Thu
Nov 29 2007
09:00 am

Tennessee libraries are becoming more dependent on foundations and local funding:

June Pinkston, assistant state librarian for planning and development with the Tennessee State Library and Archive Office in Nashville, said Tennessee "is in the bottom five states in overall funding for public libraries."

Andrew Hunt, Cleveland/Bradley County library director, said less than 2 percent of his $1.1 million budget comes from the state.

"For comparison, about 6 percent of our budget ... is derived from fines," he said.

According to the article, rural libraries receive less local funding, and state funding comes only through regional library offices.

KC's picture

The Knox County library system is a gem

The Knox County library system is a great county asset. With it's computerized search and hold system that can used from home, it's a blessing.

My wife and I frequently go the bookstore, or Amazon, to see what's new and then put a hold on it and get it through the library, not always immediately, if it's a bestseller, but usually pretty quickly.

Quite honestly, it's a great resource that doesn't get enough publicity.

Carole Borges's picture

I couldn't agree more...

I use the hold system frequently. Our local branch has a very limited amount of books, but you can access the whole library system's holdings in a few minutes on-line. Picking the books up close to home is so much easier than trying to find a place to park downtown. It's a wonderful system. For those who don't know, you just go to the Knoxville Public Library site at (link...) , look for the book you want, place a hold on it, and then tell them where you want to pick it up. More people ought to use this. It's so much cheaper than buying books, and it lets you read all the bestsellers in a fairly timely manner. It also has information about all the great programs the library offers.

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