Plan to close library draws fire

[IndianaGreen]

Plan to close library draws fire

Published : Wednesday, 12 May 2010, 4:45 PM EDT

By: David Barras

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH - The Indianapolis Marion County library board is considering closing six branches to save a potential $5M deficit, and they're doing it "by the book."

It's about budgets not books; so the library board is trying to close the chapter on spending money it doesn't have. But its plan is anything but a best seller.

Donte Harris, an Ivy Tech student, gets a lot of school work done at the Glendale Branch of the Indianapolis public library. But it is one of six library branches that could close under a plan to save money.

"It definitely would hurt my study habits, but I would be able to find another place. But I would prefer it stay open," said Harris.

William Diehl is so worried the Glendale Branch will be shut down he got more than 1800 signatures on petitions trying to persuade the board to keep it open.

"This library is absolutely critical especially for people who are doing job searching. This library has the most computers in the system besides central," he said.

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/marion_county/plan-to-close-library-draws-fire

I attended tonight's meeting. Democratic candidate for mayor Melina Kennedy was among the speakers and she challenged GOP Mayor Ballard to open the books, to see why Ballard rejected increasing the local county option income tax (COIT) as the General Assembly had authorized counties to do. Marion is one of two counties that did not take advantage of that. Other speakers pointed out how the Colts and the Pacers had gotten, or where about to get, public funds while the public library system is starving for funds.

BTW, if you watched WISH-TV coverage, I was the one wearing the pink LA Dodgers cap.

[LiberalFighter]

1. I would cut movies and software out of the budget.

[IndianaGreen]

2. Here is some background on the current situation

Website: http://www.imcpl.org/sustainable/

Options:

http://www.imcpl.org/sustainable/models.php

The option being considered for the budget due in September is closing six branches: Glendale, Brightwood, Flanner House, Fountain Square, Spades Park, West Indianapolis.

It also involves laying off 55 workers.

Nowhere to be found is the fact that library workers have been trying to renew their hard-won contract (AFSCME Local 3395), and that their discussions with the city are at an impasse.

Press release:

IMCPL Board Committee Hears Options to Sustain Library Services

April 8, 2010

The Finance Committee of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Board of Trustees on Thursday, April 8, 2010 received a preliminary report on options to effectively maintain library services as IMCPL faces severe revenue reductions from a combination of property tax caps and the total tax levy.

IMCPL will need to scale its budget requirements for multiple scenarios as the Library system faces a loss of up to $2.6 million in 2010, $3.1 million in 2011, and $3.2 million in 2012 in property tax revenue, or an estimated 7%-8% of its yearly operating budget. The Library is funded by a combination of taxes, grants and fees and charges. The property tax is the Library's primary source of revenue and accounts for 86% of the Library's projected income in 2010. In 2009, actual property tax revenues accounted for 80% of the Library's operating revenue. IMCPL receives no County Option Income Tax (COIT) and only a small portion of revenue comes from Local Option Income Tax (8% of revenue in 2010), and fines and fees (4%). State statute requires most services be provided free for residents of the district.

The property tax revenue impact, in combination with a drop in countywide assessed valuation from $42 billion in 2008 to $34 billion in 2009, brings IMCPL's projected revenue in 2010 down to 2006 levels.

"The most important thing is that our libraries continue to provide the integral and unalienable access to information for the people of Indianapolis," said Thomas S. Shevlot, President of the Library Board of Trustees. "We have made substantial cuts over the past four years and are prepared to continue to live within our means. We regret that the tax cuts are creating this situation, but we do welcome it as an opportunity to improve how we operate and prepare for the future."

The funding challenges come at a time when library services are being used more than ever. In 2009, IMCPL set a record for patron visits (5.9 million), circulation (17.1 million items), free computer usage (1.2 million session hours) and reference transactions (952,256). The Library is being used by families and individuals for its free resources to conduct job searches, early literacy programs for children, and computer access.

The results of the study show several options that, when coupled with operational cost reductions including reductions in salaries and benefits for staff and streamlining processes, allow IMCPL to operate within its budget for varying lengths of time.

Read more here: http://www.imcpl.org/about/news/press2010/sustainable_options.html

[LiberalFighter]

3. Took a quick look and also checked another library in city of comparable size

Questions I have:

Are there too many branch libraries?
Are some branch libraries located inappropriately? Some appear to duplicate area.
Wasn't there a problem about inappropriate library finances I believe about 10 years ago? Probably closer to nearly 20 years ago when I worked down there.

I would encourage closing of at least the branch libraries on Sundays during the summer.

Maybe they should name a couple of the libraries after Daniels and his wife. And they would be operational only with the generous contributions of Daniels and his supporters.