(Ottawa, April 5, 2013) - The Canadian Library Association is dismayed to learn of the budget cuts to the public library service of Newfoundland and Labrador. According to a CBC news report, the provincial government has cut $1.2 million in funding to public libraries, representing 10% of the library system’s budget. Yesterday, the Newfoundland and Labrador Library Association(NLLA) confirmed that 5 professional librarians, as well as an unconfirmed number of support staff, were laid off. Opening hours for libraries across the province will also be affected. There are now just 9 professional librarians serving a system of 96 provincial public libraries. The loss of 36% of the professional staff complement will have serious negative implications for long-term leadership in planning, service development, and systems management.