There's Not Any Fat Left To Trim At Libraries?

A few thoughts right out of the gate.

1. I am a longtime frequent public library patron. Libraries are fantastic.
   
2. I would prefer to see the government at all levels out of the library business, though the fact that the vast majority of them are done at the local (rather than state or federal) level is a comfort to me.
3. Given my druthers (I love the way that sounds), if I could start getting the government's hands out of various things, libraries would be FAR FAR down the list of my concerns. You probably couldn't convince me outright that libraries are an example of a public good, but you would have my ear for a while.
   

On the article linked below, note the all-too-common refrain of a recipient of taxpayer's money. Without these funds the operation is "imperiled." Are we to honestly believe that libraries really can not cut expenses by 10%? There is no fat left to trim? Seriously? Households need to cut this much and more on a regular basis. What happened to collective belt-tightening?

Libraries say 10% too much to cut state aid - Democrat and Chronicle: "ALBANY — The Finger Lakes Library System is urging patrons to take a few minutes to speak up for their library, warning that the future of the public institution is imperiled. 'Without adequate support, the library resources that our community members depend on may disappear,' the system's website says. ... New York's 755 public libraries say they would be devastated by a 10 percent aid reduction proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his budget. The hit would be $8.45 million statewide, leaving a total of $76 million in aid."

And I'm more than a little skeptical of this claim. The dollar amount, that is.

"Inter-library loans provided 9.2 million items to patrons in 2009, saving libraries and taxpayers more than $185 million ..."

Wait, what? So only 10% of the library funding is from the state, so we're talking 10% of 10%? Is the claim here that a reduction in funding to the tune of 1% will "imperil" the institution of public libraries? And we are to take these people seriously?

"About 80 percent of library funding is from local governments, 10 percent from the state, and the rest is from donations and grants."