Libraries Cope With State Cuts

Funds Affect Books, Hours

October 19, 2002|By TINA MCCLOUD Daily Press

Libraries in Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex counties will cope with state budget cuts by buying fewer books and other materials.

Middlesex also has furloughed a part-time employee and will close one branch one day a week.

The governor cut state money to the Library of Virginia 15 percent by this week. That percentage reduction is being passed on to local libraries. More cuts are likely when the General Assembly meets early next year because the governor's reductions totaled less than half the state's budget shortfall through July 2004.

Those looming, unknown future reductions are one reason that the Middlesex library's board of directors furloughed a worker indefinitely and cut the hours of some part-time workers at the Urbanna location, Treasurer Bill Will said.

The board plans to close the Deltaville branch one day a week -- probably on Thursdays -- beginning next Thursday, he said. The full-time worker assigned to Deltaville will be in the Urbanna library that day, he said.

Will said closing the Deltaville branch one day a week hadn't been popular with some residents. "The Friends of the Library would like us to staff it with volunteers," he said. But training people on the automated systems now used in libraries is time- consuming, he said.

The library is entering a time of year when it's less busy, Will said. Its busiest months are from late April to late September, when many boaters are in town. He hopes that there will be a way to be back on the regular six- day-a-week schedule in the spring.

The state cut was about $7,600 of the state's expected $50,851, he said. The county's contribution this year is just less than $70,000, and the Town of Urbanna's is $5,500, he said. The annual fund drive brought in about $17,000, he said.

Will said the library had about $20,000 in undesignated reserves. The library board must maintain both branches and decided not to dip into reserves to pay daily operating expenses, he said.

Gloucester and Mathews libraries will absorb the state cuts by buying fewer materials.

Gloucester expected to receive about $118,000 from the state this year, library Director Nancy Dwoyer said. With the cut, that will be reduced to $100,679, she said.

The county is contributing $281,283, and the library also is assisted by its Friends groups and an endowment, she said.

The library has its main location on Main Street, a branch in Gloucester Point and a bookmobile. It won't have to reduce staff or hours now, she said. There are 14 employees, the annual report indicated.

With less money for books and other materials, Dwoyer hopes, people will continue to donate their books and even pay for a new acquisition. Someone has offered to pay for the new Harry Potter book when it arrives, she said. That person will be the first to get to read it.

In Mathews, library Director Bette Dillehay said the state cut would mean about $4,900 less that the planned $32,622. The county is contributing about $127,500 and the Friends of the Library about $9,000 for books and materials. The library will buy fewer materials, she said.

There are two full-time employees, including the director, and three part-timers, "so salary is not a very significant part of our budget," she said. "We have a very, very strong and competent volunteer staff," Dillehay said. Fourteen or 15 volunteers are trained to provide service to patrons.

She said, "Right now, I don't believe we'll have to reduce hours or staff."

Tina McCloud can be reached at (804) 642-1746 or by e- mail at tmccloud@dailypress.com

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