Save America's Libraries (The Los Angeles Story)

Link to March 23 Los Angeles Times article, "L.A. city libraries face shorter hours and Sunday closures".

Excerpt: Spending a lazy Sunday afternoon at L.A.’s public libraries may no longer be an option because of a citywide hiring freeze and the early retirements this year of more than 100 library employees. The Board of Library Commissioners will vote Thursday on a plan for Sunday closures at the city’s Central Library and eight regional libraries, which house larger collections than the 64 branch libraries scattered throughout the city.

Friday-morning hours were cut at regional and branch libraries in November to absorb the city employee furloughs that were part of this year’s budget deal. Though the city set aside money for 1,132 library positions this year, nearly 100 of those jobs are vacant and cannot be filled because of the hiring freeze. In addition, 107 library employees signed up for the city’s early retirement plan, which was offered to 2,400 Los Angeles employees last fall to help address the budget crisis

Library officials say Sundays are one of the days with the fewest patrons. If the plan is approved by commissioners, employees will be reassigned to ensure that other branches can stay open. The 64 branch libraries are already closed on Sundays.

Hmm, Retiring Guy wonder if library officials considered per-hour circulation and per-hour visits before coming to this conclusion. The Los Angeles Central Library, for example, is open 4 hours on Sunday, compared with 10 hours on Monday through Thursday and 8 hours on Friday and Saturday. A major metropolitan library is open for business just 60 hours per week.