Rise and Fall of a Library Budget; San Bernardino County's spending per resident has fallen by nearly half from last year, and it's well under the statewide average.: [INLAND EMPIRE EDITION]

Some library volunteers use stuffed animals to fill in the gaps in the bookshelves. Most of the library's encyclopedias and other reference books are 3 to 5 years old. The number of magazine subscriptions has been cut by a third over the last year.

The state's budget crisis has hit almost all local government agencies hard, but few have felt the sting as much as the San Bernardino County libraries.

Last year, the library system spent 93 cents per resident on books and material and this year is expected to spend 51 cents per resident. In contrast, the statewide average for spending on books in public libraries is $3.30 per resident.

In a nationwide survey conducted by the county, the San Bernardino County library system ranked at the bottom in most categories, including spending on materials, salaries and benefits and revenue from local governments. The survey compared libraries that have similar size populations, number of branches and library visitors, among other criteria.

Fearing the cuts will curtail the number of people visiting the library, San Bernardino County Librarian Ed Kieczykowski wrote to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday asking for an increase in library spending of at least $235,000 this year. The request...