On Tuesday Dean Peters submitted to the Provost a plan, developed in consultation with the Budget Committee, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders, to permanently reduce by up to 5 percent, if necessary, the annual operating budget of the MSU Libraries. These plans are being developed in response to declining state support for public two-year and four-year higher education. All MSU cost centers have been asked to submit such plans. At this time, these are only plans. Once the actual amount, if any, that each cost center needs to cut has been determined by MSU’s Administrative Council, these plans will be reviewed and portions of them may be implemented, beginning July 1st. The plan submitted by the MSU Libraries includes such cost-saving steps as foregoing the planned search to hire a Head of Technical Services, not replacing two graduates assistants when they graduate in May, and reducing the amount we spend annually on electronic serials, such as databases, e-journals, and other e-resources.