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Library seeks additional funding from Fairfax Board of Supervisors
Posted by: Teach and Learn ()
Date: March 14, 2014 07:11AM

Library seeks additional funding from Fairfax Board of Supervisors
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20140313/NEWS/140319633/1117/library-seeks-additional-funding-from-fairfax-board-of-supervisors&template=fairfaxTimes

Library officials will be asking the Board of Supervisors for additional funding to meet agency needs as part of this year’s budget debate.

The Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees voted Wednesday night to request an additional $1 million that would be used for youth service, staff training and technology upgrades.

The board had previously submitted a request for a $1 million increase in its budget for books and other material, aimed at restoring some of the reductions made in leaner budget years.

As the county recovered from the recession, the library cut hours, reduced staff and reduced spending on new materials to save money.

The library administration drew heat from patrons last year when it proposed beta testing a new staffing model aimed at maintaining current hours and services with fewer people in order to reduce operating expenses.

The Board of Trustees ultimately put a stop to the beta test and is working on a community survey and other mechanisms for determining the future vision for the library system.

However, some library staff and supporters continue to express concerns that positions are not being filled fast enough, librarians are overtaxed and some branches are not adequately staffed to meet demand.

Reston resident Kathy Kaplan told the Board of Trustees Wednesday that the staff of the Reston Regional Library is struggling to cover a long-vacant Sunday manager position.

“They are overworked and they are exhausted,” Kaplan said. “We’re not getting our positions filled fast enough.”

County Executive Ed Long’s proposed budget for fiscal 2015 essentially keeps library funding flat.

While he proposes a slight increase over the fiscal 2014 adopted budget, the proposed $25.7 million library budget would represent a slight decrease in total funding as compared to the amended budget for the current fiscal year. This is due to one-time money the Board of Supervisors allocated to the library system at the close of fiscal 2013.

Long’s budget includes about $275,000 for library employee pay raises, $250,000 in additional funding for materials and $61,500 for computer replacement. He proposed increasing the materials budget by $250,000 per year over the next four years to reach the $1 million total that the library system requested.

The $1 million for materials and $1 million for other needs that the Board of Trustees is requesting this year would be in addition to the increased funds already included in Long’s budget, said library director Sam Clay.

The $250,000 included in the budget would allow for the purchase of about 13,000 additional items, according to the budget document.

Some library board members expressed concern that the second $1 million request was not specific enough to make a clear case to the Board of Supervisors.

“There needs to be some sort of clear list of our needs as a system and what that amount will be able to purchase,” said Michael Cutrone (Hunter Mill).

Board members asked Clay to provide more specific information prior to the request going to the Board of Supervisors.

The Board of Supervisors will have public hearings on the budget in mid-April and will adopt the budget April 29.

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Re: Library seeks additional funding from Fairfax Board of Supervisors
Posted by: Fire Sam Clay ()
Date: March 14, 2014 04:19PM

Clay should be fired. It is his fault the books were thrown out. The County should fire some of those Gatehouse managers to pay for replacing the books. Hitler would be proud of Clay's book burning, but now it has to be paid for with money from Clay's salary since he will soon be unemployed.

Libraries are one resource people use, unlike all of these task forces and strike teams and the like.

County management is out of touch.

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Re: Library seeks additional funding from Fairfax Board of Supervisors
Posted by: uWEvn ()
Date: March 15, 2014 05:16AM

Fire Sam Clay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Clay should be fired. It is his fault the books
> were thrown out. The County should fire some of
> those Gatehouse managers to pay for replacing the
> books. Hitler would be proud of Clay's book
> burning, but now it has to be paid for with money
> from Clay's salary since he will soon be
> unemployed.
>
> Libraries are one resource people use, unlike all
> of these task forces and strike teams and the
> like.
>
> County management is out of touch.

I completely agree!

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Re: Library seeks additional funding from Fairfax Board of Supervisors
Posted by: TheSexyLibrarian ()
Date: March 15, 2014 07:52AM

If they hired more strippers like the librarian at South County, they could charge a cover and eventually wouldn't need government support.

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Re: Library seeks additional funding from Fairfax Board of Supervisors
Posted by: thieves that they are ()
Date: March 15, 2014 11:19AM

$1 million dollars will buy a turf field . . . the libraries are asking for too much money . . .

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Re: Library seeks additional funding from Fairfax Board of Supervisors
Posted by: math fail ()
Date: March 15, 2014 04:07PM

A million won't begin to touch the cost of the turf fields, which have high maintenance costs.

But a million sure would buy a lot of books.

If nothing else, Patty Reed has to be voted off the school board, as she claims the turf fields benefit ALL county residents. She refuses to justify her position.

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