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March 25, 2009

Hanover mulls cut to library funding

Whippanong facility would have to cut hours, story times
BY JAKE REMALY • DAILY RECORD • March 25, 2009

HANOVER -- A sign at the Whippanong Library circulation desk outlines the possible impact of a $65,000 reduction in municipal aid, a cut the Township Committee is weighing as it works to draft its 2009 budget.

The library would close on Sundays, reduce hours on other days and close for four weeks.

Spring and fall story times would be eliminated, and the library would reduce its acquisitions of CDs and DVDs, among other measures, the sign says.

"People need the libraries," library Director Sulekha Das said in an interview Tuesday. "Why they want to cut us, I have no idea."

The Whippanong Library board of trustees and the Hanover Township Committee are scheduled to meet to discuss the library's 2009 budget request and possible funding reductions at an open public session at 7 p.m. today in the main conference room of the municipal building, 1000 Route 10, Whippany.

Library officials said on Tuesday that they had heard speculation that some committee members have proposed eliminating the Whippanong Library altogether because the Morris County Library also is in the township.

No redundancy
Das, Whippanong Library director for 29 years, said the library shouldn't be seen as redundant.

"Here, this is the town center," she said. "We don't compete with the county library. We complement each other."

Committeeman George Coppola said he did not know of any committee members who want to eliminate the library altogether.

"I understand how they feel," Coppola said. "I understand how everyone feels. These are not normal times."

The Township Committee invited the library trustees to the meeting, and no formal action will be taken during the joint session, according to a township notice of the meeting.

The library is a private organization housed for free in the municipal complex.

Das said the township historically has always funded the library's budget requests because the governing body always got positive feedback from the community.

$390,000 request
The library's request for 2009 was $390,000, the same as in 2008, she said.

Das said the library has expanded in size during her tenure and now has four additional full-time employees.

"If you build it they will come, and that's what happened," she said.

She said that during the recession people are increasingly turning to libraries for free books, movies and newspapers.

In the summer months, people come into the air-conditioned library for refuge from the heat, she said.

She said the county library is a great research library, while the Whippanong Library is a good place for popular books, community events, story times and chess clubs.

The committee also is considering not funding the fireworks or the annual festival, Hanover Township Day.

The combined elimination of those events could result in savings of $35,000.

The next budget work session is scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 a.m. at the municipal building.

Posted by tumulty at March 25, 2009 9:51 AM

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