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<\/a>JAMESTOWN – The James Prendergast Library<\/strong><\/a> will be reducing the number of hours that it will be open each week, starting in July.<\/p>\nOn Thursday the library board of trustees<\/strong> held its monthly meeting and voted cut the hours of operation by 10.5 hours per week. The move means the library will now be open only 55 hours each week rather than the current 65.5 hours.<\/p>\n The new hours of operation, starting July 1, will be:<\/p>\n Library officials say the reduction in hours will save the library more than $30,000 during the second half of this year. The savings would come via cuts in staffing.<\/p>\n The board also said it\u2019s likely the library will not fill a currently vacant maintenance position, which will result in another $20,000 in savings for this year. Between the two, the library will see $50,000 in salary expenses cut from\u00a0 the current year’s budget and will help to close a looming budget gap for next year.<\/p>\n BOARD CUTS BACK ON MATERIAL PURCHASES<\/strong><\/p>\n In addition the board also acted on a motion to cut spending on new materials (such as books and DVDs) by $24,000, bringing the total line item down to $74,000 for the year. The $24,000 was to come out of the library\u2019s endowment fund and the board voted 3 to 2 on returning that amount to the endowment. Board members Tom Price<\/strong> and Michelle McRay voted against the motion, with Price against the idea of returning the money to the endowment, saying it may have to be used for some other expense later in the year.<\/p>\n Jamestown resident Doug Champ addresses the James Prendergast Library Board of Trustees during its board meeting Thursday, June 16.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n Board president Tom Rankin explained that the Thursday’s budget cuts were not the result of any shortfalls in the current year’s budget, but intended instead to be a proactive step to prepare for financial challenges in 2017.<\/p>\n “We’re a not-for-profit,” Rankin explained to WRFA following the meeting. “Our goal is to have enough money to pay the bills starting January 1. So we don’t know what the city will do with [it’s annual contribution] and we don’t know what the foundations will do. We’re trying to create a rainy day fund at this point so that when we do hit January 1, 2017, we have some money in the bank.”<\/p>\n The board’s budget cuts come following a public referendum earlier this month when voters rejected an $850,000 annual funding initiative for the library, which would have been paid via a tax on property owners in the Jamestown School District. In addition the city of Jamestown is facing major financial challenges for 2017 and may have to reduce or completely eliminate it’s annual contribution to the library, which was $350,000 for the current year.<\/p>\n\n
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