Library cuts worry neighbors
Eight-year-old Adiamond Harrelson stood before Spokane Public Library board members and pleaded with them to keep her library open on Monday nights.
“I walk here every Monday to get my books,” Harrelson said, holding back tears.
Josh Meckel, an Eastern Washington University student, sat in the back row of the room, holding a sign that read “Keep Spokane Public Libraries Open” on one side, and “Two Days Is Just Not Enough” on the other.
One by one, East Central residents waited their turn and repeated the message to Library Director Jan Sanders and board members Jennifer Roseman and Jack Fallis: Please don’t close or cut services at our library branch.
Monday night’s town hall meeting at the community center, which shares a parking lot with the nine-year-old East Side Library, was the first of six meetings scheduled at the city’s six library branches between now and Nov. 11.
Two weeks ago, library officials said they need to cut $1.2 million because of the cash shortfall in the city’s general fund. The board is pressed to come up with a solution on Nov. 15.
The East Central meeting attracted about 70 residents, who listened as Sanders outlined a possible solution that would mean cutting service at East Side, Indian Trail and Hillyard libraries from five days a week to two days a week.
The Shadle and South Hill branches would be cut from five to three days a week while the downtown library would be cut from six to five days.
In addition, Sanders said $148,000 in spending on new materials will need to be cut. The cuts would amount to about 14 percent of the library’s $7.5 million annual budget.
“The impact of the service to you is large,” Sanders said, “I won’t lie to you.”
Residents didn’t fault the board for what appears to be inevitable cuts. On the contrary, some thanked board members for giving them chance to express their concerns. Several said it seems unfair that a low-income community such as theirs could get the short end of the plan.
“I understand why people in this neighborhood would feel that way,” said Merri Hartse, East Side branch manager. “It is a very important part of this community.”
Many residents expressed concern for the children in the neighborhood because they do not have transportation to other branches and use the library’s computers.
Added Darci Bierman, a library regular: “I know there has to be budget cuts, I’m a realist. I just think it should be shared more equally.”
Pat Partovi, Spokane Public Library’s neighborhood service manager, said the South Hill and Shadle branches each have an average monthly circulation of 40,000 items checked out. The three smaller branches have a combined monthly circulation of 40,000. The downtown branch’s circulation is between 30,000 and 35,000.
The downtown library’s traffic is 22,000 to 25,000 visitors a month, which is the most among the branches. The East Side branch gets the lowest, between 7,000 and 9,000 visitors a month.
The library system has 115,000 cardholders. One resident’s suggestion as a way to save the library was to charge a yearly fee. Sanders said because the library is a taxed-based service, she is unsure if charging would be legal.
“I look at this as a community awakening of us telling them how bad the libraries have been,” Sanders said after the meeting. “Maybe out of this will rise the phoenix.”