Cuts leave facility facing reductions in hours, personnel
BY LINDSAY FIORI
Journal Times | Posted: Saturday, July 5, 2008 12:00 am
RACINE - The Racine Public Library experienced cutback after cutback during the past few years, a situation staff members say stretches them thin and isn't getting any better.
"We've cut staff. We've cut materials. We've cut hours," said library Director Jessica MacPhail. "There's nothing left to cut."
How the library cuts back is determined by the Library Board of Trustees, an 11-member body that includes nine mayoral appointees and two county executive appointees, MacPhail said.
"We're at a point where we don't have enough money in our operating budget to do everything," said Tom Friedel, president of the library's Board of Trustees. "The only way to keep what we have going is to eliminate some people and some hours."
Becky Spika, programming coordinator for the library, 75
Seventh St., said cuts make it difficult to keep the library operating properly.
"It's hard to keep up quality patron care," Spika said. "We're down to bare bones staff because of budget cuts. They're not filling positions when people retire or leave."
Spika said the library has cut down on part-time hiring and has not hired new full-time staff in several years.
When the head of adult services retired, Darcy Mohr, former head of youth services, received a new position as head of adult and youth services.
"It's created quite a burden for her," Spika said. "She's fulfilling both roles."
Mohr said her workload increased quite a bit so she created teams and delegated work to librarians, which somewhat shifted her burden to them.
The library has also lost staff in circulation, technical and secretarial positions, Mohr said.
"We never go forward," said Mohr, who has been at the library in some capacity since 1979. "We always lose a little ground and then it kind of
stabilizes."
The library appears to be losing more ground in operating hours.
"We're not open the hours they need us, we get backed up putting books back on the shelves and people are waiting in line for service," MacPhail said.
Three years ago, the library was open seven days a week for a total of 76 hours. Based on a recommendation from MacPhail, the Library Board shortened operating hours to 57 per week. In the summer, the library is open for only 54 hours per week because it closes Sundays.
Shortening hours was a cost-saving measure and hours were set based on times of heaviest use. Closing on Sundays in the summer has been a policy for years and many other libraries close that day because library usage tends to be small,
MacPhail said.
Tony Matranga Sr., 78, of Racine, said he dislikes the library's hours because they differ throughout the week.
"It's hard to know the hours," he said. "I don't always know the schedule and sometimes have to wait to get in."
Aside from hours and staff cuts, the library's budget has also experienced cutbacks. Between 2005 and 2008, total library expenditures increased by about $469,000 while total revenue increased by only about $265,000, according to Dan Schultz, library business manager.
Within expenditures, salaries and health insurance accounted for most of the change with increases of about $100,000 and $50,000 respectively, Schultz said. The City of Racine determines those costs through contracts with three different unions. The contracts must be approved by the Library Board, MacPhail said.
Employees can request raises which are evaluated on a case by case basis. For salary increases due to higher costs of living, unions generally negotiate with the city ahead of time when contracts are signed, said Stacey Salvo, paralegal for the City Attorney's Office.
While salaries rose between 2005 and 2008, expenditures on library promotion fell by about $2,000. Expenditures on materials decreased by nearly $26,000 since 2006, Schultz said. The library has cut down on phone books, periodical subscriptions and microfilm.
"They've cut the materials budget as far as possible. Programming and promotion budgets have both gone down," Spika said. "It's really sad we can't afford to bring in some larger-name authors. It hurts the
community."
Library staff members said budget decreases come at a time when material and operating costs have increased along with circulation, or the number of materials checked out yearly. The library's circulation grew 5.3 percent between 2001 and 2006, according to a Racine County Board report on library funding.
"I just really, really regret the cuts," MacPhail said. "It's had a huge negative impact on the public."
Coming Monday: The Racine Public Library falls short on more than half of state standards.