Employees’ salaries cut 10% at Columbiana Public Library

STAFF REPORT

COLUMBIANA — The Columbiana Public Library has announced cuts to its budget because of the state’s 11-percent cut to the Public Library Fund.

Carol Cobbs, the librarian and fiscal officer, said the cuts are designed to have as little impact on patrons as possible.

Staff hours will be reduced by 10 percent starting Thursday.

Cobbs’ salary was cut by 10 percent, as was pay for the rest of the 20 workers.

Cobbs said she insisted on her cut.

“I would never ask an employee to do something I wouldn’t do,” she said.

She did not have a total of the estimated savings of all the cuts.

The library will remain open during its normal business hours, Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

With less staff in the building, Cobbs is asking patrons to be patient.

Other areas where cuts have been made: Two databases for books were not renewed this fall, and three newspaper subscriptions were canceled.

The library has published and mailed a last newsletter to all the residents of Columbiana.

An online edition will be available on its Web site, and a calendar of events will be available at the checkout counter.

The library hopes to reduce postage costs and also save patrons some fine money by sending reminders to patrons who have added their e-mail address to their patron account. The reminders should arrive the day before an item is due.

The material budgets also have been reduced by 15 percent. New, popular releases will still be purchased, but the number of copies purchased will be reduced.

New books still arrive almost daily. If a book isn’t available, Columbiana can try to get it from another library.

Cobbs said the library even cut down on some of the exotic coffees at its in-library caf .

The Friends of the Library just concluded their book sale that funds summer-reading programs and other programs for children, youths and adults. The amount raised wasn’t available.

The Friends will continue to purchase new video games to be added to the collection. The library owns games for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Wii.