Warsaw Community Public Library hours will be reduced by seven hours per week, 10 positions will be eliminated, and programming will be reduced by 50 percent. During an interview Friday afternoon at the library, Ann Zydek, WCPL director, said these changes are necessary as a result of the library’s budget shortfall. Zydek said the library’s operating budget is short by two months, or $400,000. For several years circuit breaker credits on property tax revenue and continuing reductions in other funding sources to support library services in the community have led to below-projected actual budget funds. Zydek said the last time the library had a significant budget shortfall was in 2004 when 10 staff positions were eliminated. Zydek said for the past two to three years the economy at large has taken a hit, and government units are now facing reductions in funding. “We are still trying to provide the best level of services that we can, including programming and collection development,” Zydek said. Zydek said staff who have provided exceptional quality of service for many years are being eliminated as a result of the budget shortfall. “The need for these drastic reductions is hard, it’s extremely hard, but we will try to go forward from here as best as we can and continue to meet the needs and interests of our community,” Zydek said. “It’s very hard because there are faces people have gotten used to seeing that will not be here anymore.” Effective July 1, library business hours will be reduced by seven hours per week from 60 hours to 53 hours. The library will close two hours earlier Wednesdays and Thursdays when hours will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The library will close three hours earlier on Saturdays and be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hours Mondays and Tuesdays will remain the same when the library will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hours on Fridays will be unchanged from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The library will remain closed Sundays. WCPL positions that have been, or are in the process of being eliminated effective July 1, include: public relations manager, creative designer, two reference professional assistants, children’s services professional assistant, acquisition and periodical technical assistant, young adult coordinator, two circulation clerks and a children’s services shelving clerk. With the 10 staff reductions, the library will be at 37 staff members, including Zydek. The budget shortfall also will affect library programming where programs will be reduced from 75 a month to 35 a month. Zydek said 35 programs is the minimum state requirement. WCPL Board of Trustees was made aware of the changes during its June 11 meeting, and library staff also have been made aware of the changes. Zydek said the board at its July 8 meeting at 4 p.m. at the library will review policy changes, including the possibility of a full-time employee being considered as someone who works 35 hours per week, instead of 40. On a positive note, Zydek said the library’s summer reading program has seen record numbers with a total of 1,336 people enrolled, 984 being children and teens. Zydek said the library will continue to review its budget from month to month to make sure it is operating within its actual cash flow received. The library always is accepting book donations to help stretch its dollars as much as possible and volunteers for its programs. For more information about WCPL visit warsawlibrary.org
