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Wednesday, 24 June 2009 |
By MATT NICHOLS
Staff Writer
Auglaize County Public District Library Director M. Jo Derryberry says she shudders to think what could happen to the county library system if a state budget proposal passes the Ohio Legislature.
“It gives me chills,” Derryberry said. “This is the absolute worst.”
A budget proposal by Gov. Ted Strickland has cast a shadow over the future of the Auglaize County Library system and libraries across the state.
Strickland’s 2010-2011 budget proposes a $227.3 million, or 50 percent, slash to the Public Library Fund, which would greatly reduce funds available to the county branches.
Derryberry said the library staff was already working under a 20 percent cut made in January, but the proposal to cut an additional 30 percent has blindsided all six branches.
“We were as surprised as everyone else,” Derryberry said. “There was no getting used to it.”
Nearly 88 percent of the county’s library system budget is funded by the Public Library Fund, with an additional 12 percent funded by interest, fines and donations.
If the budget bill passes, Derryberry said the library’s yearly budget will spiral down to $611,000 in 2010 from $1.08 million this year.
Prior to Strickland’s announcement, the library staff was making cuts to accommodate a 20 percent Public Library Fund cut made in January. Library officials reduced the book budget, as well as the audio visual and periodical budgets.
Staff members also saw a change in their vacation accrual and their health insurance deductible. Those changes were helping after the initial cut, but to survive the newly announced 30 percent slash, Derryberry said major changes are necessary.
“We’ve talked about reducing hours at all six locations, and probably seven positions will be laid off,” Derryberry said.
There are currently 37 staff members at all six branches, with the only full-time employees working at the main Wapakoneta branch.
Derryberry said the bookmobile services would likely be cut, and book, audio visual and periodical budgets would have to be cut even more. Book fines may also be increased from 10 cents per day to 15.
A bigger change may also be in the works should the budget bill pass next week.
“If things get really severe, we might have to look into closing one of the branches,” Derryberry said.
The Auglaize County District Library owns just two of its six locations — the Wapakoneta and Waynesfield branches. The buildings at the other four branches are rented.
After the budget proposal was announced, Derryberry said staff members across the county were informed via e-mail of the situation facing the library. The announcement was a blow to a group of employees who are already reeling from pervious bad news.
“The moral here is low,” Derryberry said. “It was already low because they knew things were bad, but trying to do as many things as possible to keep that moral up has been more difficult.”
What hurts the most, Derryberry said, is the fact the library has become more popular than ever. In a comparison made in January, the library has had 16 percent more patrons waling through its doors than last year, and Derryberry said that number has likely increased as the months rolled by.
To help inform the public, the county library has added a page to its Web site informing residents of the proposed budget and contact information for Strickland and state representatives.
The page can be found at auglaize.oplin.org/library/BudgetCutUpdates.html.
Derryberry said residents need to get their opinions out now, noting Strickland is slated to sign the budget within the week.
“Letters right now are too slow because basically we have until July 1,” Derryberry said. “People need to phone them or send them an e-mail.
“We want to make sure their voice is heard.”
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 25 June 2009 )
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