Budget Woes: Hours To Be Cut At Santa Rosa Libraries

October 27, 2009

Libraries in Santa Rosa County, including the one in Jay, will be cutting back hours in November because of the economic downturn.

Due to declining county revenues and a reduction of 59 percent in the state’s aid to Santa Rosa County libraries, county commissioners approved the county administrator’s recommendation to reduce library hours by five hours per week. The reduced hours begin November 9.

The reduced hours will eliminate two fulltime jobs and nine student positions.

Libraries in Jay, Milton, Pace and Gulf Breeze will see a reduction of five hours per week. The new hours will be:

  • Monday, 9 am – 5 pm
  • Tuesday 11 am – 7 pm
  • Wednesday 11 am – 7 pm
  • Thursday 9 am – 1 pm
  • Friday 9 am – 5 pm
  • Saturday 9 am – 1 pm

The new library hours were based upon user surveys that indicated patterns of library usage by students that use the library for homework that generally depend on working parents to take them to the library after work, typically come between 5 and 7 p.m. from early to mid-week, working adults that typically use the library after 5:30 p.m. and high early morning library usage.

“Many factors must be considered in making changes to library hours. Our foremost library service goal is to provide the highest possible level of library service to the greatest number of our citizens, while also considering the welfare and safety of library employees, schedules for youth programs and community groups who use library space for their meetings,” Linda Hendrix, Santa Rosa county library director, said.

Library usage in Santa Rosa County is actually on the increase, with a 27 percent increase in checkouts during the last year.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News