RELEASE DATE: November 25, 2009
Contact: Christine Perkins
Bellingham Public Library
(360) 778-7206
cperkins@cob.org
LIBRARY ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL HOURS, SERVICE REDUCTIONS
Another round of citywide cuts to the proposed 2010 budget which eliminated an additional $75,000 from the Bellingham Public Library will result in one staff layoff, the cancellation of Outreach services to seniors at 12 facilities, and hours reductions at the Barkley and Fairhaven Branch libraries. Reductions to the library’s 2009 and 2010 budgets total $546,385.
"It has been a difficult year for the library," said Library Director Pamela Kiesner. "Despite the fact that we’re on track to break all records with 1.6 million items checked out and nearly one million visitors in 2009, we’ve lost 9 staff positions, cut the materials budget by 29%, reduced 28 open hours and will be ceasing Outreach deliveries to 210 senior citizens."
Previous cuts in February and August left remaining staff stretched so thin that further hours and program reductions were inevitable.
"We’ve discontinued our Barkley Author Spotlight and Thursday Night Spotlight programs, our Saturday storytimes at the Barkley Branch, and will be ending our Bellingham Reads Book Discussion group next year. With hours cuts, our meeting room availability is extremely limited. We’re down to basics right now," said Kiesner, "We’re looking forward to better days."
A levy recently approved by Whatcom County residents supports Whatcom County Library System, not the Bellingham Public Library which serves city residents. Although the two libraries share a library catalog and cooperate on many projects, their budgets are separate. Bellingham Public Library receives its funding from the City of Bellingham General Fund, while Whatcom County Library System is an independent taxing district.
In an effort to keep Bellingham’s libraries operating with fewer staff, hours at the Barkley and Fairhaven branches will change effective January 1, 2010. The Barkley Branch will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Fairhaven Branch will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
"This will eliminate some confusion the public experienced regarding the past Barkley Branch schedule, which had different hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays than the rest of the week," explained Assistant Director Christine Perkins. "We received several requests for open hours over lunchtime, so that people working in the Barkley area could stop by on their lunch breaks. Now the branch will be open 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. four days a week."
The Fairhaven Branch Library is scheduled to re-open on Tuesday, January 5 after a seven-month closure for repairs. With the Fairhaven Branch set to open from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. five days a week, the Bellingham Public Library is aiming to offer branch library services from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. most days. Additionally, the Whatcom Community College Connection will continue to offer holds pickup and drop-off services on the same schedule as the WCC Library, when the college is in session.
Hours changes at the branches follow previous cuts to hours at the Central Library, which went from being open four nights a week to two. Sunday hours at the Central Library have also been eliminated.
"Staff meet regularly to come up with new ways to keep up with increased use of the library," said Perkins. "Even little changes help us become more efficient. For example, beginning in January, we’ll be requiring that people bring their library card in order to check out materials and use the computers. With a library card, folks can check out most of their materials themselves, reducing the wait time for those who need to interact with a staff member."
One valued service – that of placing holds on library materials – is transforming, as staff struggle to get returned materials back on the shelves before spending time searching and pulling items people have requested. Nearly 1,000 items show up on the Requests Pull List each morning – a task that takes 8 staff hours to complete each day.
"We’re no longing pulling holds on Mondays, to give our pages time to shelve the thousands of items that were returned over the weekend," explained Perkins. "Staff were spending a lot of time checking three places for items that had not yet made it back to the shelves. It just didn’t make sense." People who regularly place holds on materials that have a status of "Checked In" are advised to come in and find the item on the shelves themselves if they are in a hurry to get them.
"Placing a hold is still the best way to be able to access high-demand materials from the library—and the only way to get materials from branch locations throughout Whatcom County without driving to the branches yourself," said Perkins. "But people should realize it may take a little longer for holds to arrive."
One group particularly affected by library budget reductions are seniors who had been receiving monthly visits from the library’s Outreach Services department. Residents of 12 facilities were notified in November that the library’s last pickup would be in December.
"This cut is particularly heartbreaking," said Perkins. "Our dedicated staff have built up relationships with these people over the years and know their reading preferences down pat." Many of the seniors affected qualify for free services from the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library, which mails large type books and audiobooks to people’s homes. Others may be able to utilize vans from their living facility to take them on monthly visits to the library, while others can call WTA’s Specialized Services for a ride. The Library is compiling a list of homebound seniors who may qualify for Home Service. With Home Service, library staff select ten items a month for patrons, who send family, friends or neighbors to the library to pick up and return materials.
"We’re thankful that services to residents at fourteen assisted living and skilled nursing facilities will continue," said Perkins. "For some of these people, getting library books each month is the one thing they have to look forward to."
Revised Bellingham Public Library Hours as of January 1, 2010
Central Library
Sunday Closed
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Friday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Fairhaven Branch
Sunday Closed
Monday Closed
Tuesday 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Friday 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Barkley Branch
Sunday Closed
Monday Closed
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Friday Closed
Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
###