City Slashes Library Budget

By Beth Malicki

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By Beth Malicki

Story Created: Mar 7, 2007 at 11:11 PM CST

Story Updated: Mar 8, 2007 at 1:03 AM CST

Cedar Rapids is broke- that’s the word from city leaders Wednesday night. And with not enough money coming in- it had to cut more than six million dollars from next year’s budget.

One city service on the chopping block- the Cedar Rapids Public Library. Things will change at one of the most popular places to be in downtown.

Books, computers and people to organize it all costs more than $4 million dollars a year. And the Cedar Rapids Public Library can count on 8% less in the budget.

"Over the next year it's really going to be difficult to talk to the community and tell them about services we can no longer provide," said Lori Barkema, the library’s director.

The busiest day of the week at the library is Sunday and that’s the day this facility is considering being closed to save money.

"I can come on Sunday afternoon before I leave town on Wednesday when I have the day off," said library patron Mark Mowrey.

The City Council voted to cut $367,000 from the library. The council said this unbelievably tight budget year lead to them cutting things they would rather not.

"Who in the world would be in favor of cutting the library nobody ought to be," said councilman Justin Shields.

The library’s board will ultimately decide what else the library might have to do to stay open- like raising fees and fines or closing the library branch at Westdale Mall.

City Manager Jim Prosser suggested the library ask voters to approve a tax levy to support the library’s operating budget.

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