The Library

OK, I'm going to write about the budget and the library for a little bit today. It's probably not going to seem this way when it's all said and done (yes, I do go into these ramblings with a semi-plan), but I think it's very unfortunate the library budget was cut so steeply, and I'm very open to considering options (that's a funky way of saying, yeah, I'd probably vote for a library override today).

While I don't cling to the emotional "great center of knowledge" as tightly as hard-core library folks, I will say that there's some amount of civic pride invested in the library. No way around it: It's embarrassing to say the city doesn't have a library that's open full-time, or even state accredited (although the two kind of go hand-in-hand). An active, vibrant library is a symbol of, well, an active and vibrant community.

We should be doing better by the library, but we aren't. And some folks would say we can't. Some will say we can. But the situation is pretty complex, when you think about it.

It's still considered gospel in these parts that an override might as well be stamped "DOA" on the ballot. So that means when going into the budget process this year, the mayor and City Council were in cut mode, not "let's try to find areas that might be override-palatable."

Big cuts are hard to come by. The schools are pretty much off-limits, due to state mandates, minimum funding standards, and the huge proportion of state funding that goes to the schools. That, and the schools should be priority number one for the city (yes, that's my priority, and I don't want to have this fight again. And if you're getting ready to type the "too many administrators in schools" arguement, please, finally, come with titles that can go, and the state would allow cut).

The next biggest departments are police and fire. We've seen in the last two months how much of a premium the City Council puts on those departments. Would Wong have been able to get a big through in either of those departments? Negative. Next is DPW, probably. People already hate the condition of the roads. 'Nuff said.

In some ways, making a big cut in the library is a logical -- although difficult -- idea. While there has been much tsk-tsking and what-not, note the relative lack of outrage from the City Council. They're on board with this. This thing is falling into the "fact of life" category, unfortunately.

Importantly, this isn't a short-time issue. It seems unlikely -- impossible? -- that the library is suddenly going to get a $800,000 boost in next year's budget. It's best chance of full funding if an override. And while it's possible, I wouldn't be betting the homestead on folks bucking up via an override. Maybe things will be better in six months or so, but if it was today, I wouldn't see it happening.

Now, all that said, there's been some, eh, fuzziness on the part of the library fandom. For starters, inevitably, someone says something like "It's horrible the library is closing. We're losing such a vital resource." That's not true. The library is staying open, just not seven days a week. Is it inconvenient? You bet. Is it lock the doors and try to read e-books? Nope.

The biggest issue here is the loss of inter-library loaning. If the FPL doesn't have a book, it's off to amazon with you, because most local libraries aren't going to give it to you (Leominster's vote is pending, but that sounds like an iffy situation for Fitchburg). That's really the biggest problem here.

I'd also question the decisions the library leadership has made in terms of hours. If inter-library loaning is issue number one, access is number two (although the two might be flip-flopped). Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., might be the worst possible times for most people to get to the library. How about noon to 8 p.m. one day? Even better, why not go Thursday, noon to 8, Friday, 9 to 5, and Saturday, oh, 10 to 4. It might be a little crowded in the evening and on Saturday, but isn't that a good problem? Why can't this happen? There might be a reason, but I don't know it.

Next week, the library goes to its new hours. As these things often do, the issue will probably die down. Regular library-goers will notice the change, but most people won't. The issue will come back in the winter or spring, as override talks get going again. For library lovers, the bitterness of the situation needs to get swallowed, and it's time to put on a charm offensive and convince the city that the library is a worthy target of the city's first override approval, or some other plan needs to be cobbled together. The hand-wringing must end and the work must start, or the only way to get to the library will be to go during lunch or take the morning off to get there.

UPDATE, Thursday, 4:03 p.m. -- The Telegram has a story on the library today. I refer to it for two reasons. First, the library hours will be noon to 7 p.m., which I didn't know when I wrote yesterday. I'm an idiot. Second, it doesn't take long in the story for someone to say the changes will "shutter" the library. Why does this get said so often. It's not being shuttered. It's being reduced. Jeez. The truth is bad enough.