Officials work to keep campaign promises

Patrons want the main library to be open on Sundays.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Library officials are working to ensure the 2006 budget includes funding to keep campaign promises.
Carlton Sears, director of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, told the library board's finance, audit and investment committee Wednesday that he and the library staff are working to expand hours and improve the library's collection of books, as promised when they promoted the library's levy.
Sears told the finance committee that patrons want expanded library hours and, most of all, want the main library open on Sundays.
Voters approved a 1-mill, five-year replacement levy in November which will generate $3,789,092 a year for the library. The levy passed with a 60.95 percent majority.
Sears said on election night that library officials viewed voters' stamp of approval as a referendum on the plans library officials have set out for the future.
Sunday hours
Sears is considering opening the library for a few hours on Sunday afternoons, possibly from 1 to 5 p.m. as some library branches are. Committee members approve of Sunday hours, but do not want library operations to interfere with church activities.
Sunday hours at branch libraries are some of the busiest times of the week, Sears said. He said if Sunday hours are offered, people want access to all areas, so no services can be excluded or sections closed.
People want to use the computers and the reference area as well as the library's children's collection and the main book and periodical sections, he said.
Library staff that work Sundays must be paid 11/2 times their regular hourly rate, he said. He calculated opening the main library on Sundays would cost around $550 per hour. Sears does not believe the main library has ever had Sunday hours.
The committee voted to pass 2005 revised budget appropriations and 2006 projected appropriations to the full library board, which meets at 4 p.m. Dec. 8 at Austintown library.
Sears presented a revised 2005 budget of $12,770,729 up slightly from the adopted budget of $12,704,244. His proposed 2006 general fund budget is $12.8 million. He expects 2005 expenditures to be about $11.8 million and projected 2006 expenditures at about $12 million.