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Budget a Mixed Bag for National LibrariesDepending largely on what federal agency they fall under, national libraries fared well or poorly in President Bush’s FY2002 budget. Proposed funding for the National Library of Medicine rose from $246.4 million in 2001 to $275.7 million. “The National Institutes of Health, which NLM is part of, was treated very favorably by the administration,” Communications Officer Robert Mehnert told American Libraries. The president’s proposed budget for the National Center for Biotechnology, the part of NLM that deals with molecular biology databases and human genome data, contains a whopping 21% increase. The National Agricultural Library’s flat budget of $20.7 million reflects an overall decline in support for the Department of Agriculture. NAL Public Affairs Officer Len Carey told AL the library will have to “continue to streamline its services and programs.” Despite a $50-million increase for the Smithsonian Institution, a $541,000 reduction is planned for the Smithsonian Libraries, reflecting a de-emphasis on research in favor of what Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence Small calls “expanded public impact.” Libraries Director Nancy Gwinn told AL the budget cut will mean closing three branches and the loss of 12 positions. As a congressional agency, the Library of Congress has not yet learned the fate of its $480.1-million budget request. Librarian of Congress James Billington is scheduled to testify at Senate hearings next month. Posted April 16, 2001. |
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