KEYSER — The Mineral County Library system will reduce its book purchases in the upcoming fiscal year to help balance a budget that came up about $5,000 short of revenue due to increasing health insurance and payroll taxes.
Library Director Connie Sutton said she had two options in bridging the funding gap in the library system's $250,000 fiscal 2010 budget: Cut hours or cut book purchases.
“Allegany County has chosen to cut hours,” she noted at Monday night's meeting of the Mineral County Library Board. “I don't think we should.”
Under the proposed budget outlined by Sutton, a little less than half the shortfall will be made up through an 8 percent reduction in spending on new library books. At the Keyser branch, spending will be reduced by about $1,200, to $13,700. At an average cost of $15 apiece, the cut will mean about 79 fewer books over the course of the year.
At Fort Ashby, the 8 percent cut will mean $665 less for books, for a reduction of 44 books. At Burlington the cut will total $394, for a loss of 26 books.
Sutton noted that the cuts will still leave the three branches with more book money than they had just three years ago. In fiscal 2007, Keyser's book budget was $12,370. Funding increases over the past two years had allowed the library to boost spending on books.
“We're heading back to tighter times,” she said.
Asked by board member Richard Davis whether the library system buys books that aren't used, Sutton said all libraries regularly go through a “weeding” process where books that aren't circulated are removed from the collection. In the case of the main Keyser branch, limited shelving space drives that process. “We do that especially often in this library because we run out of space,” she said.
Sutton estimated that fewer than 25 of the library's thousands of books have not been checked out over the past two years.
“We have to be very careful in our book selection,” she said.
In reviewing the increasing expenses, Sutton noted that employee salaries aren't increasing at all this year. Rather, the rising personnel costs are due mainly to health insurance, unemployment insurance and increases to other payroll-related expenses.
In addition to the cutback in book purchases, the library will make up the rest of the $5,000 shortfall by reducing spending for advertising, office supplies, continuing education and equipment purchases. Sutton also cut back the repair budget. “I'm holding my breath that nothing breaks,” she said.
Despite the tightening budget, the library board endorsed a proposal by Sutton to waive the 20 cent per-page copier charge for patrons who need to print out government forms, such as Social Security applications – up to 10 pages. Sutton said the copier is a revenue generator for the library, and that residents who are hard pressed themselves by the economy should not have to pay for such forms. The library already allows students to use the copier without charge for school reports.
“We're not the only ones facing lean times,” she said.
The library board is slated to meet Monday, June 29 to finalize and approve the fiscal 2010 budget, which takes effect July 1.
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KEYSER — The Mineral County Library system will reduce its book purchases in the upcoming fiscal year to help balance a budget that came up about $5,000 short of revenue due to increasing health insurance and payroll taxes.
Library Director Connie Sutton said she had two options in bridging the funding gap in the library system's $250,000 fiscal 2010 budget: Cut hours or cut book purchases.
“Allegany County has chosen to cut hours,” she noted at Monday night's meeting of the Mineral County Library Board. “I don't think we should.”
Under the proposed budget outlined by Sutton, a little less than half the shortfall will be made up through an 8 percent reduction in spending on new library books. At the Keyser branch, spending will be reduced by about $1,200, to $13,700. At an average cost of $15 apiece, the cut will mean about 79 fewer books over the course of the year.
At Fort Ashby, the 8 percent cut will mean $665 less for books, for a reduction of 44 books. At Burlington the cut will total $394, for a loss of 26 books.
Sutton noted that the cuts will still leave the three branches with more book money than they had just three years ago. In fiscal 2007, Keyser's book budget was $12,370. Funding increases over the past two years had allowed the library to boost spending on books.
“We're heading back to tighter times,” she said.
Asked by board member Richard Davis whether the library system buys books that aren't used, Sutton said all libraries regularly go through a “weeding” process where books that aren't circulated are removed from the collection. In the case of the main Keyser branch, limited shelving space drives that process. “We do that especially often in this library because we run out of space,” she said.
Sutton estimated that fewer than 25 of the library's thousands of books have not been checked out over the past two years.
“We have to be very careful in our book selection,” she said.
In reviewing the increasing expenses, Sutton noted that employee salaries aren't increasing at all this year. Rather, the rising personnel costs are due mainly to health insurance, unemployment insurance and increases to other payroll-related expenses.
In addition to the cutback in book purchases, the library will make up the rest of the $5,000 shortfall by reducing spending for advertising, office supplies, continuing education and equipment purchases. Sutton also cut back the repair budget. “I'm holding my breath that nothing breaks,” she said.
Despite the tightening budget, the library board endorsed a proposal by Sutton to waive the 20 cent per-page copier charge for patrons who need to print out government forms, such as Social Security applications – up to 10 pages. Sutton said the copier is a revenue generator for the library, and that residents who are hard pressed themselves by the economy should not have to pay for such forms. The library already allows students to use the copier without charge for school reports.
“We're not the only ones facing lean times,” she said.
The library board is slated to meet Monday, June 29 to finalize and approve the fiscal 2010 budget, which takes effect July 1.
