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Cutbacks mean questions for library
11/3/2010 10:10:20 AM
By John Loucks
Liberty Lake Voices
A little over two years ago, my wife and I moved to Liberty Lake from Liberal, Kan., where I worked for 18 years as a college professor of history and philosophy and division chair of humanities and social sciences. Before that, I was a minister in the community with the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). I served on the Liberal Memorial Library Board for about nine years. I have long had a passion for libraries, which started in grade school and deepened through the many years of my college and university education and professional careers. So it seemed only natural I would become a part of the Liberty Lake Municipal Library Board soon after we arrived in Liberty Lake.
At that time, the library was located on Meadowwood Lane, a small but charming facility, and I was excited to serve on its board. Within a few months, the library moved from its old location to its new facility on Mission Avenue, and circulation grew from 66,503 in 2008 to a projected figure of 104,810 in 2010 (if circulation trends for the first three quarters continue for the last quarter of the year). During that same period, patron visits have increased by 3,000 and checkouts have increased by 38,000. This summer, there were 665 people who participated in the summer reading program.
In spite of these successes, we have some pressing concerns. Although usage is up, the library budget has been decreased by $12,000 during those two years. In addition to that decrease, $44,530 was cut from the 2010 budget this summer, and just this month, the library board was told by the City Council and its officials that we needed to cut $130,000 from the budget for next year and that all staff positions, including the two full-time professional staff, would be cut to half-time positions and the library hours would be cut from 46 to 24.
I'm deeply troubled by these decisions, and out of my indignation springs a number of important questions:
A. Why is it that the library seems to bear much of the brunt of the city's budget cuts during this time of economic recession? Advertisement
B. Why did the city build such a lovely library if the city isn't going to keep it open on a daily basis?
C. How are we, the library patrons, going to keep our librarians, Pamela Mogen and Georgette Rogers, as part-time staff in the future?
D. What are they going to do without medical insurance, since half-time employees do not have this benefit?
E. What are the school children and home school children who rely on our library going to do if they don't have daily access to the library?
F. Since the library is an excellent resource for writing resumes and job searches, what are the unemployed going to do without these services?
G. Why couldn't some of the $800,000 in expected new revenue from the utilities tax that was approved at the last City Council meeting be used to support the library budget for 2011?
H. What if this decision to cut the library budget and hours is only a precursor to closing the Liberty Lake Library in the future?
I hope many of you are as passionate about the library and are as incensed about the City Council's decision to cut the budget and hours of the library as I am, and that you will write letters and send e-mails in support of the library to the City Council and Mayor and attend the next Council meeting and let your concerns be voiced.
Harry Potter, that famous children's literature character, in one of his many adventures says, "When all else fails, go to the library." Let us work together so that we not only have a library to go to, but one that is open on a daily basis and is staffed by professional librarians.
John Loucks is president of the Liberty Lake Municipal Library Board of Directors.
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