BRATTLEBORO — I am sorry to report that as a result of the March 2010 Town Meeting vote on the proposed fiscal year 2011 budget, the library has been required to reduce its personnel line item by $16,000.
What this means is a reduction in staff hours and therefore a reduction in the number of hours open each week - from 56 to 50. There will be hours reductions on two days: Thursday, 1 to 6 p.m. (formerly, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (formerly, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
The lower budget for FY 2011 has required a reduction of 24 hours per week in part-time hours. While the library operates on six full-time staff, we have eight regular part-time staff who work between 10 and 24 hours per week to provide our current level of service. Frankly and quite simply stated, the library cannot sustain the same service levels with 1,250 fewer staff hours in a year.
Our part-time workers are valued members of the Library team who work alongside full-time staff to provide the quality level of service that Brooks has been recognized for throughout the state of Vermont. As a matter of note, these employees have a total of 100 years of service among them to the library and to Brattleboro library users.
How will this reduction affect you after July 1? The current research states that 95 percent of library use will still occur even with a 10 percent reduction in hours open. There may be longer lines at the circulation desks during certain times; longer wait times for a public access computer; longer wait times for new books, CDs, DVDs; reduced access to special collections (Local History and Genealogy) during certain times and limits on interlibrary loan requests.
If you have any suggestions for improvements, please use our suggestion boxes located near the front entry way and in the Children's Room, or you can contact me at the library. I thank you for your continued support of the library in these difficult economic times that we all face.