A Portrait of Failure - Union Report on Australia's Cultural Institutions

Australia's Community and Public Sector Union has released a report detailing the effects of budget cuts on libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions. The full report, titled "A Portrait of Failure: Ongoing Funding Cuts to Australia's Cultural Institutions", can be viewed on the union's website. The budget cuts have negatively impacted digitization projects, staffing levels, opening hours, and exhibitions. In the accompanying press release, the deputy secretary of the union said:

“The people who work in these institutions are dedicated to carefully searching out, preserving, nurturing and displaying the very best of us. Whether it is our fine art or our comic relief, our iconic films or our oral history, our war memories or our family ancestry, we all need our cultural institutions to continue preserving our past and protecting our cultural heritage.”

Chicago Teachers Union Holds One-Day Strike

Teachers, librarians, and educational support staff at Chicago Public Schools held a one-day strike yesterday, closing schools as they held a massive demonstration amid ongoing funding and contract negotiations. School administration have filed a complaint against the Chicago Teachers Union, arguing that the strike was illegal.

For more articles, photographs, and commentary on yesterday's events, check out #CTUStrike on Twitter.

SAMWU Calls For Library Support

In a statement promoting National Library Week, the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) is calling on local governments to ensure adequate funding for libraries as a means of providing free access to information and the empowerment of citizens. SAMWU describes National Library Week as a celebration of South Africa's literary and intellectual heritage.