Naperville Public Library Trims Its Budget

Link to January 13 Daily Herald article, "Naperville library considering cuts to budget, hours".

Excerpt: Naperville’s three public library facilities could each close for five additional days during the coming fiscal year while also dealing with reductions in their circulation, reference and program departments.

The library’s levy request of $12,450,000 for fiscal year 2012 was 3.15 percent, or $400,000 less than the previous year, but city council members asked the library board to consider as much as $300,000 in additional abatements.

During a lengthy workshop Wednesday night, library board members discussed the possibility of closing each of the three libraries — Nichols, Naper Boulevard and 95th Street — for five additional days at a projected savings of $35,000 a day or $175,000 for the year.

The library board also is considering cuts of $50,000 to the $3.1 million reference department budget, $100,000 from the $2.4 million circulation budget and as much as $25,000 from the $3 million materials budget.

While all of the cuts total $350,000, the board would present the city council with $250,000 in savings while hoping to keep roughly $95,000 to put into a merit pool and charge staff with finding more should the city decide to give nonunion employees up to 2 percent raises.

Related articles:
Library to offer voluntary buyouts.  (4/3/2010)
Library cuts $1.1 million from budget.  (10/16/2009)