Maurins estimates the Board of Commissioners may ask the libraries to make $900,000 to $1.5 million in budget reductions, which threaten to shut down facilities that are not county owned and eliminate library aides and other staff.
“This is the most important letter we’ll write this year,” said Trustee Judith Simon at Wednesday’s Board of Trustees meeting at the downtown Reno library. “It’s very important that the letter reflects what we want it to reflect.”
Maurins will draft a letter, send it to the trustees for review and submit it to the Washoe County board before its Tuesday meeting.
A loss of revenue has diminished the library system’s general fund by 38 percent in the last two years from its peak amount of $13 million in 2008 to its current level of $8.1 million. The system also has an expansion fund of $2.8 million, which is reserved for increasing services and constructing new buildings. The expansion fund, generated by property tax revenues, is not impacted by the budget situation, Maurins said.
Library administrators are planning for several reduction scenarios, all of which will involve significant layoffs, Maurins said. Target savings of $1.5 million and $2.5 million are being considered in the midst of keeping services sustainable.
“The number of layoffs will depend on the target we hit at the commission meeting,” Maurins said. “The sense I’m getting is parks and libraries are going to take the biggest hit again.”
Staff are weighing the option of closing certain branches against minimizing operating hours, such as keeping the downtown Reno location open and closing Sierra View. The North Valleys branch, if closed, would redirect library users to other branches in Spanish Springs, Sparks, northwest and downtown Reno. A library that sits between Duncan Elementary School and Traner Middle School in Reno is also a potential target for cuts because most students don’t use the facility’s services for traditional means, Maurins said.
Other closures being considered include Verdi and the Washoe County Senior Center.
If several branches are closed, those that remain open could operate seven days a week to accommodate patrons’ various schedules.
The possible changes are causing concern among some of the library’s users. Sparks librarian Julie Machado said patrons always ask her if the Sparks Library will close. The branch has 13 fewer employees on staff than it did a year ago.
“People in Sparks love their library and they expect the services,” she said. “They’re always so nice to us. People always appreciate the service we offer.”
Trustees argued the libraries do more than just provide books to patrons in these times. According to the American Library Association, 67 percent of users in U.S. libraries complete online job applications at the library. About 42 percent of urban locations offer job search classes.
Board members also agreed the library’s economic and educational contributions to the community should be emphasized to the commissioners.
Although layoffs and closures are the immediate options, slashing material expenditures would be very difficult and limited. The system’s material budget currently is $660,000. Libraries are state-mandated to spend 10 percent of their budget on materials. Maurins said Washoe County at this time is not meeting that criterion.
“For a community our size, $660,000 is probably about $1.50 per person and that’s way below national standard,” he said.
It also hinders the library’s mission if no new information is being received at the branches, said Dianne Varnon, associate director.
“It does not make sense to the mission of the libraries to educate and give access to information if you cannot bring in current materials,” Varnon said. “It puts us back in the situation of many elementary school libraries where the books they’re supplying students were written in the 1950s.”
Maurins added that in the next year, the board will seek to restore its expansion fund for remodeling or new buildings to be prepared for economic recovery.
Library Trustee Diane Drinkwater called for specific examples that show how the libraries contribute to community betterment and resources to include in the letter.
“I heard it explained to me when I first came on board that the library is like a town square,” she said. “It’s a place for people to meet, to access information. It’s not just books. It’s a community resource center. It’s a database center. It’s kids hanging out but then accidentally discovering a database on BMX bikes or whatever kids are into.”
Maurins said his outlook on Tuesday’s commission meeting is more optimistic than last year.
“If they decide they still want to have tiers where different departments cut different percentages, then the gap is narrower than last year,” he said. “I’m not looking forward to having to make decisions about having to lay people off and decide how many people from each job class.
“At the same time, I think the approach we’re taking right now is going to help us to be ready to expand in the future in an organized, thoughtful approach,” he added.
After the system submits its formal request, the county commissioners will make a decision on Jan. 26 on how to allocate funds to all county departments. The library trustees will then revisit the issue at their Feb. 17 meeting. By March 1, all Washoe County departments will have to submit their budgets.
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