A measure passed by the Washington state legislature March 14 would save the Washington State Library by recreating it as a separate department within the secretary of state’s office. Gov. Gary Locke had proposed closing the library as part of his effort to address a $1.2-billion shortfall in the state’s biennial budget. Locke is expected to sign the bill.
The proposal would eliminate five full-time jobs and save about $450,000, the Olympia Olympian reported March 1. The new plan also abolishes the state library commission. Locke’s plan to close the state library altogether assumed savings of $5.8 million.
State Librarian Nancy Zussy told American Libraries that although the bill transfers $3.5 million of the state library’s funding for the coming fiscal year to the secretary of state’s office, the remaining $5.2 million falls under the governor’s “discretionary” money; she noted that although it is labeled as going towards transfer of the library to the secretary of state, “there is no absolute compulsion to spend it for that purpose.” Also, Zussy warned, the last-minute budget measure passed by the legislature leaves a $40-million shortfall that will require Locke to veto individual pieces to achieve balance.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story indicated that a portion of the library would be transferred to the state archives. This was not a part of the proposal.
Posted March 25, 2002.