by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
No matter what final decision the City Council makes on the proposed property tax millage increase that could balance the City’s 2009-10 budget, people in Duval County will see reductions in hours and other services beginning Oct. 1. That’s because the budget submitted includes $1.135 million less than last year for the Jacksonville Public Library.
In an e-mail sent Monday evening to the Board of Trustees and staff, Library Director Barbara Gubbin explained she’d be meeting this week with those who will be affected by curtailed hours of operation at several neighborhood branch libraries.
Under the current budget the following changes will go into effect Oct. 1:
• The Bradham Brooks Northwest Library will become a community library with 50 hours of service — two nights a week (Monday and Thursday) and six-day service, Monday-Saturday.
• The Brentwood, Eastside, Maxville, Murray Hill and Westbrook Branch Libraries will operate with fewer hours of services and will no longer offer a full range of programs and materials. Brentwood, Eastside and Westbrook will be open 20 hours per week; Murray Hill will be open 24 hours per week; and Maxville will be open 16 hours per week. Those libraries will be managed by the manager of another branch library or the Main Library.
• The budget reduction will also require 19 positions to be eliminated.
Gubbin’s e-mail continued, “We currently have many vacancies as a result of the (hiring) freeze and following civil service rules and union contract requirements we will make every effort to accommodate everyone who is currently in one of those position.”
Mark Wood, chair of the JPL Board of trustees, said this year’s budget has created a unique challenge.
“We’ve never had to make the kinds of decisions before,” he said. “At five branches we are having to change the structure of the library to the point it will no longer be full-service.”
The board was forced to examine the usage pattern at all 20 locations and make changes based on customer patterns and demographics. It came down to who is using what and when at each neighborhood branch library.
“If we determined adults were using the computers at a certain time of day or day of the week at a branch, that’s when that branch will be open and also book selection will be reduced at that location,” said Wood.
If the City Council does not ultimately approve the proposed property tax millage rate increase, the situation would likely become even more critical. That could lead to even harder decisions that Wood and the board don’t want to contemplate.
“That would make it a whole different ball game,” said Wood. “If we have to make more cuts it will mean closing libraries and we do not want to close any libraries. When you have an empty building and stripped shelves, it’s hard to reopen a branch. It would also mean reducing the hours at more of the branches and purchasing fewer materials.”
Since 2001 when voters approved the Better Jacksonville Plan, part of which was designated to expand library locations and services, circulation has increased by 48 percent with more than 9 million books, movies and music recordings expected to be checked out this year. Visitors have increased 37 percent with 5 million people going to a library this year. The Internet is also expected to be used 5 million times this year at libraries, an increase of 78 percent since 2005.
“Year after year it has been continuous cuts. We’re down to where all there is to cut is people,” said Maggie Hightower, executive director of the Jacksonville Public Library Foundation.
The foundation’s mission is to provide the resources to enhance and enrich the Jacksonville Public Library. The board of directors and staff do that by encouraging investments in the future of the library through a variety of giving programs including donations, grants, an endowment fund, planned giving programs and memorials.
“Fundraising never stops in good times or bad,” said Hightower. “We’re doing the best we can to compete with other nonprofit organizations. If the millage increase isn’t approved and other grants are eliminated it would make the competition even tougher.”
Based on the increased demand for library services and materials the reductions are even more troubling, said Hightower.
“Usage is going up, but resources to provide the service are being reduced,” she said.
Jacksonville Public Libraries
• Main Library 303 N. Laura St.
• Argyle Branch 7973 Old Middleburg Rd. S.
• Beaches Regional 600 3rd St., Neptune Beach
• Bradham Brooks Northwest Branch 1755 Edgewood Ave. W.
• Brentwood Branch 3725 Pearl St.
• Brown Eastside Branch 1390 Harrison St.
• Dallas Graham Branch 2304 N. Myrtle Ave.
• Highlands Regional 1826 Dunn Ave.
• Mandarin Regional 3330 Kori Rd.
• Maxville Branch 8375 Maxville Blvd.
• Murray Hill Branch 918 Edgewood Ave. S.
• Pablo Creek Regional 13295 Beach Blvd.
• Regency Square Regional 9900 Regency Square Blvd.
• San Marco Branch 1513 LaSalle St.
• South Mandarin Regional 12125 San Jose Blvd.
• Southeast Regional 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd.
• University Park Branch 3435 University Blvd. N.
• Charles Webb Wesconnett Regional 6887 103rd St.
• West Regional 1425 Chaffee Rd. S.
• Westbrook Branch 2809 Commonwealth Ave.
• Willowbranch Branch 2875 Park St.
Source: jacksonville Public Library. Subject to change.
356-2466