The Ansonia Public Library will lose three employees and cut out evening hours starting Friday.
The changes come after the library budget was cut by more than $50,000 for the 2011 – 2012 fiscal year.
While other Valley libraries suffered budget cuts, Ansonia’s cuts were the largest. It’s the only library in the Valley that reported cutting positions as a result of the budget.
Ansonia will lose two part-time workers and a full-time employee, according to Library Director Joyce Ceccarelli.
“There will be zero part-timers,” Ceccarelli said. “They’re the crux of the library.”
Anne Henderson, one of the part-timers losing her job, said the changes will affect residents who need the library for job searches, education and recreation.
“They come in for help with their resumes,” Henderson said. “They do college classes online, have material they need to print out. There are a lot of people who come here. We are essential.”
Ansonia’s library budget went from $514,440 in 2010 – 2011 to $445,310 next year.
Tax board chairman Richard Sturges said the cuts were passed along to the tax board in the proposed Board of Aldermen budget. The tax board decided to leave them in because members felt the library staff couldn’t provide detailed information about staffing needs and library use, Sturges said.
“We don’t like to cut anything from anybody,” Sturges said. “But in this economy, some places have to be cut. They were not the only department to be cut.”
Derby and Oxford libraries also suffered budget cuts for the 2011 – 2012 fiscal year.
The Derby library board is still figuring out what the budget cuts will mean for the library. Oxford was hit in its book accounts — meaning the library won’t be able to order as much new material this year.
Derby
The Derby library board had also considered cutting back hours, and possibly closing on Fridays and Saturdays.
Derby’s library received a $9,000 cut to its budget for the 2011 – 2012 fiscal year, according to Library Director Catherine Williams.
But as of Tuesday, Derby was trying to work out a way to keep the library open its current hours — Monday through Saturday — despite the budget cut, Williams said.
“We’re working with the city to ensure that services won’t be cut,” Williams said. “We’re asking if the city can spare some money.”
Phil Robertson, assistant to Mayor Anthony Staffieri, said the city hopes Derby Public Library can make do with its $421,000 budget plus the money it pulls in from different library endowments. (Ansonia Library also has an endowment fund that helps pay for new books.)
“You’re always going to have things that you would like to do, and things that you have to do,” Robertson said.
“And in this economy, we couldn’t give everyone what they wanted,” Robertson said. “You have to say we can’t do as much as you want. Hopefully the management is creative enough to take their budget and decide what they need.”
The mayor plans to meet with library officials next week to talk more about the budget. He is firm in his position that something else besides hours should be cut, Robertson said.
“The place is packed certain days of the week because people who don’t have computers at home are looking for jobs,” Robertson said. “They are using (the library) as a form of trying to help them survive. It’s key that the library stay open.”
Oxford
In Oxford, the library’s $236,000 budget includes about $7,000 less than last year, according to director Dawn Higginson.
Most of that money came out of the “materials” account, which is used to buy new books and magazines.
“Patrons always ask for more than we can purchase,” Higginson said. “Now we have to be really careful and stretch our budget further.”
Higgonson said the cut will mean Oxford library customers will get fewer new books this year — and may have to drive to area libraries if they want to borrow new items.
Other Towns
Seymour’s library was hit last year, when workers had to take an unpaid week off and forgo raises, according to Library Director Carol Ralston.
But for 2011 – 2012, the library fared well, Ralston said.
Ralson said Seymour has the use of two endowment funds to help buy materials and pay other costs. And the town didn’t cut the library budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
“We really have a supportive community here,” Ralston said. “They realize the importance of the library.”
Shelton’s library director, C. Elspeth Lydon, was on vacation this week and unable to answer questions about the library system and its budget.
Ansonia Prepares
The Ansonia library is currently open until 7 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and until 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
As of July 1, four of those days the library will close at 4 p.m. On Thursdays, the library will close at 6 p.m.
Ceccarelli said the changes are prompting her to try to organize a Friends of the Library group, that could raise money to help the library pay for new books and other programs.
On Tuesday evening — one of the last nights the Ansonia library will be open past 4 p.m. — library workers said a steady stream of residents came in between 4 and 7 p.m.
In the children’s department alone, librarians counted 31 people between 4 and 5 p.m.
For many Ansonia library patrons, the changes will mean they have to go to Derby Public Library after 4 p.m. Williams, the director in Derby, said she has already seen an increase of people coming from Ansonia.
Others said they will just rearrange when they come to the library.
Ansonia resident Daniel Maiolo, who was at the library Tuesday helping his daughter pick out summer reading books, said the library will only be open hours he’s at work now.
“It will be a little bit of a problem for myself, because I get out of work at 5 or 5:30,” Maiolo said.
But he said the family will adjust. His wife can bring his daughter to the library earlier in the day. And Maiolo said if he needs to do research, “I’ll do it online at home.”
The Numbers, as provided by library directors:
Ansonia Library:
2010 – 2011 Budget: $514,440
2011 – 2012 Budget: $445,310
Employees: 8 full-time, 0 part-time (as of July 1)
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Derby Library:
2010 – 2011 Budget: $431,041
2011 – 2012 Budget: $421,895
Employees: 3 full-time, 8 part-time
Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Oxford Library:
2010 – 2011 Budget: $243,404
2011 – 2012 Budget: $236,989
Employees: 4 full-time, 4 part-time
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Seymour Library:
2010 – 2011 Budget: $313,498
2011 – 2012 Budget: $328,551
Employees: 6 full-time, two college workers
Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.(Closed Saturdays in July and August)
