The state government announced the cut as part of Tuesday’s budget.

Cabonne mayor Kevin Beatty said his council was trying to build a library to replace its railway station premises.

“We’re trying to get funding out of them to improve it,” he said.

“It will have a major impact on the efficiency of our libraries.”

Cr Beatty was still hopeful the council could secure the millions of dollars it needed to knock down the Mitchell Room on the corner of Bank Street and Shields Lane and next to Molong Community Hall, but it already had the money in place to refurbish the building as a back-up.

Orange acting mayor Joanne McRae agreed the cuts would be more problematic for smaller councils like Cabonne and Forbes, who relied on the state government for 14 per cent of their funding, while for Orange it was only 4 per cent. 

“It’s disappointing for all us lovers of books but it’s a funding reality of the state government,” she said. 

Cr McRae said core services would not change but extra programs designed to keep Orange City Library updated and relevant to ratepayers might be harder to fund.

NSW Public Libraries Association president Dallas Tout said staffing, opening hours and reliance on mobile libraries could be affected. 

“Many of our libraries will be forced to wind back services used by community members who are already marginalised, including young families, older people and people without access to technology.”