Library Falls Victim To Budget Cuts

Due to city budget cuts, the Foster City Library will be cutting three hours per week starting in January.

"We're surveying the community to determine which 3 hours during the week we should cut," said library manager Barbara Blanchard. "There's also an opportunity to suggest other alternatives."

The survey asks people to choose between opening later, closing earlier, or closing early one night a week from 6pm to 9pm.

"We plan to have a decision in October so that we can get the word out to our library user community well in advance of the New Year," Blanchard said.

According to Blanchard, the hours being cut were previously funded by the city. The San Mateo County Library budget for this fiscal year did not reduce hours at any of its branches. The city-funded hours had allowed the Foster City Library to stay open later than some of the larger San Mateo County libraries. The City Council cut the funding for library hours as part of the 2010 to 2011 fiscal year budget. 

"They put funding in the budget for six months through December 31, 2010 to give the library time to consider options and alert the patrons to changes, " said  Foster City Management Analyst Andra Lorenz. "In terms of reinstatement of funding, that would be a decision of the City Council."

The Foster City Library, which was renovated earlier this year, has struggled with funding in recent years as government agencies try to work through the recession. The nearly $900,000 renovation was largely funded privately by The Friends of the Library organization.

Current library hours are Monday - Thursday, 10am - 9pm; Friday, 10am - 6pm; Saturday, 10am - 5pm; Sunday, 1pm - 5pm.

For more information on the Foster City library, visit http://www.smcl.org/