales were at record highs, a usual barometer of consumer confidence. - Fiona Bradley

Well it's public now. Here's how it is going to hit us: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breakin... - Lori Reed

Wow, Lori, that's awful. - laura x

ugh. so sorry, Lori. You know I can relate. wishing you all at PLCMC the best as you figure out what to do. - holly

Lori - I bet your use has been rising. This is one way that libraries and non-profits are NOT like a business. When businesses increase volume, they make more sales and get more resources. Whether or not libraries increase volume doesn't impact their funding. Sigh. - Daniel Cornwall

Lori - OMG! - Jill Hurst-Wahl

Lori, that's terrible! I'm so sorry! - josh neff, Fun Dip of FF

What awful news Lori. - Stephanie Zimmerman