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Libraries Will Close On Mondays

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By SHERRI LONON

IN THE LOOP

Published: March 18, 2009

Patrons who show up to any of Pasco County's libraries on Mondays after April 6 will find the doors closed. County commissioners decided last week that a five-day schedule was the way to go to keep services available but costs down.

"I know some people are upset," said County Commissioner Pat Mulieri. "But, we are dealing with less money coming in the from the state, from (property taxes). We're doing the best we can."

Pasco County was been grappling with budget cuts for each of its departments since it discovered property tax revenues would be about $28 million less than anticipated. The March 10 decision to alter library hours is hoped to make up for some of the loss - at least for a few months.

"For right now, that will get us through September," said Linda Allen, Pasco's library director.

Allen said the cuts are not ideal, but they will give the library system a consistent opening time of 10 a.m. on the new Tuesday through Saturday schedule. Individual libraries will have their own closing times that differ, depending on the day of the week.

"We don't want to do this," said Allen. "We want to be open more hours, but revenues are just not coming in."

Libraries in Central Pasco will each lose six hours in an operating day to make the Monday closing day happen. The biggest cut, overall, will take place at the Hudson Regional Library where its 63-hours-a-week operational schedule will drop to 40.

While the closings may just be a temporary fix, Allen said work is ongoing to ensure that these changes and others that may come down the pike won't affect services too badly. The subject will be revisited in September.

"We've been looking at a lot of different alternatives," she said.

Library staff are trying to make the best of the cuts, said Paul Stonebridge, teen programmer and reference librarian at the Land O' Lakes Branch Library.

"We're going to make the best of it," he said. "We're always making due with less."
Stonebridge said he is pleased the Land O' Lakes library will be able to remain open late on Tuesday nights, which means a lot of the regular programming can stay in place.

Still, Stonebridge and others worry what may come next if budgets continue to shrink.

"We hope that people understand that unless they are willing to push for more funding for libraries" more cuts could come, he said.

The library system has faced a number of cuts in recent years. Allen said her department faced 4 percent in budget losses two years ago. Another 10 percent was cut earlier this year. The move to close on Mondays shaves even more off the top.

The library system began the fiscal year with an operating budget of about $7 million. With that money, it operates libraries throughout the county, including Land O' Lakes and Zephyrhills.

New Library Hours

Library hours will be as follows as of April 6 at branches in central Pasco:

• Land O' Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• New River Branch Library, 34043 State Road 54, Zephyrhills, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Editor Sherri Lonon can be reached at (813) 948-4287 or at slonon@mediageneral.com.

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