it's boring. it's about libraries.

The library board voted last night to cut our hours.  Starting August 22nd the main branch will be open M & T 9-9, W-Sat 9-6.  The branch will be open M & T 10-7pm, W-F 10-6. The loss in hours downtown is about 6 per week with the branch being a loss of 3 hours per week as they'll now be closed on Saturdays. 

In addition to our hours being reduced, we had a voluntary buyout of 10 employees, 5 of whom will not be replaced.  All staff has also been at a wage freeze for about 3 years.

Our budget shortfall this year was around $250,000.  Next year it is anticipated we will have a similar shortfall.

The library is funded primarily through property taxes. I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but Michigan isn't exactly the most economically vibrant state these days. Our property valuations have decreased dramatically over the past 5 years.  It is not expected to turn around for at least 2 or 3 more years.

It seems this vote created a fair amount of controversy mostly due to the public feeling they were not informed in advance the reduction in hours was a possibility.  While I can understand their frustration, the library is a transparent institution.  The board meetings are open to the public.  Copies of our board meeting minutes are available to the public online (through May) and in the library at the reference desk (up to date). The entire budget is made available to the public as well. If someone had attended board meetings, they would have known the board had been discussing the possibility of reducing hours since last fall. Our local newspapers are provided with board meeting packets ahead of time. It has been months since anyone from the press attended a meeting.

It has been suggested we charge an annual fee for our cards.  We already do that.  It's called taxes. 1.1 mils is levied against all property owners in the district.  It has been suggested closing the library 2 nights a week is inconvenient to people who work.  The hours selected for closure were the hours the least amount of people were using the library.  I was one of the people taking gate counts last year every hour for a few weeks to determine when we were the least busy.

I get it.  I really do.  I hate that we're closing 2 nights a week. But this is temporary. And it's necessary.  We are a quarter of a million dollars short on our budget.  We cannot afford to stay open.

And if you're a community member?  Please, please, please come in and talk to our director. Please, please, please come in and ask for our board meeting minutes.  Please, please, please consider attending our board meetings (3rd Thursday of every month at 4pm) or contacting your board members.

This is YOUR library.  Be informed.  Get involved.