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WRL Director Says Patrons Will Feel Budget CutbacksBy WYDaily Staff Saturday, July 10, 2010 Cutbacks in state aid to public libraries and other budget reductions will have an effect on local patrons, the director of the Williamsburg Regional Library said Friday.At their June 23 meeting the WRL's Board of Trustees adopted a budget for fiscal year 2011 that is 9 percent less than last year’s. The budget, which went into effect July 1, includes a reduction in library materials purchases of $149,227 or 27 percent over the previous year. “Given this significant decrease, library users should expect substantially longer waits for bestsellers and other popular items,” said director John A. Moorman. He said users should also expect reductions in the library’s ability to honor requests for the purchase of materials, particularly audiovisual titles. “The reductions reflect the economic difficulties facing state and local governments as well as cuts in state aid to public libraries,” Moorman said. State aid to public libraries includes funds the library uses to purchase books, magazines, audiovisual items and databases. Moorman explained that additional budget reductions were achieved through the elimination of vacant staff positions and staff tuition assistance, as well as reducing expenditures on building maintenance, computers and staff training. “As the Williamsburg Regional Library faces the current economic situation and plans for the challenging years ahead, we will continue to offer excellent programs, collections, services and facilities,” Moorman said. “We ask for users’ patience and understanding as we deal with a difficult financial reality.” In February, the WRL's trustees decided to return almost $225,000 to James City County as a good-faith gesture when the county faced a budget shortfall of around $5 million. The refund “was done in recognition of the fiscal constraints the recession has placed on James City County and the desire of the Williamsburg Regional Library to be a proactive participant in dealing with the realities of the current economic situation,” according to a memo from Sue Mellen, the county’s assistant director for financial and management services. Earlier this year the library cut three full-time vacant positions and three part-time positions, totaling 2,860 hours. They also reduced 4,212 on-call hours. Williamsburg Regional Library consists of the James City County Library, Mobile Library Services and the Williamsburg Library and serves a population of 80,000. |
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Comments
Bravo! Let's keep up our great priorities, for our full enjoyment of our lives. The computers available also give those with medical symptoms, a place to find out about their body's functions or dysfunctions (not substituting for a visit to doctors when apparant need is seen/felt, however).
Jim obviously doesn't know what library staff make. It's more like five staff.
Besides, I seem to recall reading that the budget reflected more than 10 unfilled positions that were eliminated.
Proceeds from the ongoing Friends sale, by the way, directly benefit the library as well through grants that pay for summer reading programs, special exhibit programming and other programs - like the recent creation of a downloadable audiobook collection,