Excerpt: Faced with community pressure against a recommendation to close the Des Plaines Public Library for budget reasons, its board on Tuesday night decided to first look into cutting staff and other ways to trim expenses during November and December.
“It’s the responsibility of the board to keep the library open, not to shut it down,” said Eugene Fregetto, a new library trustee, about the recommendation by the finance committee to close for most of December.
The financial squeeze has been caused by Cook County not releasing $2.7 million in property tax payments. The library has depleted nearly all of its $1.7 million reserve fund to stay afloat and asked the city to co-sign a loan of up to $1.5 million. The loan won’t be considered by the city council until next month.
Related article:
'Back to basics' sez Mayor to Library. (10/19/2010)
A bleak December may be in store for Des Plaines Public Library users. (10/14/2010)
Mayor grouses about library's possible need for loan. (9/29/2010)
Mayor offers veiled threat to library board. (10/27/2009; note comment.)
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