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Budget woes force libraries to cut spending and hours
YOUNGSTOWN — The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County started making cuts to cope with its shrinking budget.
Library Director Carlton Sears is hoping the public will provide insight for future cuts that are needed to make up for the estimated loss of about $370,000 this year.
“The interests of the public continue to evolve, as do the services they expect,” he said. “We’re asking people to share their opinions on what should give,” Sears said.
The library has addressed the decline in funding thus far by reducing its materials budget by $50,000. Spending on books and other materials remains at about $1,800,000 a year, Sears said.
Other cuts will include cutting and adjusting hours at seven county branches starting May 3 and also leaving vacant positions unfilled, he said.
“It’s a really modest reduction in hours,” Sears said. “Ten hours a week, systemwide.”
Hours were strategically cut based on library usage and will save about $400,000 a year, he said.
“Our libraries will still be open to the public 744.5 hour per week,” Sears added.
Although these cuts are helpful, the board of trustees will be making more decisions on possible cuts in the coming months. Before the meeting with the board, Sears is looking for feedback from library users and community leaders as to what is most important to them, he said.
“The public shouldn’t be divorced from those conversations,” Sears said.
A Library User Survey is available online at www.ymc.lib.oh.us and in a print version at all the branches.
The library wants the public to declare which of the following is most important to them: Retaining the same number of branches; maintaining about the same cost to taxpayers; or more books and materials, longer hours.
Marilyn Norconk of Youngstown is an anthropology professor at Kent State University and uses the Main Branch Library as her office when she wants to get out of her house.
“I use the library for a variety of reasons,” said Norconk who doesn’t want to see the library cut its access to materials.
“I hope they are able to keep a balance of books, magazines and support staff; a traditional balance,” she said while using the wireless internet at the Main Branch on Friday.
At the Newport Branch, two parents said keeping all the branches open is most important.
Bill Stackhouse, 39, of Boardman said he brings his 5-year-old son, Lloyd, to the Boardman Branch and to Newport.
“People are more likely to use a facility if it’s close to them,” he said on Friday.
If people have to drive across the county to get to the library, they might not go, Stackhouse said.
Geneva Javey, 38, of Youngstown also uses two different branches and said she and her kids visit the library at least once a week.
“The kids like the Main Branch and I like this one [Newport] because it’s closer to home,” Javey said.
“I’d be upset if the Main library closed,” said Javey’s 10-year-old daughter, Taylor Javey.
“It has a bigger selection of books,” said Taylor who likes to read the Junie B. Jones series.
Feedback from the community will play a role in the future decisions facing the library, Sears said.
Sears invites the public to share their opinions by filling out the survey, as well as attending Struthers City Council on May 13 or Youngstown City Council on April 15. He will address the library’s budget issues at those meetings.
“I am optimistic about the future and believe the economy will recover, but no one can predict when that will happen,” he said.
Until that time, the library will make hard decisions on what to cut and hope that the public can assist in those choices, Sears said.
Since 2001, the library has seen an annual funding loss of about $2 million.