New York State libraries are facing deep cuts as a result of Governor Paterson's 2010-2011 budget proposal. Our Sabina Kuriakose has more on why library advocates say the cuts couldn't come at a worse time.

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Gosh and her family have been coming to the Guilderland Public Library for years.

"I don't understand why you'd cut a place of learning that's free to the public," she said.

What Gosh and library advocates don't understand is Governor Paterson's proposed 2010-2011 budget, where libraries take a $2.3 million write-off. It's a cut they say will close the book on some services and jobs.

"Library systems are buckling under the repeated cuts over the last two years," said Michael Borges, New York Library Association's Executive Director.

He says this is the fifth cut in just two years and comes at time when libraries are most needed in the community.

"Especially library usage by the unemployed or under employed using libraries to look for jobs, to get resumes done," Borges said.

Library advocates say there's some irony in all of this. Now that federal tax forms are being sent to local libraries instead of individual homes that means libraries front the costs for service and even printing costs.

"The amount of money we received from the state for our library individually was almost equivalent to what it cost us in staff time and in copying charges," said Guilderland Public Library Director Barbara Randall.

"It's tough but the money's not there and everybody needs to feel the pain,” counters Guilderland resident Susan Hammerle.

Borges says he understands these are tough times, but libraries have been hearing the same story for years.

"They're passing on the costs of these cuts in state aid to local taxpayers," he said.

And into the pockets of library patrons like Gosh.