Librarians on the Olympic Peninsula are worried about a proposal by Gov. Gary Locke to close the Washington State Library as a budget-balancing move.

They say the closure would limit the resources they receive and possibly have an effect on their federal funding sources.

The State Library, which receives $9 million a year in state money, has become one of the focal points in Locke’s efforts to close a shortfall in the biennial budget of more than $1.2 billion.

The closure, which would make Washington the only state in the nation not to have a state library, would limit information services that local libraries rely on, said Meredith Wagner, interim director of the Jefferson County Library.

George Stratton, director of the Port Angeles-based North Olympic Library System, said he was “incredulous” when he heard of Locke’s proposal.

“It was very hard to believe,” Stratton said. “I’m hoping the governor or Legislature will get the message that there a lot of people who care about libraries, and this is unacceptable.”

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