Library Branches Extend Hours After Funding Reprieve

December 3, 2012

After funding problems were  ironed out for the West Florida Library, the library hours are being extended at all branches except the Main Library.

Escambia County provides about 70 percent of the funding for the library system, while the City of Pensacola acts as library administrator. With the passage of a fiscal year 2012-2013 budget, Escambia County cut their library contribution by 5-percent or $165,000 from the previous year.

The West Florida Library responded by cutting operational hours by one-third, reducing part-time employees by 30 percent, subscriptions by 15 percent and book purchases by 85 percent.  The new Molino Branch, now set to early next year, was set to be staffed by personnel from the Century Library, while the Century Library had hours cut by 40 percent.

Escambia County responded by cutting their contribution to the library system even further to allow the county to keep branches in the county — including  Century and Molino — open the same number hours as those in Pensacola.

The City of Pensacola was then able to find $355,000 in its budget for the library system for this fiscal year, allowing hours to be restored.

“We are proud that our city and county leaders were able to find funding in support of the library.” said Darlene Howell, acting library administrator. “WFPL is committed to inspiring lifelong learning, advancing knowledge, and strengthening our community. Our new extended hours will allow us to fulfill this mission.”

In the future, the city and the county are set to consider a MSTU — a tax dedicated to funding the library system.

New library hours by location are as follows:

WFPL CENTURY BRANCH LIBRARY — 7991 N. Century Boulevard

Sunday           CLOSED
Monday          CLOSED
Tuesday          12pm – 8pm
Wednesday    10am – 6pm
Thursday         12pm – 8pm
Friday             10am – 6pm
Saturday        10am – 6pm

MOLINO BRANCH LIBRARY — 6450 Highway 95A
(Opening Early 2013)

Sunday            CLOSED
Monday           10am – 8pm
Tuesday           10am – 8pm
Wednesday     10am – 8pm
Thursday          10am – 8pm
Friday              10am – 4pm
Saturday         10am – 4pm

MAIN LIBRARY — 200 W. Gregory Street
*Due to construction, Main Library hours will be effective January 2013

Sunday           12pm – 4pm
Monday          10am – 8pm
Tuesday          10am – 8pm
Wednesday    10am – 8pm
Thursday         10am – 8pm
Friday              10am – 4pm
Saturday         10am – 4pm

TRYON BRANCH LIBRARY — 1200 Langley Avenue

Sunday           CLOSED
Monday          10am – 8pm
Tuesday          10am – 8pm
Wednesday    10am – 8pm
Thursday          10am – 8pm
Friday              10am – 4pm
Saturday         10am – 4pm

WFPL SOUTHWEST BRANCH LIBRARY — 12248 Gulf Beach Highway

Sunday           CLOSED
Monday          10am – 8pm
Tuesday          10am – 8pm
Wednesday    10am – 8pm
Thursday         10am – 8pm
Friday              10am – 4pm
Saturday         10am – 4pm

WESTSIDE BRANCH LIBRARY — 1580 W. Cervantes Street

Sunday            CLOSED
Monday          10am – 8pm
Tuesday          10am – 8pm
Wednesday    10am – 8pm
Thursday         10am – 8pm
Friday              10am – 4pm
Saturday         10am – 4pm

WFPL GENEALOGY BRANCH LIBRARY / 5740 North 9th Avenue / Pensacola, FL 32504

Sunday            CLOSED
Monday           CLOSED
Tuesday           10am – 6pm
Wednesday     10am – 6pm
Thursday          10am – 6pm
Friday              10am – 6pm
Saturday         10am – 6pm

Comments

6 Responses to “Library Branches Extend Hours After Funding Reprieve”

  1. S.L.B on December 4th, 2012 4:23 pm

    This proves that voicing your concerns and grievances might just pay off. I am so thankful that the situation was evaluated and a reasonable solution was found. Now, to get the mandatory 4 cent gas tax for the ECAT program re-evaluated so it will be fair for all. The one’s who will be benefiting from it (bus riders) won’t be worrying about it because they don’t have to purchase gas. Sounds like a win-win for them!

  2. Molino Lady on December 3rd, 2012 3:09 pm

    We are so glad this is happening!

  3. Missy on December 3rd, 2012 1:36 pm

    Why not use 2cents of the newly imposed gas tax to help fund the library system. Now that is worth the increase in tax. Of course Pensacola would get all of it and Century and Molino would be left out as usual.

  4. Margie Hays on December 3rd, 2012 12:27 pm

    How is it that the city “found” a third of a million dollars? Budgets don’t work that way….not in the world of real numbers, anyway. I’m glad everything worked out, but I would continue to investigate where the funds were “found” and to what they had originally been allocated. Or, is this the closed-door justification for the infamous 4-cents-per-gallon gas tax in Escambia County (FL)? Both “found” funds and taxes to subsidize something the end-user should be paying in fare are questionable, and warrant further discussion and probing.

  5. Dolores on December 3rd, 2012 7:54 am

    Glad to see this finally come around.
    Our kids need a place to go and learn.
    Many adults also use our libraries and computers for learning and research.
    Don’t take away the good things we have for residents and visitors.
    Look at Brownsville, the kids grown up learning the streets, drugs and gangs.

  6. Jane on December 3rd, 2012 5:11 am

    Wonderful!!! When will the Molino library open? I can’t wait to get my library card and start using the new library!!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News