A massive fund-raising blitz for Bermuda College will be launched in the wake of a $400,000 Government grant cut.

Some lecturers have voiced alarm over the impact of purse-tightening by departments.

The library's book buying budget is understood to have been slashed to just $5,000 from about $20,000.

And one lecturer said this budget even topped $60,000 several years ago.

The cash crunch comes during a big expansion of the college, with extra buildings proposed.

College chiefs are now racking their brains to find ways of boosting funds.

President Dr. George Cook said a big fund-raising campaign was being prepared.

And a public appeal for donations was likely within the next two months.

Some money-spinning measures have already been taken, while others were in the pipeline.

"We haven't got all our ducks in place, but we are planning a big announcement soon,'' said Dr. Cook. "We are looking for certain creative ways of raising revenue.'' This year the college is making do with a $3.3 million "operating grant'' from Government.

It is roughly $400,000 down from last year, said Dr. Cook.

The grant pays for the running of buildings, and salaries of maintenance and clerical staff.

The library's book-buying budget also comes out of the operating grant.

One lecturer, who does not wish to be named, said the budget had been reduced over the years.

"It has been whittled down. I believe it was roughly $20,000 last year, and two or three years ago it was about $60,000. We are already weak in certain areas in the library, and it worries me we won't be able to strengthen them.'' The lecturer said the problem comes just a year after the new Stonington library opened.

He added the college faced the dilemma of forging ahead with its expansion with a reduced budget.

The plans include the staff building under construction at Stonington, and the proposed $10 million North Hall.

Operating grant allocations to department heads are made by a special college committee.

Yesterday Dr. Cook, a library committee member, said all departments faced cutbacks.

But he was keen to see the cash constraints in a positive light.

It provided a chance for departments to find inventive ways of boosting funds.

Dr. Cook said the library budget, in fact, had increased this year despite the constraints.

But he admitted money for book buying had gone down to $5,000.

He declined, however, to reveal how much it had decreased. This was confidential information.

Dr. Cook explained the impact of less money for buying books would be lessened by several factors.

He said the move from the smaller old library had left staff with a huge backlog of books -- possibly as many as 1,000 -- still to be catalogued.

"We will now have time to catch up with this backlog, and get up to date,'' he said.

Dr. Cook said library staff would also be given an "inducement'' to come up with ways of supplementing the grant.

SPEAKING VOLUMES -- That's what the empty shelves are doing at the Bermuda College library, where the book buying budget has been cut.