It's going to be a tough year with over $400,000 less money to buy materials and meet operating costs according to system director Adrian Mixson and more days when the system's six libraries won't be open.
"We're going to be closed 27 days this fiscal year," Mixson said. "That's a lot of missing hours of service."
Mixson said that means patrons have to plan ahead to drop books off, young summer readers have less library time, and people looking for work on line have less library computer time.
"If you're looking for a job we provide computer services and those computer services are used heavily by people looking for employment," Mixson added.
Board members reviewed signs to be placed at the libraries, the first one to be posted July 31st, advising patrons to plan ahead.
Libraries and book drops will be closed because of the one-day a month unpaid leave put in place by the County Commission to compensate for recession impact revenues.
TALKING BOOK CENTER CANCELED
Library Board members granted Mixson's request to cancel a contract with the state's Talking Book Center.
Mixson said talking books (books recorded on tape) would still be available to Hall patrons.
"We will participate as well as we can with the state and the service is always going to be here," Mixson said.
Mixson said not maintaining the Talking Book Center itself would save the Hall system work hours and money.
He said he would ask that Hall County become part of another Athens Talking Book sub-region.
"It's basically about work load," Adrian said.
Board members reviewed signs to be placed at the libraries, the first one to be posted July 31st, advising patrons to plan ahead
Hall County Library Board members Tuesday night adopted a much smaller $2.4-million FY 2010 budget that includes unpaid furlough days
http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/6/221336