Aldermen bemoan cutback in library hours
Chicago aldermen today bemoaned a 20 percent cutback in branch library hours at a time when circulation is surging and neighborhood libraries are needed as safe-havens for young people.
During City Council budget hearings, Ald. Ray Suarez (31st) questioned Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey's decision to target 76 branch libraries while leaving the showcase Harold Washington Library and two regional libraries untouched.
"That means that a lot of these folks and kids are gonna have to get on a CTA bus or an 'L.' They don't have the [time or] the means to do this," Suarez told Dempsey.
"It's sad that, when times are rough, we always seem to find ways to cut departments that, I believe are extremely important to keep operating — the one that affect the future for our kids."
As a former teacher, Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) said she has long viewed libraries as "educational institutions. ... The fact that they are less available to the public than they have been in previous years is a cause of real concern."
Preckwinkle then asked Dempsey, "Do you have a plan to restore hours in the future or do you see this as a continuing downward trend?"
The commissioner replied, "I certainly hope it's not a continuing downward trend."
After the hearing, Dempsey defended her decision to exempt Harold Washington and the Woodson and Sulzer regional libraries from the cuts.
"Those are our three busiest locations. We see 6,000 people per day, seven days a week at the Harold Washington Library. We see 1,000 to 2,000 people a day at the two regionals seven days a week. ... They've got very rich resources there. People ... rely on those resources," she said.
As for the 20 percent cutback at branch libraries — from 60 to 48 hours a week — Dempsey said it was necessary to minimize the strain on library staffers caused by layoffs and hiring freezes.
Earlier this year, Mayor Daley laid off 120 library pages who put books back on shelves after their union refused to go along with his demand for furlough days and other cost-cutting concessions.
"We've got people who've been detailed working two different locations in one day. Or maybe they work one location one day and the next week, they get detailed to a different location to fill in those gaps. This allows us to treat our staff much more humanely and equitably," she said.
Instead of opening at 9 a.m., branch libraries will now be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and noon to 8 p.m. on alternating days. The goal is to stagger the locations, so patrons have somewhere to go between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.— even if they have to travel a little farther to get there.
The cutbacks are the first for Chicago's library system in more than a decade. They come at a time when circulation is surging — by five percent this year and 26 percent in 2008 — as more people save money on books during the prolonged recession.
But, Dempsey was quick to point out that other major cities have been forced to keep public libraries closed for several days a week.