A friend who is working with the Save LAPL campaign has also been actively paying attention to all of the other libraries in crisis stories that Library Journal [itself newly for sale and purchased] has been writing. Here they are.
LIBRARIES IN CRISIS
Boston:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6719906.html
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6725545.html
Charlotte, NC:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6723200.html
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6724087.html
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6723882.html
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6726630.html
Florida:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6723308.html
Houston:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6726308.html
Indianapolis:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6725481.html
Lexington, KY:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6723655.html
Los Angeles:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6727913.html
Massachusetts:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6727650.html
Michigan:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6721718.html
New Mexico:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6720424.html
NYC:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6726822.html
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6726822.html
Ohio:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6725584.html
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6727977.html
Portland, ME:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6725481.html
San Francisco:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6722800.html
San Jose:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6722394.html
Tennessee:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6722036.html
Good news on the Indianapolis branches: Mayor Ballard says he’s committed to finding a stopgap measure which would keep the six branches which had been under consideration for closure open, for now.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20105120388
I would contend that things are at least as bad–and possibly worse–for many small and mid-sized libraries out there. Libraries serving small communities (particularly under 10,000 population) don’t have the benefit of the kinds of economies (and leverages) of scale that larger systems do. There are many, many small town libraries here in the northeast, for instance, that are in states of quiet desperation–cut back a few more open hours here, cancel a few subs there, defer all but critical maintenance, reduce new materials orders, add more volunteers, on and on. Although once in a while supporters rise up and the desperation is temporarily not so quiet, for the most, part lips are pursed and adjustments made. It is both remarkable and terrifying what we can become accustomed to.