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Closing The Book On Late Hours At Libraries

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BY CARL ORTH SUNCOAST NEWS ASSISTANT EDITOR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - The writing was on the library wall as county commissioners this week decided to close branches an hour earlier to save money.

Starting May 5, all seven Pasco libraries will close no later than 8 p.m. on most weeknights.

The county will save $10,000 in lower utility bills and as much as $43,000 per year in fewer hours worked by staff members, according to Library Director Linda Allen.

Allen anticipates budget reductions will crimp the library system budget, so she offered the compromise on hours as a "proactive item."

Patrons usually clear out long before 9 p.m. anyway, Allen reported to commissioners.

"We believe these changes would least impact the majority of citizen use of the library system," Allen wrote in a memo to commissioners.

Allen said she expects staff reductions, primarily through attritions when staff members retire or move.

Perhaps volunteers might fill the void to help the library stay open late, Commissioner Jack Mariano suggested.

The library already has a lot of volunteers, but they usually prefer to work between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Allen replied.

The late hours had been put into effect more than a decade ago in December 1996.

Branches have different schedules, so the switch to 8 p.m. closing applies to different days.

Hudson Regional Library will close an hour earlier Mondays through Thursdays.

The change will mean Centennial Park Branch Library in Holiday will close an hour earlier on Mondays and Tuesdays. The same applies to Regency Park Branch Library in New Port Richey.

The South Holiday Branch Library, on the other hand, will shut its doors at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Carl Orth can be reached at corth@suncoastnews.com or 727-815-1068.

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