Norfolk Public Library Reduces Hours of Operation

At their meeting on June 23, the Board of Library Trustees decreased library hours to in order to stay within the constraints of the budget reduction voted at town meeting this past May. The library’s budget was reduced by 4% effective July 1 which comes on top of a 6% reduction for the current fiscal year. The library has reduced its circulation staff by a third since 2009, with another cutback slated to take effect in the fall. Ac­cording to Library Director, Robin Glasser this brings staffing to the lowest levels in over a decade. Library circulation and computer use have skyrocketed since the new building opened in 2006 and the remaining staff struggle to keep pace with the increased use. Since 2006 book and materials circulation has increased by 25%. Coupled with a 33% reduction in circulation staff “doing more with less” has become our motto said Glasser.

The library is fortunate to have a dedicated group of volun­teers who help in the cataloging, children’s, and circulation de­partments. Volunteers process new books, repair damaged ma­terials, inspect and clean DVDs, and shelve all returned items. “Our volunteers make a big impact on the quality of library service we are able to offer and we appreciate every minute of time they give to the library”, said librarian Sarina Bluhm who coordinates the volunteer corps. The revised hours of operation were determined after careful analysis of patron use patterns. By eliminating the least used hours and preserving the most used hours, library trust­ees are hopeful that the reduced schedule won’t prove to be a terrible inconvenience to patrons. Trustee chair, Harvey Boulay said, “We’re trying to make the best out of a bad situation. It is a nation-wide trend that in times of a down economy folks rely on their local public libraries more than ever for books, materi­als,

and electronic services. We want to make library services as available as possible while recognizing that we have to adhere to a limited budget.” The library will be applying for a waiver for the municipal appropriation requirement from Mass. Board of Library Com­missioners for the second consecutive year, and is only two hours shy of going below the 40-hour requirement for certifica­tion. “We have never been this close to decertification in the 25 years I have served on this Board,” said Boulay. Summer hours - effective July 1. Monday 2:00 - 7:00 Tuesday 10:00 - 7:00 Wednesday 10:00 - 7:00 Thursday 10:00 - 5:00 Friday 10:00 - 4:00 Saturday 10:00 - 2:00

Fall Hours - effective Sept. 7 Monday 2:00 - 8:00 Tuesday 11:00 - 8:00 Wednesday 11:00 - 8:00 Thursday 11:00 - 5:00 Friday 11:00 - 5:00 Saturday 11:00 - 4:00 Holiday closings: The library will be closed for the Indepen­dence Day weekend, July 3-5 and for the Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4-6. The fall schedule will take effect on Sept. 7.