The national library system is in rapid decline, especially in rural areas, where budget cuts risk not only the loss of over 1,500 jobs but also the actual closure of hundreds of communal libraries.
The data appears in an official document from the Ministry of Culture, presented by Edupedu, which centralizes information provided by the National Library Commission and the National Institute for Research and Cultural Training.
According to the document, almost 4,000 librarians are expected to be affected by staff reduction measures, and between 397 and 1,588 individuals could lose their jobs, depending on the percentage applied. However, the budgetary impact of librarian salaries is minimal in relation to the size of the economy.
One in ten rural libraries disappeared in three years
Between 2022 and 2024, Romania lost 267 libraries, with the decline concentrated almost exclusively in rural areas. The number of communal libraries dropped from 1,630 in 2022 to 1,484 in 2024, meaning that one in ten village libraries disappeared in just three years.
Decreases are also noted in other segments of the system: school libraries decreased from 6,022 to 5,940, and specialized libraries from 343 to 315. In total, the number of libraries in Romania reached 8,105 in 2024, compared to 8,372 in 2022.
One librarian per commune. Post reduction means library closure
The Ministry of Culture document highlights a key aspect: in most communes, the library operates with only one librarian. Under these circumstances, staff reduction directly equates to the closure of the institution.
In rural areas, the total number of libraries decreased from 5,004 in 2023 to 4,850 in 2024, mainly due to the disappearance of communal and school libraries. Simultaneously, the number of volumes in rural libraries has sharply declined, while there has been a slight increase in urban areas.
Nearly 4,000 affected employees. Over 90% are specialized personnel
In 2024, the national library system had 9,115 employees, a decrease from 9,240 in 2023. Of these, over 90% are specialized personnel, with the vast majority being women.
The distribution shows a major imbalance between urban and rural areas: 6,762 employees work in urban environments, compared to 2,353 in rural areas, where fewer than 2,000 have full-time positions. This segment is precisely the most vulnerable to the announced budget cuts.
Salaries with minimal impact on GDP: 0.00048%
Annual expenses on librarian salaries across the national network amount to approximately 821 million lei. Relative to Romania's GDP, estimated at over 1,678 billion lei, the impact of librarian salaries is only 0.00048%.
In 2024, salary expenses for public libraries (excluding school libraries) were around 409 million lei, with almost three-quarters allocated to urban areas.
The Ministry of Culture specifies that since 2002, public libraries have been decentralized and are under the authority of local authorities, not the ministry. This administrative reality explains the significant differences between counties and communes and the vulnerability of small libraries to budget cuts.
Million-dollar investments, yet decreasing personnel
Through the PNRR, several counties and communes have attracted tens of millions of lei for the modernization and digitalization of libraries. The projects aim to transform them into hubs for developing digital skills, but the document warns that infrastructure investments cannot compensate for the loss of qualified personnel.
Without librarians, modernized libraries risk becoming closed or underutilized spaces, especially in rural areas where access to culture and education is already limited.