Monday, May 31, 2010

Cuyahoga County Public Library Takes Bold Moves Forward


Link to May 31 cleveland.com article, "Cuyahoga County Public Library planning to restore buildings, hours".

Excerpt: Despite hard times, the Cuyahoga County Public Library plans to erect four buildings, expand or renovate six, move two branches and restore Sunday hours countywide.

The library plans to merge two branches and take over construction costs from the hard-pressed communities it serves.

"It's nearly impossible for many cities to put an issue on the ballot for the library in today's climate," said Deputy Director Tracy Strobel, "yet there are huge inequities between our branches that we must address."

Starting Sept. 12, all 28 branches -- not just the seven branches keeping Sunday hours right now -- will be open on Sundays. On Sept. 7, Richmond Heights will begin keeping the same hours as other branches: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays.

The library's funds from property taxes and state aid have slumped during the recession. But officials said they can afford to add hours because of staff cuts and a profitable new service: handling passport applications for fees.

No comments:

Post a Comment