Library to hold meetings on new hours

Spokane Public Library officials have scheduled a series of informational meetings on proposed new hours of operation at branch libraries for 2006.

The first of the meetings is tonight from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave.

Hours at the city’s five branches would be expanded in 2006, but the plan hinges on voter approval of an increase in the regular property tax rate and a City Council-approved increase in the city tax on its public utilities.

Branch libraries underwent severe cuts in hours at the start of 2005 as part of a wide-ranging reduction in city services.

The plan for 2006 calls for hiring part-time staffers to keep the city’s three smaller branches open half days, Tuesdays through Saturdays. They include Indian Trail, East Side and Hillyard branches.

That would allow librarians currently on staff to remain at the city’s two larger branches – Shadle and South Hill – on full-day schedules, Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Cuts this year reduced branch hours to two days a week at the three smaller branches and three days a week at the larger branches, and forced teams of librarians to work at two locations each week.

The informational meetings continue on Wednesday at the Hillyard Library, 4005 N. Cook at 7 p.m.; on Oct. 12 at the East Side Library, 524 S. Stone St., at 7 p.m.; on Oct. 14 at the Downtown Library, 906 W. Main, at noon; on Oct. 18 at the South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry St., at 7 p.m.; and Oct. 19 at Indian Trail Library, 4909 W. Barnes Rd., at 7 p.m.