By JENNY DERRINGER

derringer@crescent-news.com

Recent proposed cuts announced Sept. 24 by the Defiance County library system's board of trustees have stirred up a bit of controversy particularly from patrons and those associated with the Sherwood and Hicksville branches.

Earlier this year, Ohio libraries learned that they would be experiencing an approximate 30 percent loss in state funding for 2010 due to a decline in state revenues. (The cut in state funding for 2009 was 22 percent.)

For the Defiance County library system, this equates to a loss of more than $314,000 for 2009 and $423,000 for 2010.

To accommodate the budget cuts, the Defiance Public Library board of trustees, which oversees the Defiance Public Library, Sherwood Branch Library and Johnson Memorial Library in Hicksville, met Sept. 22.

Cuts, particularly in hours of operation, have become a cause for concern since Sherwood and Hicksville hours took a heavy blow.

The Sherwood facility, which is currently open 40 hours each week, may take the biggest cut in service hours. With a 75 percent reduction in hours, the library may soon be open only 10 hours a week.

In Hicksville, patrons may experience a cut of 19 hours or a reduction of 43 percent. The library is open 44 hours a week currently but could be cut to 25 hours.

The hours of the Defiance Public Library may be cut 19 percent, from 64.5 hours a week to 52 hours.

These figures were stressed as a cause for concern in numerous "letters to the editors" received by The Crescent-News in the days that followed the board decision.

"It is extremely frustrating, especially since the last library levy failed in both Ayersville and Defiance," explained Stephanie Karacson-Mazur, president of the Friends of the Johnson Memorial Library, in her recent letter. "It passed in the other areas of Defiance County. That $500,000 was the direct result of the voters using the two branches that are now getting the deepest cuts. In small communities such as Hicksville and Sherwood, the libraries are vital to the community."

Local funding comes from a .75-mill, five-year library services levy passed by county voters in 2007.

"The impact will be felt educationally, economically and socially," added Linda Bennett, former president of the Friends of the Sherwood Branch Library, in her letter. "We will no longer have equal educational opportunities with those in other parts of the county. The children of Fairview school district will not have the same resources afforded Defiance school children.

"Our library currently acts as community center and safe haven for our children. We can expect an increase in crime and vandalism," added Bennett.

But actions taken by the board in September were done so in an attempt to avoid closing any of the facilities.

The proposed cuts are expected to be finalized by early November, said Ian MacGregor, vice president of the board of trustees. He explained that the trustees hope to meet with Sherwood Village Council and the Hicksville Library Foundation to discuss specific public hours.

"The Defiance Public Library board of trustees looked at how to keep all three libraries open utilizing the tax monies from the state general tax fund," noted Linda Brose, board president. "All indications are that these revenues will not rebound during the current biennium which began Aug. 1, 2009. Reduced revenue translates into reduced staff which means reduced hours. We decided to maintain limited hours at all three locations providing five- to six-day services throughout the county.

"The main library is the foundation of the system," she continued. "It provides support and services that are essential for all library locations and functions countywide. Since the first of the year, six vacated positions at the main library have purposely not been filled due to loss of revenue. Recently the main library has gone to one circulation desk instead of two, initiated self check-out procedures and closed services on the east wing first floor.

"In addition, across the board cuts have been made in areas such as supplies, buying of materials, contracted services, etc.," added Brose. "The board tried very hard to follow our mission to provide library services throughout the county. Cuts are not pleasant or easy. They affect people's lives. Our staff is affected by loss of jobs and loss of co-workers who are friends."

Surveys completed by patrons in September helped the board make its decisions.

"Before making the reductions," explained MacGregor, "the library board considered the public input, the circulation statistics, the number of new library applications (to anticipate future use), and the programming at all three locations. After considering all this information, the board acted to provide services where they were most needed based primarily on the county's usage at each location. Over 70 percent of our library patrons use the main library each year.

"But while hours were reduced at each location," he stated, "personnel cuts were also devastating across the system. Defiance Public Library System board of trustees eliminated 270 personnel hours at Defiance Public Library, 50 personnel hours at Sherwood Branch Library, and 25 personnel hours at Johnson Memorial Library. The main library took the heaviest hit in personnel hours because it performs much of the support services that maintain operations at both branch locations. All processing of new materials, supplies and purchasing orders, technological and computer services support, accounting and financial services, and administrative services are performed at the main library location to support our other locations in their service. These cuts were made so that all three locations could remain operational."

MacGregor cited that the main library serves 72 percent of county patrons while the Hicksville branch serves 20 percent and Sherwood serves eight percent.

"Our two goals in passing this budget were to continue serving the most patrons we could with the best services and to continue library services throughout the county," MacGregor stressed.

When the state reductions were announced earlier this year, those overseeing the library system began reducing expenditures by not filling vacant positions at the main library.

"In addition, non-personnel reductions for supplies, purchased services, library materials, capital items, and contingency funds totaling $431,549 have been made so the Defiance Public Library System spending for 2009 does not exceed the official estimate of resources for 2009," added MacGregor.

He concluded by adding that the board will have to "weather these financial losses and cutbacks until economic conditions improve."