RELEASE DATE: June 3, 2010
Contact: Pamela Kiesner
(360) 778-7221
pkiesner@cob.org
SPECIAL LIBRARY BOARD MEETING JUNE 8 TO DISCUSS BUDGET CUTS
At a Special Library Board Meeting to be held next week, Bellingham Public Library trustees will once again wrestle with proposed budget reductions. Mayor Dan Pike has directed all City departments to turn in, by June 18, a list of reductions in preparation for the 2011 budget. Departments must come up with reductions equivalent to 5% of their 2010 budgets, and must also absorb estimated increases in employee wages and benefits, and increases in allocations to other city departments for things such as insurance, facilities costs, and utilities. For the Bellingham Public Library, this works out to $372,441, an eleven percent reduction.
Cuts to the 2009 and 2010 library budget totaled more than $546,000, impacting equipment, staff training, and the library materials budget. Seven staff members were laid off, Outreach services to senior apartments were curtailed and open hours were reduced by 24%. “The reality of an additional cut of this size is that this community will lose library services they love,” said Library Director Pam Kiesner.
The Library Board will be considering a variety of options, including closing branches, eliminating remaining Outreach services, further cuts to the book budget, not filling vacant positions, additional staff layoffs, and further service reductions.
The Library Board of Trustees will meet in Special Session on Tuesday, June 8 at 9:00 a.m. in the Library Board Room. The meeting is open to the public.
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