Library Hours Cut in Budget Proposal
Current budget proposal would reduce by two hours per week the operating hours at the city's three library branches.
Alexandria’s city manager is proposing to cut library hours by two hours per week at the city’s branches in Old Town, Del Ray and the Seminary Hills area.
The cuts at the city’s Kate Waller Barrett, Ellen Coolidge Burke and James Duncan branches are projected to save the city at least $93,454 due to the elimination of five, vacant part-time positions, according to library system spokeswoman Kimberly Nathaniel.
“We know how much Alexandrians value their public library having just celebrated out 75th anniversary so any reductions to our budget are somewhat painful,” she said.
However, Nathaniel said faced with budget cuts the library supported the choices of reducing hours at the three branches.
The budget offers funds to the city’s one central branch, Charles Beatley Jr. Central Library, for maintenance and facility improvements such as new carpeting.
“All of our libraries are community destinations,” Nathaniel said. “Recognizing that the central library has the largest collection, more computers and Sunday library hours, it is the one facility that provides consistent hours of service for the community….The library supported these choices.”
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City Manager Rashad Young said in a budget briefing for reporters that it would be up to the discretion of the library system to determine which hours would be cut.
Nathaniel said the reduced hours absolutely will impact the community.
“With more than 1 million visits annually, Alexandrians visit our libraries for the children’s programs, to use computers or simply reserve meeting rooms,” she said. “While the library would prefer that none of our services were compromised, we will work toward a solution where the reduced hours will have the least impact on residents.”
Thom Downing
9:30 am on Monday, March 4, 2013
While dipping into library-supporting Library Foundation and Duncan Library Foundation organizations copious bank accounts to cover operating expenses isn't an ideal solution – and should by no means be considered anything but a short-term stop-gap measure – this is an option that should be explored as a means of staving off the proposed budget reduction. Despite the fact that funding such an effort might not currently be a part of the charters of these organizations, the City Council Library Board representative, Library Board and the Library and Duncan Foundation officers need to explore the possibility of rewriting the rules and think creatively rather than rolling over and accepting another round of cuts. Perhaps an arrangement could be made in which the Foundation agrees to provide full or matching funding to the City over a period of time with a provision that specifies that the City reimburse the Foundation's contribution (with interest) over the following five years while restoring funding that either matches the current level of funding (adjusted for inflation) or provides expanded funding based on an independent needs assessment.
At a time in which technology and learning resources are critical to the success of students and in particular when a technology gap exists which is "leading to troubling disparities in education" (see 3/3 Washington Post article), we cannot afford to accept cuts that will contribute to the expansion of these problems.
Thom Downing
9:31 am on Monday, March 4, 2013
Wahington Post article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/survey-finds-gap-in-internet-access-between-rich-poor-students/2013/02/27/3718ca4c-8152-11e2-a350-49866afab584_story.html
Dena Fox
11:57 am on Monday, March 4, 2013
Maybe the city manager could cut his own extravagant pay.