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September 5, 2009

A consolation: No fines

A consolation: No fines
By George Tibbits

Associated Press
Sept. 3, 2009

SEATTLE - The main library in this book-loving city is an architectural landmark, a daring, contemporary temple to the written word that draws tourists as well as literary locals and those who just want a place to sit and think.
But this week, just don't try checking anything out, returning an overdue book, or even logging on to the online catalog. The city's entire library system - from its branches to book drops to Web site - is shut down to save money.

"I think it's a very sad day - week - for the city of Seattle that they can't access their local library, which is one of the most heavily used libraries in the country," said Nancy Pearl, the city's superstar former librarian and author of Book Lust, a best-selling tribute to the joy of reading.

All city departments have been told to reduce spending to plug a $43 million gap in Seattle's 2009 budget.

The library is trying to cut 2 percent, or about $1 million, and the weeklong closure of its downtown central library and 26 branches aims to save $655,000. The 700 library employees are forgoing a week of pay. The system reopens the day after Labor Day.

Libraries have been targets for branch closures, reduced hours, and job cuts as cities scramble for cash during the economic downturn, said American Library Association president Camila Alire.

Cutbacks and closures have been proposed or instituted for libraries in Philadelphia; Dallas; Hawaii; Providence, R.I.; and Norwich, Conn.

The reduced hours or closures come just as more people are using libraries for job searches, resumé writing, to entertain themselves with a free book or movie, or for a place of refuge.

In western Washington, where gray, damp winters lead to introspection, the Seattle Public Library has always been a popular escape.

In the city of 600,000, the library system estimates 80 percent of Seattle adults have a library card, and visits to libraries jumped from under seven million in 2004 to more than 12 million last year.

Friends of Seattle Public Library, a support group, says that as of July, library visits were up 8 percent over the same period in 2008.

"It seems so bizarre for a city so steeped in its literature and cultural roots for its library to be closed," said Scottish tourist Cameron Burt, an architecture student at Glasgow's University of Strathclyde as he gazed at the building from the sidewalk.

Burt had hoped to stroll through the Rem Koolhaas-designed central library. Its angular, steel-and-glass walls enclose large, airy spaces and Seattleites have adopted the library as downtown's de facto living room since it opened five years ago.

Seattle has closed its libraries before, for two weeks each in 2002 and 2003 during earlier economic downturns. The city announced this week's closure in April.

City Librarian Susan Hildreth, who is taking a 4.5 percent salary cut, said this week was chosen because school is not in session and library use is low at this time of year.

Cutting branch hours could have saved the same amount of money, but the impacts would have lasted longer and meant layoffs.

Bill Dennis, a representative of the library workers' union, said the closure was the most equitable way of handling a bad situation in which all city departments have had to share the pain, including jobs gone unfilled, reduced training and overtime, and deferred maintenance.

Furloughs were better than eliminating jobs, Dennis said.

No materials will be due and no fines will accrue during the closure. Library officials cautioned people not to simply leave books or materials on library doorsteps, saying patrons will be responsible for any damage or thefts.

Posted by tumulty at September 5, 2009 10:49 AM

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