Selectmen Decline Adding Teen Librarian to Budget

The Board of Selectmen chose not to fund a part-time teen librarian for the fiscal year 2011-2012.

A 19-hour-a-week position at a cost of $25,688 was requested by the library but not included in Chief Administrative Officer Robert Skinner’s proposed budget due to “budget limitations.”

Library Director Robert Simon, staff and board members, however, have continued to advocate for the position and selectman Stephen Roberto worked with the library to come up with a less-expensive proposal for a 12-hour, 50-week position at a cost of a little over $16,000 for salary and related expenses.

Selectmen other than Roberto, for various reasons, had expressed reluctance to fund the position but at their last meeting offered Simon the chance to come up with additional revenue or other areas of savings to at least partially offset the cost of the position.

Wednesday night Simon said he looked at the library’s budget but only came up with a couple of thousand dollars in savings, mostly from using fewer printers than the 13 the library currently has. The library could consider higher fines, he added.

“This would probably generate more ill-will than anything,” he said.

“We’re willing to do what we can,” Simon added. “We’re willing to make a good-faith effort.”

In the last budget year, the town allotted $3,500 for teen materials, which was matched by the Friend of the Library. In addition, the library used a $15,000 state grant to create a “Teen Zone.”

Roberto said the library and town have invested in the area.

“It seems to me we have both committed to this but we have no one to drive the programs,” he said.

Some selectmen, including First Selectmen Richard Barlow have advocated revenue-generating ideas, such as charging a small fee for programs like movies.

Simon has opposed the idea from the beginning and Wednesday said it is illegal to charge for any borrowing or programs that promote literacy.

He continued to oppose the idea of charging for any programs.

Selectmen Marc E. Cerniglia challenged that idea as well as Simon’s assertion that he could not cut back on other part-time help. He said the library needed data that its service is at a level required by the public and not just what staff perceived it needs to be.

Library Board Chairman Lee Foley said 5,000 residents use the library and 105,000 patron visitors a year. She said that was a good value for the town for a department that represents 1 percent of the overall budget.

“We provide a good value to the town for all the people we serve,” she said. 

Cerniglia said that still doesn’t speak to other factors, such as how many people come in a given day and what level of service they expect, etc. 

“We have half the equation,” he said. “It’s good data but it’s trying to clap with one hand.”

Foley responded, “I do have faith that (Simon) knows how to staff the library properly.”

Barlow said the library is 5-percent of the selectmen’s budget and he expressed disappointment at the proposed savings of only a couple thousand.

Selectmen Bruce Lockwood said he supports the concept of the position but reiterated his point of not supporting additional positions when a part-time public safety position cut last year has not been restored or at least revisited.

Selectmen David Gilchrist said the library is excellent but he could not support additional staff right now.

“I think it’s a good library and a very important part of the towns character,” he said. “I think this is the wrong time to add a position to any part of the town.”