Sunday, December 12, 2010

Cuyahoga County Public Library Board President Explains Why 3 Branches in Parma is No Longer Sustainable


Link to December 12 Sun News article, "Library board looks to continue strong library services in Parma".

Excerpt: The sad reality is that we simply cannot afford to continue operating all of our current branches. Our board is committed to living within our current 2.5-mill levy, which is the lowest library millage in the county. That is why we have adopted a long-term financial plan to reduce CCPL’s operating expenses and ensure the continuation of excellent library service to the customers in the 47 communities we serve.

In Parma, there are currently three branches within five miles of each other. Unfortunately, that number of branches is no longer sustainable. So to ensure the continuation of excellent service to the residents of Parma and neighboring communities, we have adopted a plan to consolidate the existing Parma-Ridge and Parma-South branches into a single large, centrally located branch that will offer a full array of modern library services provided by our excellent staff. That new library will be significantly less expensive to operate.

The Parma-South Branch is the most expensive branch to operate in the entire CCPL system. For comparison, it costs the library 74 percent more to operate the Parma-South Branch than it does the Strongsville Branch. Both branches are about the same size and both circulate more than one million items annually, but the Strongsville Branch is less expensive to operate because it is only one story, is laid out to minimize staffing requirements and has modern, efficient mechanical systems
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Related article:
CCPL takes bold move forward. (5/31/2010)
$14 mil reduction in state support.  (8/1/2009)

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