Cromaine District Library Seeks Community Input at Meeting Wednesday

It appears the might avoid severe cuts in the upcoming budget year and officials plan to share the news in what they hope is a strong turnout Wednesday at a planned community meeting to discuss the budget and future priorities.

"We desperately need your ideas," said Library Director Ceci Marlow. "What's important to you? Where do you see libraries are going and how best libraries can serve you? I'm looking for innovation from any corner."

The 7 p.m. meeting at the Crossroads Branch arrives amid declining revenues from property taxes that officials now believe will be about half — 6 percent — of what was originally projected — 12 percent, Marlow said. The $100,000 difference for a budget that's about $1.75 million is significant.

That means officials now believe they might be able keep the Crossroads open, continue to replace computers on schedule and not cut the collections budget, Marlow said.

Instead officials' latest plan might include offsetting cuts through dipping into part of the library's $400,000 in unrestricted reverses, not replacing two positions and closing Crossroads on Saturdays while the main branch would remain open. The plan also includes looking at renegotiating the lease for Crossroads. In addition, the library might be able to remain open on most days around holidays or on minor ones, which would largely reverse .

Marlow stressed the talk is preliminary and that other factors could lead officials to revisit additional cuts. Those range from higher than expected increases to health care costs to possible reductions at the federal and state governmental level for libraries. The 2011-12 budget is expected to be approved in May.

"It simply is not written in stone," she said.

For instance, if personal property taxes are eliminated in Michigan, the library would lose about $95,000 annually, she said. In addition, federal and state funding levels for the Michigan Electronic Library (MeL) and its distribution network for the interlibrary loan system (MeLcat) could be cut and the library might face an additional $25,000 cost, Marlow said.

Less of a hit would be a loss in direct support from the state, under Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed budget — which reduces funding by 40 percent on top of a 40 percent cut the year before. But that's only because the library receives little already at $4,000 to $6,000 a year and officials haven't been planning for it, anyway.

The prospect of cuts also led to . Those results — which attracted 302 patrons — will be discussed Wednesday, as well. It ranged from rating computers as the most important service to 24/7 lockers as the least valued on a list of 25 items. There was some disagreement as well with many patrons marking newspapers and magazines both on the "must keep" — 12 and 31 respectively — and "drop" — 55 and 36 — services lists.