Library board offers extra 25K
By Travis Andersen
Town Correspondent
The Malden Public Library trustees say they’ll give the city an extra $25,000 in the next fiscal year, far less than Mayor Richard Howard's proposal but enough to preserve all programs, according to library director Dina Malgeri.
Howard has earmarked roughly $958,000 for library staff in fiscal 2010, which starts July 1. The library received $1.1 million for staff costs in fiscal 2009.
Howard asked the trustees to transfer an extra $120,000 from their reserves to the staff budget in fiscal 2010, to prevent layoffs and program reductions.
The trustees demurred, citing language in their charter requiring that most reserve funds go to building maintenance and artwork purchases for the facility.
The board also spends about $30,000 each year for the Messengers, a group of part-time workers who re-shelve books.
As for the extra $120,000 Howard asked for, "It can't be done," said board chair John Tramondozzi at a budget hearing earlier this week.
But the board has offered the full payment on building insurance in the next fiscal year, which comes to about $40,000. The city usually pays $25,000, but the board says it can cover the whole tab in fiscal 2010.
Add about $9,000 the city would see if it closed the Linden branch, plus additional savings from laying off two part-time technicians and leaving a retiree’s slot unfilled, and all programs should remain intact, according to Malgeri.
She said at the meeting that if Howard and the Council approved the plan, then at most the youth programs would scale back from five days per week to four this summer.
"Any library service that’s ever lost is a tragedy," she said.
Councilor Neil Kinnon, vice chair of the Finance Committee, lauded trustees for finding extra money without violating their charter.
"Once you go down that path, it's only a matter of time before it's all gone," Kinnon said, prompting solemn nods from many in attendance.
The Council has until June 30 to send a final budget to Howard for signing.
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Ridiculous and horrific. My husband and I are both concerned Malden homeowners and taxpayers and this is just a disgrace as we love the Malden Public Library. That misguided library board doesn't even know who they are supposed to be supporting - a bunch of old, unseen paintings vs. their own staff?! Can't they even take care of their own workers? And as far as the paintings and the old building go - we, the community/taxpayers, never even get to see these antiques except for a couple of times a year during special events. With fewer library workers, this old Converse library building will never be open to the public who pay for it - it hasn't been open to the public in years! Losing good workers to preserve some old building is simply reprehensible and a waste of money. I dearly hope the city of Malden doesn't pay one dime towards the maintenance and upkeep of that old building because we need the newer, actually used and far more vital building to keep all its wonderful staff! Losing library staff will definitely compromise any good and timely customer service. I already have to wait in line to check out my library books!
I don't know what's more disheartening: the fact that the board of trustees is more willing to preserve the concept of the Converse Memorial Building than save crucial staff members, or the fact that they're paying more money to hire teenagers to put books away than they are donating to support the employees who work with the public day-in and day-out. As a long-time library user and supporter, I'm outraged that they would sacrifice any member of their staff to keep a room full of paintings air-conditioned, and an empty, old building, well, an empty, old building. It is my understanding that the main purpose of a library is to serve the needs of the public who serves it. Without the patrons, there would be no library. The staff of the Malden Public Library is far more important to the needs of its patrons, than is its elusive art gallery and all of the painting that allegedly hang inside of it. Someone should really look into this matter further, as it is surely a sad mistake on someone's part. What a shame.
This is ridiculous. They keep putting it off so many times for these workers just because they don't have their crap together. It's a total waste of time and $ for this meeting, when will it stop?
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