Libraries in the era of Austerity Measures

With companies collapsing, homes foreclosed, massive lay-offs, factories closing, homelessness, divorces, millages failing, tax bases eroding, budget cuts, and so on, the questions now arising are:

(1) how can libraries survive?
(2) how can libraries contribute to the recovery of the economy?
(3) how can libraries help with the retooling, reskilling, and re-education of the society to be able to take advantage of the jobs of the future, especially the green economy?

Libraries will have to rethink how they do business and also, how they raise funds.

First is for libraries to assess their SWOT = strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Second, libraries will have to practise opportunity costs whereby they will forgo some services for another and merging of departments that compliments each other. For example, merge your Business & Finance department with your Science & Technology and patent department as one-stop shop for entrepreneurship utilizing your ideas.

Third make a list of what you want, and see as most important, and have your Friends Foundation or any other foundation go after the funds for them.

Fourth, have an amnesty for outstanding fines. Either total clearing of patron/customer's record or make a bargain of reduction of fines owed. Pay what you can afford or cut in half if you return the material.

Fifth, start an Endowment Fund, which will keep growing long after the economy has picked up. Cut your budget to what is most important and look for grants and partnership with the stakeholders.

Libraries may have to encourage early retirements and/or buy-outs, not fill open positions, freeze hiring new employees, promote from within, and close some branches [if you have many of them]. Pay cuts across the board to forestall having to lay off staff.

Libraries can offer classes for the following: computer applications, resume creations, interview techniques, literacy initiative to help those who cannot read or have problem reading, and how to surf the Internet and search for jobs on it.

Retooling and reskilling of layed off workers will involve the above mentioned initiatives and conducting workshops on options for them that would utilize their current skills and learning of new skills to enable them take advantage of emerging markets/economies. Invite some speakers that have some experiences,especially successful entrepreneurs, to come in and speak. Have experts on home foreclosures come in and give advice on how to afford it and how to come out of it.

Libraries can make use of the homeless to patrol the restrooms after training them . This is already being done in Philadelphia. This is done in collaboration with the Homeless Shelters.

Libraries can organize a bunch of how to start your own business with a kit for it - business plans and so on. This can be done in partnership with local Chamber of Commerce and Community colleges.

What say you?