The library funding was cut from $923,000 to $390,000. Other Camden City services faced 24% cuts, while the library was hit with over a 50% cut.
Camden County will run the Ferry Branch in Camden, and there are discussions with Rutgers Camden to provide library service to Camden residents.
All Camden City Library employees will be laid off. They will be eligible to apply for jobs with the Camden County Library System.
The Free Library has served Camden City residents for over 100 years. The library was built with a generous $100,000 donation from Andrew Carnegie in the early 1900's. The Camden Free Public Library is needed more than ever. With over 150,000 visits a year, the library serves patrons who often have no other access to books and the internet. In the last year, the library has lent over 28,000 books for children and over 36,000 books for adults.
With an unemployment rate of 19.3% and a median household income of $18,007, the library is often the only source of information for the many poor and jobless residents.
The Camden Free Public Library is essential.
