The Cherokee County Library Board of Trustees during its meeting on Wednesday approved changing the hours of operations at its five libraries throughout the county.
The board of trustees is grappling with an 8 percent reduction, or $158,440, in funding from the Cherokee County government, which had to make the cuts to balance is fiscal year 2011 budget.
The library system is funded by state and local tax dollars as well as late fees. The 2011 budget for the Cherokee libraries was set last year at $4.6 million.
The action requires a vote by the Sequoyah Regional Library System Board of Trustees at its meeting on Tuesday, but its approval is expected, system Director Susan White said.
Beginning Feb. 1, R.T. Jones Memorial Library in Canton and the Hickory Flat and Rose Creek public libraries will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, 1 to 5 p.m. on Fridays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. They will be closed on Sundays.
The Ball Ground and Woodstock public libraries will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays and 2 to 6 p.m. on Sundays. They will be closed on Saturdays.
Current hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
In addition to reducing hours at branches, the board also approved the staff recommendation to cut one full-time employee and two part-time employees at R.T. Jones Memorial. The library also will see one full-time employee changed to part-time status.
Other staffing changes include cutting four part-time employees at the Woodstock library; one full-time and two part-time employees at the Rose Creek library; four part-time employees at the Woodstock library; and one part-time employee at the Ball Ground library.
The libraries in Cherokee employ about 94 people.
The reduction in personnel will save the library system, which also operates branches in Gilmer and Pickens counties, $180,659. The Gilmer library beginning on Feb. 1 also will be closed on Sundays as a result of budget shortfalls.
Mrs. White said she feels "terrible" about having to make the cuts.
The public, she said, will be the most affected by the cuts as they "won't have the hours they are going to want and need."
"I feel like we are letting the public down," she said, noting she expects library patrons will be "very upset."
The cuts won't impact daytime children's programming, but will hurt groups that meet in the evenings at libraries. Programs targeted to county teenagers normally held in the evening instead will have to be held immediately after school.
Mrs. White said the library last year raised its late fees from $.10 to $.20 per item per day to cover decreasing revenues, but it's only generated $32,550, which hasn't been enough to close the gap.
"People are bringing their books back," she said.
Board members said providing the public with at least one library open on weekends would meet the public halfway when it comes to providing services.
"It accommodates the taxpayers if we give them every day" with at least a couple of libraries open, said Mary Helen Lamb of Waleska.
Having at least two branches open on Sunday, according to board member Shelia Garrison of Canton, still will give people who work on Saturday a chance to visit the library.
Katrina Wood of Lathemtown is not happy about the idea of reducing hours.
Mrs. Wood visits R.T. Jones Memorial at least once a month with 11-year-old son, Jonathan, to pick up books and related materials for school. She also uses the library's wireless Internet access.
Mrs. Wood said she knows the library is faced with a difficult decision because of the county funding reduction.
"I'm never for cutting library funds," she added.
It "would be very bad," she said, if the hours are reduced, as it would prevent her from using the libraries as much.
"I love our library system," she said.
I say cut the funding by 100%. If a private library can make a go of it and stay afloat, let them have it.