Libraries hopeful on recertification - at least for 2009

The two communities and dozens of others across the state are feeling the pinch of reduced library budgets at a time when usage is rising due to the depressed economy.

Wareham officials say that even if the library regains its certification in May, it could stand to lose it again next year, according to Nora Bicki, president of the Friends of the Wareham Free Library.

Freetown officials, meanwhile, are facing the "ugliest" fiscal situation in recent years as they prepare a budget to go before the June 1 Town Meeting, said Selectman Lawrence N. Ashley. The town is hoping to restore about $14,000 to the library budget for this year and bring it back up to its previous level, he said. Still, the funding picture for the future is not clear.

The loss of certification in the two towns has meant losses in state aid and drastic cuts in the interlibrary loan privileges that allow library-goers access to millions of items of library materials. Wareham officials are hoping to regain $28,000 in state funds, and Freetown could regain $10,000 for the current year.

The state library commissioners took away certification from the Freetown, Norton, and Wareham libraries in February. Last month, the board turned down an appeal from Norton because the town did not present any new information. Freetown and Wareham sent representatives and pleaded their case, and their appeals were tabled until the board's meeting on Thursday.

"The board was pleased that there seemed to be good news from both towns. The meeting was very positive, and we're hopeful," said Celeste Bruno, a spokeswoman for the Board of Library Commissioners.

She said that although Wareham was forced to make additional budget cuts for this year, it managed to make them in other departments, sparing the library.

Added Board of Library Commisioners spokesman Ned Richards, "If every department gets the same cut, [the commissioners] are much more likely to give a waiver to the town. The board wants to make sure libraries are treated equitably."

Certification is based on the library's performance during the previous year and also requires libraries to be open a certain number of hours a week based on their size and to spend a set percentage of their budgets on the purchase of new materials.

About $200,000 was slashed from Wareham's library budget last fall, and the time it was opened dropped to 25 hours a week, well below its state-set standard of 40.

Because of that, retaining certification next year "does not look good," Bicki said.

Acting Library Director Susan Pizzolato said that starting this week the library will be open 40 hours again due to efforts of the staff and volunteers, but that will still leave the gap since October, which must be resolved. She said the town may ask its legislators to file special legislation to waive the 40-hour-a-week requirement.

State Senator Marc R. Pacheco, a Democrat who represents the area, said his office is awaiting the May 7 decision before it drafts language that would give Wareham a break from not meeting the hours requirement. He said it is very unlikely, but not impossible, that the requirement could be waived for fiscal year 2010.

"It's always going to be a long shot passing language that puts into place exemptions to standards. The standards are there for a reason," he said.

Pizzolato said she was pleased that Wareham voters approved a library budget Monday that was level-funded. "We feel we've made a significant effort to bring library services back," she said.

Meanwhile, Freetown selectmen approved an article on Monday for the special Town Meeting set for June 1 that would give up to $14,000 to the town's two libraries for the current year.

"We're just working on the budget, and it's getting uglier and uglier every day," Ashley said. He said the town is hoping to reinstate $20,000 that was cut from the library's budget last year, even though officials are anticipating layoffs and cutbacks in hours in other departments.

He said the money for this year is coming from fund-raising and remnants of the salary that was to be paid to the town's first town administrator, who got so discouraged about the town's financial picture that he quit just months into the job.

"The lack of money from the state is not making it easy," Ashley said. "I'm optimistic. I think they recognized the situation we're in. I can't begin to tell you how busy they are going to be looking at waiver requests next year."

The loss of certification affected both of the town's libraries - the White Memorial Library in East Freetown and the Hathaway Library in Assonet Village.

Library Director Dorothy Stanley- Ballard said she is a "little optimistic" that the certification will be restored. She said many patrons have complained about not being able to go to neighboring towns to borrow materials.

Elaine Cushman Carroll can be reached at elaine_carroll@msn.com.