LA County's Library System May Check Out

The Los Angeles County Public Library system is facing tough financial straits in the next ten years and will either need to raise more funds through a special tax or reduce services to the community, according to a new report given to the Board of Supervisors.

The Library Commission Report given to the Supervisors on Tuesday details how the library system has been hit hard during the recession. Despite several cost cutting measures including reduced hours, program cuts, and more efficient purchasing, it still faces a $22 million deficit in its $109.7 million budget over the next ten years. The County Public Library is "not exempt from the fallout of the economic crisis," the report said, as losses in tax revenue from declining property values and increased costs including health care have put tremendous pressure on the nations largest library system.