Washoe County patrons may find the gateways to information and reading for pleasure somewhat stifled at local libraries starting today.

On May 21, the Washoe County Library System Board of Trustees approved adjustments to library hours at large and small branches that go into effect today.

The move is a cost-cutting measure to meet a shortfall in the 2008-09 budget and is hoped to last on a temporary basis, said Arnie Maurins, the system’s library director.

“We’re hoping to restore the hours when the budget situation gets better,” Maurins said. “We’ve been looking at options to restore some of the hours, but it may be awhile before we come up with strategies we can use.”

The larger libraries will have their hours increased, including the downtown Reno branch from 46 to 48 hours a week, Sierra View, which goes up from 46 to 51 hours and the South Valleys library from 49 to 50.

Smaller libraries, however, took a reduction. Duncan-Traner Community Library is being slashed from 20 hours to 12.5; the Verdi Community Library at Verdi Elementary School drops to 14 hours from 21 and the Senior Center Library takes a 10-hour reduction to 25 hours.

The cuts total 39.5 hours weekly, including 23 hours lost through the May 16 closure of Mendive Community Library.

The move also affects employment at the libraries. With 29 vacant positions that will be frozen indefinitely, Maurins said staff members are dealing with “trying to do more with less.”

“It’s had some effect on morale, but I think with the adjustments we’re making, people are getting back into equilibrium,” he said.

Maurins said the cuts on hours this time are not as severe as they were about six years ago during a similar budget crunch.

“We cut more hours than we did this time, as I recall,” he said. “There were more vacancies at that time than now.”

Some libraries, however, will keep their hours, much to the delight of some library staff, such as Julie Machado, manager of the Sparks Library.

Asked how the local branch was able to save itself from cuts in hours, Machado said, “Because we begged and pleaded!”

In actuality, the library staff’s usage records were a big help in maintaining its typical schedule.

“We keep close tabs on the people who use our library, what they do, do they use the library computers (to access the Internet), books, programs – we even have the exact amount of people who use the library per hour,” she said.

Sparks Library’s average is about 100 people per hour, although it can get as high as almost 200, Machado said. Mostly, people go in to browse the stacks for leisure reading, but quite a few also peruse newspapers for job postings or for help to work on their cars.

“They ask how to fix their scooters or browse the stacks, whether it’s a nice mystery to take on vacation or they want to know how the brain works,” she said.

A number of factors keep drawing patrons into the facility, she said, including a fairly new teen program that allows youth to play video games and enjoy the library’s air conditioning on hot days. In the past, Machado, said, the library would have “lulls” in August and December; now, the staff remains consistently busy all year long.

And, with the closing of the Mendive Library, the Sparks and other county branches have inherited most of the personnel and resources, she said.

In the meantime, Maurins said he’s optimistic that the reduction in hours for other branches is temporary and said patrons will still have access to the information they seek.

“Libraries are important places for people to get information to do research, to attend programs and they’re great places for lifelong learning,” he said. “We’re hoping these hour reductions are going to have a minimal impact and to restore them as soon as we can.”