April 23, 2009

TRL Board of Trustees acts on plan to reduce budget shortfall

The Timberland Regional Library (TRL) Board of Trustees focused in its regular monthly meeting Wednesday night on closing a $2.5 million gap in its 2009 and 2010 budgets. This month’s meeting was held at the Lacey Timberland Library. TRL Executive Director, Jodi Reng, delivered a State of the Library address and provided the Board with numerous cost-cutting and revenue-raising ideas and recommendations.

The Board endorsed a new schedule of library hours that will begin on June 1. Open hours at 25 of the 27 branches will be reduced. Hours at the Amanda Park and Oakville Timberland libraries will be unchanged; they are already open the minimum acceptable number of public service hours, 24 per week. The new open hours schedule will make it possible for managers to cover staff vacations, illnesses and emergencies without hiring substitutes or having staff work overtime. Adequate coverage has been particularly challenging since the library district instituted a hiring freeze in October 2008, resulting in vacancies equal to 18.5 FTEs (full time equivalents).

The schedule was mainly developed using three sets of data: population in the areas served by each branch, circulation statistics and the number of visitors. Because all branches are closed on Sunday, all will be open on Saturday. Except the six largest branches, all will be closed on Mondays. While the library system has begun delivering trainings online and holding meetings by telephone conference call whenever possible, Mondays will be the day when face-to-face meetings will occur.

The Board also requested administrators to develop policies and procedures over the next several months on other issues, such as charging for computer printouts and collecting fines for overdue library materials, which would provide some revenue as well as reduce resource consumption and staff workload.

Next month’s TRL Board Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. at the Montesano Timberland Library (W. H. Abel Memorial Library), located at 125 Main Street S, Montesano. A special meeting will be held at 5 p.m. in the same location to discuss an amended 2009 budget. Both are public meetings.

TRL’s budget-related recommendations and process

The TRL administration is taking a three-pronged approach to developing budget-related measures: cut costs everywhere possible, reduce costs associated with staff work-load, and find new revenue streams. Ideas were distilled from many hundreds of public survey responses, staff ideas and suggestions, and the research and analysis of task forces on major cost savings areas. Some that are not implemented in 2009 will be considered for the 2010 budget. Others involve actions that have already been instituted or can be taken without further discussion when procedures are in place.

1. Cut costs

• Reduce the number of hours library branches are open so employee sick and vacation leaves and staff reductions due to the current hiring freeze can be covered without the use of substitutes or overtime. (will be in effect June 1, 2009)
• Close all but the largest libraries on Mondays so TRL can hold training sessions and meetings without hiring substitutes (will be in effect June 1, 2009)
• Use on-line training whenever possible to save travel costs, which are substantial in a five-county, 27-branch library district (in effect now)
• Hold most TRL meetings except TRL Board of Trustee meetings by conference telephone calling to reduce travel costs (in effect now)
• Severely limit attendance at conferences (in effect now)
• Examine each position vacancy to determine if it can be replaced with a lower paid position at fewer hours (in effect now)
• Eliminate plans for the Library’s book talk program on TCTV (Thurston County Television)
• Reduce the mailing of holds, by mailing only to home-bound shut-ins (procedures being developed)
• Reduce allocations for programs at all libraries (Youth and Adult)

2. Reduce staff work-load to allow regular staff to provide service without exceeding their budgeted hours and without hiring substitutes

• Reduce number of simultaneous checkouts per patron from 200 to 50, to save handling time and transportation expenses (procedures being developed)
• Reduce number of simultaneous holds per patron from 100 to 25, to save handling time and transportation expenses (procedures being developed)
• Stop scheduled rotation of books from branch to branch, to save handling time and transportation expenses (began in April)
• Expand “Shared Collections” – leave materials at the library where they are checked in instead of transporting them to the “home” library (effective May 1)
• Avoid Interlibrary Loans from libraries that charge for the service, or pass charges through to patrons. (being studied)
• Email hold and overdue notices whenever possible and encourage more patrons to receive notices by “TeleCirc” automated telephone messages (procedures being developed)

3. Find new revenue streams

• Explore charging fines for overdue materials, adding revenue and encouraging borrowers to return these shared public resources on time, resulting in the purchase of fewer copies
• Explore charging for printing from TRL computers
• Encourage donations (procedures being developed)
• Apply for more grants; participate in more partnerships (ongoing)

TRL Executive Director Jodi Reng responded to the public interest and involvement by saying: “We appreciate the hundreds of people across our five counties who gave us their suggestions. It’s comforting to know in these hard times that so many people are willing to work together because they see the value of the public library in their communities.”

Timberland Regional Library provides for the information, reading and lifelong learning needs of the Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston county public at 27 community public libraries and 7 library service partner locations. The library system is funded mainly by local property taxes. Anyone needing special accommodations to participate in a library’s program may contact the library one week in advance.

Revised 04/23/09