Virginia Tech will find money in the next budget to increase funding to its library and mitigate the impact on its core teaching programs, according to an e-mail Provost Mark McNamee and Vice President for Finance Dwight Shelton sent Tuesday.

The e-mail to university faculty and staff said final decisions about the university's 2009-10 budget must wait until after the General Assembly meets for its April 8 veto session -- but that the university is confident enough in some plans to announce them now.

Tech's library system has been historically underfunded, and a 5 percent cut plus inflation would result in an effective budget reduction of $700,000 and the loss of hundreds of journal subscriptions. Earlier this month, the faculty senate passed a resolution calling for funds to be used to curb those cuts. An e-mail from the library soliciting feedback about journals that could be cut elicited hundreds of responses.

Instead of a reduction, the library budget will receive a $300,000 increase next year, according to McNamee and Shelton's e-mail.

"We have always given special consideration to the library budget during budget downturns, and we see no reason to alter our plans," the e-mail says. "Expressions of support for the library from the university confirm our plans."

The e-mail also commits the university to use $1.3 million to mitigate the cuts on colleges that teach large numbers of core and service courses, which typically rely heavily on instructors, teaching assistants and support staff. Because tenure and tenure-track faculty positions are not subject to the budget cuts, there is a danger that those other positions will feel a disproportionate impact from the reductions.

"Also, the provost's office has already protected the existing annual central university commitments to the instructional programs from any reductions," the e-mail says. "In this way we can continue to support our high quality core teaching mission and ensure students of timely access to essential classes."