Trumbull libraries to cut hours by 28%

The library system lost 32.5 percent of its budget and will cut back in several areas.

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — The Warren-Trumbull County Public Library system will cut about 28 percent of its hours of service starting Sept. 14.

It also will cut $500,000 in personnel expenses, reduce book purchases and reduce equipment costs to offset a $1.2 million budget reduction.

James A. Wilkins, who became director of the six-library system in November, said the changes include elimination of library hours on Mondays at the Brookfield, Cortland, Howland and Liberty branches; reduced evening hours at all branches two days per week; and elimination of Sunday hours at the main branch this winter.

Last year, the main branch was open from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays from the Sunday after Labor Day to the Sunday before Memorial Day — but not this year.

The main branch will drop from 61 hours per week to 50, the Lords-town branch will drop from 48 hours to 40, and the branches in Brookfield, Cortland, Howland and Liberty will drop from 60.5 hours per week to 40.

The reductions were implemented to cut costs after the library system learned that the two-year state budget approved in late July had reduced the system’s income by $1.2 million, which is about a 32.5 percent reduction, Wilkins said.

Five employees have agreed to an early-retirement plan; employees throughout the system will be taking a 3 percent pay cut effective Jan. 1, some employees are taking a voluntary reduction in hours, and layoffs are likely, Wilkins said.

Some employees taking early retirement have already left, and others are leaving in September and October, Wilkins said.

The system’s book budget will be cut by 17 percent, and training, travel and computer replacements also will see reductions.

“You can’t run the way we were with one-third of your budget gone,” Wilkins said.