Throughout the past year, the Wood County District Public Library has had to close its doors on three separate occasions in order to reduce spending. Library officials hope to prevent a fourth closure with the passing of a levy that would provide funding for the library in the Nov. 2 election.
Residents can vote this November on the $0.8 million levy to provide approximately $1 million a year for the next five years to the Wood Country District Public Library.
“The library receives around 92 percent of its funding for day-to-day operations from the state’s library fund,” said the library’s public relations director Mary Boone. “The other 8 percent or so comes from book fines and sales.”
Boone said by voting for the levy, Wood County residents that pay $100,000 for their home would pay $25 a year, which breaks down to a hardback book, a couple pizzas or seven cents a day.
“It’s safe to say that all of Ohio’s libraries are feeling the effects of the budget cuts, and that has been true for a number of years,” Boone said. “Our figures indicate that funding is not only lower this year in 2010 compared to last year, but hasn’t been this low since 1996.”
The library’s closures first started Aug. 9-16 in 2009, for a second time between April 4-11, and again Aug. 1-8.
“We estimate that we save about $17,000 by closing down the library for a week,” Boone said. “This money comes from not having to pay employers and utility costs. Our director of the library and the Board of Trustees are carefully keeping an eye on our funding, because closing down is not something we like having to do.”
Boone said library employees hope to get the support of Wood County residents by voting for the WCDPL Levy on the ballot this November.
The library has taken major steps in order to reduce its budget, including a 40 percent decrease in staffing, 54 percent reduction in the purchase of books and materials and a 23 percent reduction in service hours, including the elimination of Sunday hours.
There has also been a 10 percent reduction in benefits and salaries, and no pay increases for employees since 2008, according to the Wood County District Public Library website. An icon labeled “How You Can Help WCDPL” further explains the levy.
Sophomore education major Lainie Keper said she plans on voting for the levy in the November election.
“I’ve used the public library before as a place to study because I don’t like using the library on campus because it gets too crowded,” Keper said. “Last spring, on the days when the library was closed, I was unaware of it and decided to go to Ground for Thought instead, and that’s where I study now.”
Keper said as an education major and future teacher, she believes it is very important that children are able to access the public library at their leisure.
“The public library is a place where students can go and practice their reading, do homework, and study. It’s a place where students can learn that reading is fun,” she said.
