Budget cuts are affecting the library’s online databases to a tune of $45,000, said Brenda Jones, library and learning resources director.

Forty-Five percent of what is spent on the 42 online databases each year, costing around $20,000, is being cut. This means that students will not have access to certain databases, which is unfortunate because it decreases the reliable sources that are available, said Meghan Gaynor, a librarian.

“It is not a big deal. It is an inconvenience, but those databases are not the only ones available,” said Brett Kodama, 18.

To make the last harmful cuts, the library staff is looking at the statistical reference to see how often a database is being used. They are also asking faculty which databases are crucial for students and should be kept.

“[The] library tries to stress that students should use online periodicals for research, which have been evaluated and are totally safe,” said Jones. “Especially since students have the convenient accessibility from home. Now with the periodicals gone, they will go on Google for information which is not well evaluated.”

Definite cuts will include printed periodicals, 200 of them costing $20,000 for annual subscriptions. The New York Times, La Opinion, Nature and American Journal of Public Health are just a few periodicals being cut that will be save almost $5,000, said Jones. The cuts will be effective Jan. 1, 2010.

The cuts are from the Telecommunications and Technology Infrastructure Program which is a $36,000 fund for every community college in the state, and $9,000 from instructional supplies.

The library has until the middle of November to make a decision about which databases will be cut.

There is a possibility that the chancellor’s office will provide funding for the databases, said Jones. However, because they will be funding the service, they will be the ones to dictate which databases are to be kept or eliminated. Until now, it is unknown whether it will occur.

The state was estimated to receive $130 million from the federal government for the community colleges. However, the state will only receive $35 million, said Ron Nakasone, interim executive vice president of administrative services.

Nakasone also said Matriculation services, the disability center and other special programs will see there funding cut.