After being forced earlier this year to close his doors to eager readers on Monday and Friday evenings, head librarian Greg Buss has found a temporary solution to restore branch hours at the Cambie, Ironwood and Steveston libraries.
Buss had faced scrutiny by Richmond city council over declining revenues and increased expenses.
On Monday, council tentatively approved restoring branch hours to pre-2016 levels, as part of the Richmond Public Library’s $9.7 million budget, which will see a 2.86 per cent increase in operating costs over last year.
Rising costs have been a bone of contention. The City of Richmond will pay $8.9 million toward the library budget ($800,000 is earned in revenues, such as fines), up from $7.7 million in 2011.
Restoring branch hours will cost $200,000. Savings of $134,000 were created through attrition of staffing levels and salaries. The city will pick up a $64,000 tab to complete the process.
Buss said he is confident the changes are sustainable, although on paper they are only temporary as part of this year’s budget.
Meanwhile, Buss’ proposition that council expand services for children, families and seniors at a cost of $400,000 (a 0.2 per cent property tax impact) was denied.
Richmond actually funds its libraries below the regional average of $53.63 per capita, with just $41.26 in likewise spending (notably, Richmond provides the least amount of floor space per capita).
Coun. Bill McNulty and Linda McPhail opposed the initial closures.
The funding snafu and subsequent closures has baffled many Richmond residents, considering a public library is considered a core municipal service.
For instance, Cathie Thorneycroft said she was “shocked” by Mayor Malcolm Brodie’s “attitude towards our library system,” especially considering the City of Richmond subsidizes the Richmond Olympic Oval.
The Oval has built ROX, a multi-million dollar museum, with the council-endorsed mandate to promote the Olympic movement, as part of Richmond’s legacy of being an affiliate host Olympic city in 2010.
As the Oval’s municipal transfers increase, city councillors have continued to complain about downloading of services and responsibilities by senior levels of government.
