Residents can have a say in the proposed budget cuts for the Washoe County library system during a series of town hall meetings that begins today.

“We’ve already had to turn in our budget reduction plan,” library director Arnie Maurins said, “but we can still use people’s input on how we can make cuts in the future. If we have to make more cuts in six months, we can refer to the suggestions people made at the town hall meetings.”

Maurins said that if the economy does not improve, there will likely be further cuts to the library budget in the future.

“This year, $4.06 million will be cut out of the annual budget. Last year, cut it by 3 million, which means that we’ve had to cut our total budget by more than 50 percent in the last two years,” Sparks library manager Julie Machado said.

The library system will be relying more on book and financial donations from library patrons and other members of the community.

“One landlord is giving us free rent for the year, and at the other library, the landlord is giving us a reduced rate and a donor is making up the difference,” Maurins said.

The library system in Washoe County still needs to cut $400,000 from somewhere, and at upcoming town hall meetings, community members can discuss where these cuts can come from.

“We might need to close libraries on certain days,” Maurins said. “Otherwise, people will have to be laid off.

At the meetings, people can discuss which days they believe the libraries should be open, provided that some branches may need to close certain days as a result of the cuts.

There was a town hall meeting at Sierra View Library at the end of March, which Maurins said was attended by around 65 people.

There are 12 libraries total in Washoe County and the smaller libraries are at risk for losing employees.

“We’re trying to keep all of them open,” Maurins said. “We’re concentrating our efforts on the larger ones, though. People may need to be laid off, which would mean that certain libraries wouldn’t be able to stay open as many days as they currently do.”

The meetings will take place today from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Sparks Library; Monday at South Valleys Library from 6 to 7:30 p.m.; Apr. 18 at North Valleys Library from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; and at Northwest Reno Library on April 18 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Those who are unable to attend a meeting can also provide input through the library system Web site, www.washoe.lib.nv.us, or by filling out a comment card at the Washoe County library.