Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Hours Reduced at Los Angeles Public Library for 3rd Time in 7 Months


Link to July 20 Los Angeles Times article, "L.A.'s city libraries eliminate Sunday and Monday hours".

Excerpt: Libraries throughout Los Angeles were shuttered Monday as service cuts made in response to the city's budget woes took effect.

The Los Angeles Public Library system dropped to a five-day-a-week schedule, with doors closed Sunday and Monday. The system includes the Central Library downtown, eight regional libraries and 64 branches.

The reduced schedule comes after the city cut $22 million and 328 full-time positions from this year's library budget.

Many of the jobs eliminated were vacant or early-retirement positions, but the library system also sent layoff notices to more than 100 employees three weeks ago, library spokesman Peter Persic said. Those laid off included 20 full-time librarians.

The move to a five-day week, which library system commissioners approved June 10 in response to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's proposed budget cuts, was the third reduction in library service hours since December
.

Related articles:
Don't let the library get washed away.  (7/19/2010)
The Middleton Public Library is open more hours than the Los Angeles Central Library.  (7/16/2010)
Los Angeles Board of Library Commissioners does Mayor's bidding.  (6/12/2010)
Another elective body thinks libraries are dispensable.  (5/5/2010)
Cutting library hours:  Charlotte Mecklenburg this week, LA next week, who's next?  (4/6/2010)
More news under the same headline.  (3/24/2010)

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