Troy library cuts staff, parks bookmobile

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By Nancty Bowman, Staff Writer 4:49 PM Monday, July 6, 2009

TROY — Hoping to keep up with funding cuts, the Troy-Miami County Public Library will lay off six staff members, reduce hours for most others, park its bookmobile, increase fines and close one day per week.

Bookmobile services will be eliminated beginning Monday, July 13, saving around $80,000 through the end of this calendar year, Rachelle Miller, library director, said Monday, July 6. The bookmobile has been a library service since 1939.

Miller said the cuts, the second this year, result from proposed funding reductions at the state level plus the current financial situation overall.

“The governor has to make cuts somewhere and we know we will have some kind of additional funding loss. We are making cutbacks now because the longer it takes for the state budget to pass, the less time we have to make a significant reduction in spending during our fiscal year,” Miller said. The library fiscal year ends Dec. 31.

The library board is considering placing a tax levy to fund operations on the November ballot. The board has asked the Miami County Auditor’s Office to certify the amount that would be generated with millage ranging from 0.5 to 0.9 mills.

The cuts outlined Monday by Miller should save the library around $189,000.

The reductions include:

• Eliminating bookmobile service.

• Closing the main library in Troy on Thursdays, beginning July 16. The main library will continue to be open 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Saturday hours will be changed to 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Closing the Oakes-Beitman branch in Pleasant Hill on Wednesdays, beginning July 15. They will be open 12-7 Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 1-5 p.m. Friday; and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday

Hours at the downtown Troy Local History Library will remain the same, except for Saturdays, when it will be closed.

Fines are going to increase effective Aug. 1. All items that accrued overdue fines at 5 cents per day will now be 10 cents per day.

Earlier this year, daily library hours were reduced and Sunday hours eliminated in reductions that cost two jobs. A community fund raiser in May generated enough money to re-open the library on Sundays, which occurred in early June.

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