Boston PL May Close Ten (of 26) Branches or Slash Hours at 18

Dramatic decline in state aid could lead to loss of 104 positions

Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 02/19/2010

• State aid once was 18.3% of budget
• Board seems to prefer closing buildings to decimating hours
• Newspaper criticizes board for lack of clout

After absorbing a major decline in state aid this year and expecting further cuts next year, the Boston Public Library (BPL) faces dramatic adjustments, with proposals on the table to close eight to ten branches (of 26) or to reduce hours significantly at 18 branches.

That could lead to the elimination of 104 FTE positions, of 480—a significant response to the projected FY11 shortfall of $3.6 million, which represents a 9% cut on top of the current year’s 14.4% cut.

The board likely won’t reach a decision until April. While Mayor Thomas Menino told the Boston Globe that “[c]losing branches should be our last resort,” David Vieira, president of the City-Wide Friends of the Boston Public Library, suggested that three or four branches need to close.

Trustees interviewed by the newspaper seemed more inclined to close branches than to open them for just one to three days per week. The Globe editorialized that maintaining all the branches “is the weaker of the two options.”

The newspaper also suggested that “the makeup of the nine-member board is not adequate to saving a library system that faces a $3.6 million budget shortfall.” It blamed a 70% decrease in state aid over two years in part on the lack of clout at the State House. (The Massachusetts Library Association plans a rally March 9 against proposed major cuts in state library aid.)

Budget overview
According to an Operating Budget Overview, personnel represents 63% of BPL's budget. Funding from the city has declined somewhat. In FY09, it was $31.2 million out of $48 million; in the current year, it’s $29.7 million out of $41.1 million. In FY11, it’s estimated to be $29.4 million out of $38.7 million.

State funding declined dramatically from $8.9 million in FY09 (18.3% of budget) to $4 million in FY10 (9.8% of budget) to an anticipated $2.4 million in FY11 (6.5% of budget). Notably, the funding for Library of Last Recourse (in-depth reference and electronic databases) would decline from $7.1 million last year and $2.6 million this year to $1.8 million next year.

Also, funding for the Boston Regional Library System (reference, ILL, technical assistance, staff development, materials delivery) would go from $932,000 last year to $901,000 this year to zero next year. State aid to public libraries, which declined from $822,000 last year to $561,000 this year, would remain steady.

Increase in use
According to Budget Planning for FY11: A Discussion Document, since 2006, there has been a 31% increase in books, CDs, and DVDs borrowed from the library, and in FY09 BPL saw more than 5 million hits to its web site, more than 300,000 residents using library cards, and more than 40,000 new cards issued.

Cutting Central
The draft document proposes consolidation of service points at the Central Library Copley Square, reducing the total to approximately 14 from 20, and continuing reduced hours in Children’s, Teen, and Music and Fine Arts Departments. Up to 38 FTE positions would be cut.

Cutting the branches
The document suggests “two plausible public service options,” both of which could save up to 35 FTE positions in the branches. 

In the first, 18 branches would see their hours cut by 50-85%, with eight large branches remaining open at current levels. The others would be “paired,” open one to three days per week, and sharing staff, some of whom might work at three locations per week.

While the branches would remain open, the cuts could cause confusion about branch hours and pick-up of books on hold, as well as offer less convenient hours for many. 

Alternatively, eight to ten branches could be closed, with the remaining branches “strengthened by adding staff, computers, collections, and technological access.” While the document lists several pluses, it acknowledges “increased travel time to branches for some Boston residents.”

Systemwide cuts
The document also proposes a host of other cuts, involving the loss of up to 31 FTE positions. They include reductions in contracted services such as vehicles and equipment service; consolidation of administrative and systemwide support activities; and “modifications in technical services,” leading to potential delay in distribution of materials.

The reduction in state-funded services such as interlibrary loan, reference and research services, and the procurement of electronic databases could curtail access to non-BPL materials and electronic databases as well as access to BPL resources by non-Bostonians.

Staff issues
The summary states, “The Boston Public Library has contractual obligations with its unions. Some of these proposed options will require bargaining over the impact of changes.”

The Globe editorialized, “The library system must also make room for more volunteers, including retired teachers. Attempts by such volunteers to offer their services are often met with grievances from unionized library workers. The system is in desperate need of a new, grievance-proof policy on the use of volunteers.”

One commenter responded, “Calling for the city to replace paid professional librarians with volunteers is both mean-spirited and ignorant.”