As Harford County Library nears a circulation record, deep budget cuts have forced administrators to lay off staff, reduce purchases of new materials and limit hours.
Audra L. Caplan, library director, spent Friday delivering layoff notices to several of her staff and trying to find a way to keep all 11 branches open. Caplan would not say how many employees she had to let go, but they were in addition to the 34 dismissals that County Executive David R. Craig announced Thursday. The library already had frozen 20 vacant positions.
"This is all really devastating to all of us," Caplan said. "This reduction in funding means less staff, less materials and less hours. We are trying to preserve public services but will probably have to close all branches on Sunday and possibly close Fallston Library."
Patricia H. Fisher, a Joppa business owner, said she frequents several branches within a short driving distance from her home.
"I am distressed that the library, which is seeing increased usage due to the economy, will have to limit its hours, services and maybe locations just when the community needs those services the most," she said.
Circulation at the library has increased nearly 10 percent this fiscal year, likely to reach a record 5 million items lent. Computer usage has more than doubled, and more and more patrons are taking advantage of services.
The library system absorbed cuts of $1.6 million, or 10 percent of its proposed $16 million operating budget. Staff will also comply with the five furlough days scheduled for nearly all of the county's more than 1,000 employees.
"All this comes at a time when our statistics are up dramatically," Caplan said. "Library services just won't be the same. People will not have the access they are used to and won't get the new books and DVDs as quickly as they want."
The system's collection numbers more than 1 million items with nearly 200,000 registered borrowers and more than 1.6 million walk-in customers annually. Its operating costs have remained at about 4 percent of the county's overall budget for several years.
A library board meeting Thursday in Bel Air drew more than 100 residents, most of them concerned with closing Fallston Library, one of the older and least accessible branches. Caplan has received numerous petitions, e-mails and calls protesting the possible closing.
