The recent cessation of federal financial assistance to libraries nationwide is likely to have only an indirect effect on Baxter Memorial Library’s operations, according to library director James Rathbun. He has clarified that the Baxter Library does not receive any direct federal assistance, but does rely on the Maine State Library to administer the inter-library loan program, and to facilitate access to several important databases which are used for many types of research.

Rathbun and librarians across the state are waiting to hear how the state library will deal with the loss of the federal portion of its budget, which is approximately 30% of the full amount. Thirteen of the state library’s forty-four employees are federally funded, and these thirteen workers have recently received layoff notices.

The inter-library loan program remains active, but the state library is temporarily closed to the public until April 28, while the remaining staff assesses how to realign the library’s programs with the reduced funding and staffing levels. Access to the databases has not changed, for now.