SHENANGO VALLEY Library seeks funding boost

Hermitage's contribution has stayed at the $50,000 mark for four years.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- The Shenango Valley Community Library wants Hermitage city commissioners to raise their funding support for the library to $100,000 next year.
That's still below what Hermitage officials agreed to when they began providing direct funding assistance to the library in 1993, said Karen Spak, library director.
Spak led a meeting at the library Wednesday on the status of the facility's finances. About 20 people attended.
The library has experienced budget cuts in recent years, Spak said, noting that state assistance was cut by 37 percent last year, resulting in a reduction of hours, staff and the book budget.
Spak said she is trying to enlist the support of Hermitage residents who use the library to persuade their city commissioners to give more to offset that loss.
Support
Sharon was the lone municipal financial supporter for the library for decades, but Hermitage officials agreed in 1993 to begin providing direct financial support, starting at $10,000 that year.
Hermitage was to raise that amount over a period of years to one-half of the Sharon direct subsidy, Spak said.
The amount did increase annually but stopped at the $50,000 mark four years ago and has stayed there, she said.
Sharon's direct support has reached the $230,000 mark.
No other area municipalities make a direct cash contribution, Spak said, adding that the library budget is about $500,000 a year.
Contributions
Gary Hinkson, Hermitage city manager and the city's representative on the library board of directors, said this morning the city has made contributions to the library for special projects in addition to the general fund payments.
Specifically, Hermitage put up $23,000 for a building access improvement project in 2000 and $4,600 toward an equipment purchase in 1997, he said.
Although commissioners passed a resolution in 1996 agreeing to increase annual support to 50 percent of the Sharon mark, Hinkson said he doesn't believe those terms were in the formal agreement later signed by commissioners.
Spak said that Hermitage has about 5,100 library cardholders as compared with about 6,000 in Sharon.
As for usage of library facilities, Hermitage residents account for 40 percent while Sharon residents also account for 40 percent. The rest is in the form of Access Pennsylvania requests for services or from holders of nonresident library cards, Spak said.
People who don't live in Sharon and Hermitage pay $30 annually for a family card.
Looking ahead
If Hermitage will double its annual contribution next year, the library would be able to return to having Sunday hours and being open four evenings a week. There also would be money to restore some staff and buy more books, Spak said.
The library needs to upgrade its computer services, she said, noting it has only six Internet connections but has 450 requests each week to use a computer. The current computers were purchased in 1997 and need to be replaced, she said.
Library representatives are expected to make a pitch for more funds at the city commissioners' October work session, Hinkson said.