Minneapolis PL Closures On
Bay City, MI, closes two branches; Buffalo squeaks by
By Lynn Bumenstein & Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 1/15/2007
Despite a budget boost voted by the city council, the Minneapolis Public Library (MPL) board on December 20 voted to close three branches temporarily. The reason: the city’s one-time infusion of $1.2 million would stifle the board’s effort to budget on a three-year basis. The council’s 7-6 vote on December 11 had followed months of hearings, public discussion, and angst over whether MPL would close any of its 15 branches.
The board had earlier voted to close three branches and sell two to balance its budget. An outcry led Mayor R.T. Rybak to pledge more money to libraries and for the board to swap debt reduction—including forgone operating improvements—for operating cash. But the council refused to let the library board do that exchange for a long-term operating budget increase.
Meanwhile, two separate committees are examining options for long-term sustainability, including a range of alliances between MPL and suburban Hennepin County Library (HCL). Rybak also told constituents that city officials will be lobbying the legislature to restore the cuts in local government aid that have forced the city to shrink library support. Indeed, rather than sell the buildings housing the three branches, the library will wait to see if local government aid is restored.
Bay County closures
The troubled Bay County Library, Bay City, MI, was to close two out of five branches by the end of 2006, the number of full time staff cut in half. Total library service hours were to go from 320 hours a week to just 73. These drastic measures are a necessity after the failure of two millage requests resulting in a 61 percent reduction in the operating budget, from $5.5 million to $2.2 million. Voters rejected a 1.2-mill tax renewal in November, after a similar defeat in August.
Interim library director Linda Heemstra told LJ that, besides the FTE cut from 50 to 25, all 45 part-timers, 35 pages, and 15 subs received layoff notices. The system has experienced some managerial turmoil in recent years, which may have affected voter confidence. Heemstra served as director for 29 years until she retired in 2004; she received an undisclosed severance package in return for not pursuing litigation against a library board trustee. She returned to serve as interim director until the end of December after Frederick Paffhausen was terminated in March 2006. He currently is suing the board for wrongful discharge. Heemstra suggested that when patrons recognize how much service will be affected, they may be more open to approving another millage.
$500K boost in Buffalo
The Erie County Legislature, NY, on December 1 adopted a 2007 county budget that provides $22.2 million for the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (BECPL), $500,000 more than the county executive proposed. Between 2004 and 2005, the system lost nearly 25 percent of its county funding, and funding remained static in 2006. The fiscal crisis caused BECPL to close 15 branches, leaving 37 facilities.
Three libraries were not open enough hours per week to meet New York State minimum standards, library spokeswoman Ami Patrick told LJ. “If funding would have remained stagnant in 2007, as many as 12 libraries were at risk in 2007 or beyond.” About half of the new funding will ensure that the three libraries meet state standards, but the library would need about $700,000 to restore sorely needed hours at some other branches.
