Alaska’s libraries provide a vast network of shared resources in digital, print, and audio formats to residents of all ages. Rural and remote communities may be the most impacted by Alaska Governor Dunleavy’s veto of funding for the Alaska Library Network and the Statewide Library Electronic Doorway, or SLED.
Alaska Library Association Advocacy Committee Member Steve Rollins says the role of the Committee is to secure legislative support and funding for SLED and the Network, which support all of Alaska’s public libraries. Funding for the Network and SLED once came from the University of Alaska. But after that was cut, the Committee went straight to the Legislature to request funding.
Rollins says SLED is like an information dividend. It provides access to databases for car repair and home improvement, among many other topics. SLED has provided these databases for about 25 years now.
Dunleavy’s veto of the full $758,000 request will mean three years of funding lost for SLED and the Network. Rollins says without funding, there isn’t adequate support for all of SLED’s databases. The auto repair, small engine repair, home improvement, crafts, and testing prep databases all will be removed this year. Two more will be removed the following year if funding is not restored.
It’s not just the SLED information that the veto is impacting. The funding also would have helped continue to provide support for the courier service to share books across the State. This is particularly important for rural and remote communities that may not have the funds to ship books from other libraries to their users.
Rollins says the Alaska Library Catalog is in about 100 locations across the State, including all University libraries, most public libraries, some school districts, and some special libraries.
The digital catalog will not be impacted with the veto. Though Rollins says the Network would have used any extra funding to enhance the digital catalog because of its popularity with library users.
Grants may help to make up for some of the lost funding. The Committee plans to request legislative support again next year.
