Hypothetical question for those who use the library a lot.

[mrsklamc]

Like pretty much everyone else, our library is facing a budget shortfall. To prevent closing any branches, each of the 23 branches is now closed one day a week and the hours the library is opened have been shortened. They tried to stagger the days off so that if you must go during a day your library is closed, the next closest branch should be open.MUCH has been made in our local news about this, and I have to be honest- I just don't get it. There was one news story about how a local homeowners association had met at the same library on the same day for 20 years, and now they had to move to a church. I sarcastically thought, 'Oh the horror! You had to move your HOA meeting!'

I don't know how the reduction in hours was handled specifically in terms of employees, and if any employees lost their jobs that is very sad, but overall....

I don't get the uproar. I just go on another day. So, long story short, would it totally disrupt anyone's schedule if the closest library wasn't open on a specific day?

 

[cvjw]

I would much rather visit the library the next day than have my taxes go up to keep it open.

 

[robsmom]

I think for the average suburban community a plan like this makes perfect sense. Shared services is becoming the norm for so many towns that why wouldn't the library system follow along. I do worry that in some intercities the libraries may offer a refuge for students to have a safe and quiet place to study. When i was growing up the local libraries did not have the reference materials to go beyond elementary school work. For jr and sr high school we always had to go to the county library for big projects anyway. I think the internet has changed how kids do research and most kids have as library access at school that equals or surpasses a local library. For adults who are using the library for traditional lending purposes, I think they can plan around limited hours.

 

[moongirl]

It is a big inconvenience to go to another branch or wait a day. With both parents working and with kids, often we need to go to the library on a specific day (a book is due or needed for school report, reference materials needed, etc.) and we can't wait until the next day. It would be a major inconvenience and almost infeasible to drive over to the next town to use their library.

Also, our library is used daily for all kinds of group activities from children's story times to a world religions study class for adults. Every time I go in there, there are people who do not have computers at home using the computers there to do things online. There are lots of people who cannot afford computers and/or internet service at home who rely on their local libraries.

I am at the library right now. Here's what's been going on:
1) I am waiting for my son to finish a chess lesson. He'll then participate in a chess club happening this morning which a some kids and a bunch of retired people enjoy.
2) An older man just came in to use the computers to check his email because his computer is not working.
3) A family with 3 kids of all ages just came in with all of their children to check out books and some dvd's for weekend entertainment.

The rest of the people in here are doing all kinds of things. Someone is sending a fax, another person was making a photocopy, etc.

Lots of stuff goes on in your local library that you may be unaware of. Many people depend on the free services there that they cannot afford to provide for themselves. So, yes I think it would be a big deal if they closed our library one day a week.

 

[j's m]

I would much rather visit the library the next day than have my taxes go up to keep it open.

Absolutely, I agree.
I am at our local library at least once a week for books and their coupon box.
When younger, my DS was always there for storytime and activities.
But NJ seems to have the highest property taxes in the world, and anything to lower them (or keep them stable) would help.

 

[gillenkl]

My library recently changed it's hours:
Mon-Weds. 10-9
Thursday - Closed
Friday 10-9
Saturday 10-5
Sunday 1-5

The next branch is well over 30 minutes away from me and I won't be driving that far so I've just adjusted our "library day". It was a pain at first, but like anything you can get used to it.

 

[mrsklamc]

It is a big inconvenience to go to another branch or wait a day. With both parents working and with kids, often we need to go to the library on a specific day (a book is due or needed for school report, reference materials needed, etc.) and we can't wait until the next day. It would be a major inconvenience and almost infeasible to drive over to the next town to use their library.

Also, our library is used daily for all kinds of group activities from children's story times to a world religions study class for adults. Every time I go in there, there are people who do not have computers at home using the computers there to do things online. There are lots of people who cannot afford computers and/or internet service at home who rely on their local libraries.

I am at the library right now. Here's what's been going on:
1) I am waiting for my son to finish a chess lesson. He'll then participate in a chess club happening this morning which a some kids and a bunch of retired people enjoy.
2) An older man just came in to use the computers to check his email because his computer is not working.
3) A family with 3 kids of all ages just came in with all of their children to check out books and some dvd's for weekend entertainment.

The rest of the people in here are doing all kinds of things. Someone is sending a fax, another person was making a photocopy, etc.

Lots of stuff goes on in your local library that you may be unaware of. Many people depend on the free services there that they cannot afford to provide for themselves. So, yes I think it would be a big deal if they closed our library one day a week.

I am aware of all of these things happening- I am a major user of our library, I just don't see any of these things as items that can't wait a day, or if it's urgent they can drive to the next branch- there are 23 branches, all probably within an hour's drive of each other- and that's if you go to the furthest one. Books that are due can still be dropped off, and if a book must be had the next day for school- it might have been checked out anyway. Plus, the school has libraries, and although it's a great service for the library to have internet, there are few 'internet emergencies' that can't wait until the next day. Classes, clubs, meetings- no reason any of these things can't simply be rescheduled on a day when the library is open or at another branch.

 

[gregokdisney]

I use the library a lot and I'm already inconvenienced by the fact it isn't open on Sunday! I'd rather pay more in taxes to keep it open because libraries offer so many more valuable services than just a place for the HOA to meet. What if a person meeting the literacy tutor there works every other day? What if preschool story time has to be canceled? What if a job seeker gets a lead on a job that has to be applied for online but has no computer at home? I am outside the taxing district so I already pay $100 per year and I'd pay more if I had to. Libraries are indispensable.

"Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries."
— Anne Herbert

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

I would much rather visit the library the next day than have my taxes go up to keep it open.

 

[Earstou]

Our library is our city and county library.

It has no branches, it has bookmobiles! They travel from neighborhood to neighborhood, town to town. So alot of the areas here have no daily library service. Just scheduled bookmobile stops. The library itself is open daily.

I was really surprised when I moved here!
I'm sure people would be much happier having a branch that closes one day a week than having no branch and a bookmobile that stops 2 or 3 days a week!!!

 

[daisyduck123]

Wouldn't affect or bother my family.

We have a large regional library about 5 minutes away, but we only go maybe twice a year at the most. We prefer just to go to Borders and buy any books we need.

 

[Marionnette]

Fortunately I live in an area that strongly supports the local library. There was recently a referendum on the ballot for my town as to whether property taxes should be raised by two dollars to support the library which is actually located in the next town. It passed by an overwhelming margin. I think that if it came down to reducing hours or closing completely then I would rather see them limit the hours that they are open. Its better than closing the library so that funds can be diverted to another branch that is less convenient.

 

[reenie1]

Our library had to close on Sundays several years ago due to budget cuts. People were upset, so the library started soliciting sponsors for Sunday openings. They are able to open on Sundays throughout the entire school year, and place a sign on Sunday saying who the sponsor (usually local businesses, but some families as well) is for that week. I love it because my taxes don't go up, but I still have the freedom to go the library any day of the week.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I am a librarian, and we had a budget reduction this year. But we managed not to change hours - instead we eliminated a position when someone retired, and reduced other expenses like travel budget, consultants and book ordering. It would be hard to close a day since the librarians here are unionized and civil service with a lot of levels of job protection. So even if we closed a day, everyone would still be fully paid - not sure what would be saved, maybe just electricity and water bills. So my library is OK for the meantime - next March is the when the next round of budget talks start, so we'll see then how things are going.

I am concerned enough that I am starting to consider training for another field, but in this recession and my age - not sure what the heck that would be.

 

[marmalade]

Our Library has always been closed on Wednesday. It makes no difference if one day the library is closed.

 

[mrsklamc]

OP here- I would add that these overall reductions in hours kept 3 branches from being shut down entirely.

 

[3goofyboys]

Our library is closed on Sundays. It's not ideal, but if I preplan it's not a big deal. To save other branches from being closed, changing the hours seems like the lesser of two evils to me.

 

[Hannathy]

I think it is wonderful that they coordinated the closings! When our Library system had to cut hours they cut all the branches across the board and closed them all on the same day. I would love to have the chance to drive my kids to the next branch over if they need something for school rather than how it is now.

As far as that homeowners association I would ask them how much have they contributed over 20 years to thank the library for providing them a place to meet. Perhaps if they had been as quick with their checkbooks over the years as they were with their mouths they wouldn't have had to close a day.

 

[npmommie]

Like pretty much everyone else, our library is facing a budget shortfall. To prevent closing any branches, each of the 23 branches is now closed one day a week and the hours the library is opened have been shortened. They tried to stagger the days off so that if you must go during a day your library is closed, the next closest branch should be open.MUCH has been made in our local news about this, and I have to be honest- I just don't get it. There was one news story about how a local homeowners association had met at the same library on the same day for 20 years, and now they had to move to a church. I sarcastically thought, 'Oh the horror! You had to move your HOA meeting!'

I don't know how the reduction in hours was handled specifically in terms of employees, and if any employees lost their jobs that is very sad, but overall....

I don't get the uproar. I just go on another day. So, long story short, would it totally disrupt anyone's schedule if the closest library wasn't open on a specific day?

I am used to minimal library hours. In my town the library is only open 4 days a week, one of those being only 3 hours on a saturday morning.
it doesn't bother me at all.
I like the feature to be able to go online and check the shelves and request books, if I absolutely need a book right away, I can check the next town over, if I can wait, I just put in the request if the local library doesn't have it.

 

[rigs32]

In my county, with over 1 million people, only 2 of the 30-some branches are open on Sundays: the main library downtown and the branch in the suburb with a high Jewish population.