ROCKPORT — Amid difficult economic times — and when library use is on the rise — Rockport Public Library director Hope Coffman has been forced to reduce labor and operating costs to maintain a level-funded budget for next fiscal year.
Those proposed cuts, she says, will not only produce longer wait times at the checkout desk, but have also placed the library at risk of losing its state certification.
The library's guideline budget of $422,179, proposed to selectmen last week, falls $1,990.18 short of meeting the state's municipal allocation requirement for certification.
While acknowledging the extraordinary economic challenges facing the town, library officials said that without the additional $1,990.18 — a .47 percent increase — the library would lose between $8,000 to $10,000 in state grant money, and Rockport residents would lose the right to borrow materials including books, DVDs, music, and CDs from any other public libraries.
"In these economic times, we certainly wouldn't come before the board asking for this money unless we had to," said library Trustee Lana Razdan. "If we could get (the money) from someone writing a check, we'd probably get it but legally we can't."
Coffman explained that the money to meet certification requirements must come from the town budget as donations and grant money cannot be used to fulfill certification requirements.
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners requires 19 percent of the budget be allocated to library materials to meet annual the state's annual certification requirements.
Though Town Administrator Michael Racicot suggested it would be possible for the library to request a waiver of the requirement, Razdan said the request is "not worth the risk of losing thousands of dollars (in state grant money)" because approval of a waiver is never guaranteed.
Selectman Charles Clark indicated he would work to find the money to ensure the library's certification, saying "we cannot allow decertification."
"We look favorably on what you do," Selectman Armand Aparo told library officials at the selectmen's meeting last week. "We will work to get what you need."
Coffman said the library's services are "especially critical" during difficult economic times when people are being forced to re-examine their spending habits and cut out discretionary purchases such as books and magazines.
Library officials said they cut as much as they could — $8,856 — to attain a guideline budget and that the library already is forced to depend on volunteers and other local organizations such as the Friends of the Rockport Public Library and Toad Hall Bookstore to maintain the library's adult and child programming.
"Through a unique and valued community effort, we've been able to offer programs to the community we otherwise wouldn't be able to," Coffman said.
Volunteers provided 3,053 hours of labor equivalent to $53,428; volunteer hours are one of several cost containment efforts implemented over the last fiscal year, Coffman said.
Outsourcing the IT function also saved the library $25,000 as did adjusting staff levels seasonally and during off-peak hours as well as not providing coverage when an employee is on vacation or out sick.
Funding for five monthly book groups, the "Cabin Fever Movie" program, the Meet the Author series, and weekly story hours is provided by community donations and jointly undertaken by volunteers and staff.
Non-labor aspects of the budget were decreased $4,331 to a "bare minimum level" to maximize funding for labor, but labor still had to be reduced $4,525, meaning "service will be slower," Coffman said.
Selectmen are scheduled to meet tonight at 7 in Conference Room A of Town Hall to finalize all aspects of the proposed fiscal 2010 town budget.
Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
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