[Archived] Can you please provide the operating budget impact for potential library hour expansion proposals?

The potential library hour expansion proposals are as follows:

• Sunday 1 PM – 5 PM opening for Barrett, Burke and Duncan Libraries

• 9 PM closing Monday through Thursday at Barrett, Burke and Duncan Libraries
• Any other library hour expansion alternatives that the Library Board feels may be worthy of consideration.
  
  

From FY 2001 – 2009, the Alexandria Library offered Sunday service at the Beatley and Barrett libraries. In response to the economic crisis and recession, the Library closed the Barrett Branch on Sundays in FY 2010 as a budget reduction based on patron usage and cost/benefit analysis. In FY 2011, the Alexandria Library reduced branch hours from 65 to 50 hours per week, central library hours from 69 to 63 hours per week, and Local History Library hours from 65 to 30 per week. In FY 2013, the library received funding to increase branch hours to 52 and Special Collections/Local History to 39.

In order to efficiently run Sunday library service (four hours on Sundays at the three branch libraries), the total cost would be approximately $80,000 including personnel, utilities and janitorial services costs.



In order to restore evening hours at the Library branches, 2.6 FTEs would be required, at a cost of $242,869. With the additional funds, the Library would increase hours from 52 hours to 59 per week at the branches. According to usage statistics in FY 2009, the morning hour from 9 to 10 a.m. was not highly utilized, and the Library does not feel that it would be necessary to restore those hours. The majority of libraries in the surrounding jurisdictions do not open before 10 AM.



If library hours are restored, the following services would be available:

• Barrett, Burke, Duncan Branches ($137,530.68)

  • Increases not only evening hours, but also the restoration of morning hours at all branches on those days when they are presently only open from 1pm-9pm.

  • Services include access to educational resources, English language learning classes, job searching and employment assistance (e.g. online applications), children’s programs, free Internet including wireless access, and most recently the ability to apply for passports.

• Local History/Special Collections ($25,256.22)

  • While Local History is co-located with the Barrett Library, it has fewer hours than any branch. This collection has proven to be invaluable to property owners, developers and family history researchers. Most recently, “Mercy Street” writers and producers at WETA have relied heavily on this resource.

• Talking Book/Accessible and Adaptive Services (25,135.62)

  • Located in Beatley Central, this is a highly appreciated, well-used, and growing service which supports those in need of alternative formats for reading materials, as well as services that assist the deaf community, the visually impaired, older adults and those with physical disabilities.  
    

• Virtual Library ($54,947.17)

  • Additional IT support would be required if weekday hours are restored; this position would also provide a staff member who would provide dedicated support for digital services, including support for self-service technologies (kiosks, mobile devices, etc.); web development; support to customers for e-books, e-audiobooks, and other digital resources; digitization of Local History/Special Collections materials; and training and assistance to customers on all Library technologies and public access computers.