A big difference between the library system and most other economically hard-hit companies is that the downturn in the economy isn’t the cause of the budget crisis in the library system.

Rising insurance rates and an increase in utilities are only a few of the budget items Sno-Isle Libraries are struggling with.

With that in mind and after making over $1 million in cuts to the 2010 budget, Sno-Isle Libraries is asking for a levy increase on the Nov. 3 ballot.

“It was a difficult decision for the board to make because the economy isn’t doing great,” Mary Kelly, Community Relations Manager for Sno-Isle Libraries said.

If the levy passes it would increase the library district’s levy rate by nine cents per $1,000 in assessed value. That would mean the owner of a $300,000 home would pay an additional $27 a year for library services. If the measure passes it would provide funding to maintain current library services for five years.

“Right now our revenue can increase by about one percent a year, our costs are increasing much more than that. The things that effect our budget are the things that effect families’ budgets,” Library Director Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory said. “We are at the point that the reductions that we will need to make if the levy doesn’t pass are the things that will definitely affect customer service.”

The library has held four community meetings, an online survey and community leader focus groups. After collecting the data from all of these events, the district has already reduced its 2010 budget and decided to proceed with the levy request.

“It really did come out of listening to all of these different forums,” Woolf-Ivory said.

Those cuts include reducing the salaries of the six highest paid employees by three percent plus the remainder of the senior administrators for 2010; freeze salaries for remaining staff; delay replacing the library computer system until 2011; reducing materials and equipment budgets and eliminating a number of vacant positions.

“All of those things will happen whether or not the election passes,” Woolf-Ivory said. “If it fails, we will need to reduce some open hours in each of our

budget even more.”

The library district also heard from the community that they don’t want  services decreased.

“We are seeing increased use in our libraries right now,” she said.

The Sno-Isle Libraries serves more than 656,000 residents in Snohomish and Island counties.

In 2008 the number of books and other items checked out at the Lake Stevens Library was 25,074 and in the Granite Falls Library it was even higher with 28,148 items checked out.

Granite Falls had over 3,600 attendees to their offered programs while Lake Stevens had over 8,400 attendees.

“Circulation for June and August each set a new mark for the most material ever checked out from Lake Stevens in a single month,” Kelly said. “The monthly average for this year so far is nearly a 12 percent increase over the average for 2008.  At this pace we will have checked out as many items as in all of last year by early November. In July there were more than 10,000 visits to the library, also setting an all-time high for a month.”

Granite Falls Library has also seen a large increase in the number of people who come in to use their Wi-Fi, some even sitting in their cars outside of the building,

“We have a significant number of young people who come to the Granite Falls Library. This is not altogether surprising since our service area has the third highest per capita population of residents between five and 19 in Snohomish County,” Jude Anderson, Managing Librarian for the Granite Falls Library said. “We see a lot of young people who come to the library to study, use the computers, and relax with their friends.”

The Lake Stevens Library has seen huge increases in use in 2009 also.
“We’ve set monthly usage records three times this year and we’re seeing a 12 percent increase in material checked out for the second straight year. There was a 20percent increase in the number of children participating in Summer Reading, with more than 500 taking part,” Chy Ross, Managing Librarian for the Lake Stevens Library said

A big difference between the library system and most other economically hard-hit companies is that the downturn in the economy isn’t the cause of the budget crisis in the library system.

Rising insurance rates and an increase in utilities are only a few of the budget items Sno-Isle Libraries are struggling with.

With that in mind and after making over $1 million in cuts to the 2010 budget, Sno-Isle Libraries is asking for a levy increase on the Nov. 3 ballot.

“It was a difficult decision for the board to make because the economy isn’t doing great,” Mary Kelly, Community Relations Manager for Sno-Isle Libraries said.

If the levy passes it would increase the library district’s levy rate by nine cents per $1,000 in assessed value. That would mean the owner of a $300,000 home would pay an additional $27 a year for library services. If the measure passes it would provide funding to maintain current library services for five years.

“Right now our revenue can increase by about one percent a year, our costs are increasing much more than that. The things that effect our budget are the things that effect families’ budgets,” Library Director Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory said. “We are at the point that the reductions that we will need to make if the levy doesn’t pass are the things that will definitely affect customer service.”

The library has held four community meetings, an online survey and community leader focus groups. After collecting the data from all of these events, the district has already reduced its 2010 budget and decided to proceed with the levy request.

“It really did come out of listening to all of these different forums,” Woolf-Ivory said.

Those cuts include reducing the salaries of the six highest paid employees by three percent plus the remainder of the senior administrators for 2010; freeze salaries for remaining staff; delay replacing the library computer system until 2011; reducing materials and equipment budgets and eliminating a number of vacant positions.

“All of those things will happen whether or not the election passes,” Woolf-Ivory said. “If it fails, we will need to reduce some open hours in each of our

budget even more.”

The library district also heard from the community that they don’t want  services decreased.

“We are seeing increased use in our libraries right now,” she said.

The Sno-Isle Libraries serves more than 656,000 residents in Snohomish and Island counties.

In 2008 the number of books and other items checked out at the Lake Stevens Library was 25,074 and in the Granite Falls Library it was even higher with 28,148 items checked out.

Granite Falls had over 3,600 attendees to their offered programs while Lake Stevens had over 8,400 attendees.

“Circulation for June and August each set a new mark for the most material ever checked out from Lake Stevens in a single month,” Kelly said. “The monthly average for this year so far is nearly a 12 percent increase over the average for 2008.  At this pace we will have checked out as many items as in all of last year by early November. In July there were more than 10,000 visits to the library, also setting an all-time high for a month.”

Granite Falls Library has also seen a large increase in the number of people who come in to use their Wi-Fi, some even sitting in their cars outside of the building,

“We have a significant number of young people who come to the Granite Falls Library. This is not altogether surprising since our service area has the third highest per capita population of residents between five and 19 in Snohomish County,” Jude Anderson, Managing Librarian for the Granite Falls Library said. “We see a lot of young people who come to the library to study, use the computers, and relax with their friends.”

The Lake Stevens Library has seen huge increases in use in 2009 also.
“We’ve set monthly usage records three times this year and we’re seeing a 12 percent increase in material checked out for the second straight year. There was a 20percent increase in the number of children participating in Summer Reading, with more than 500 taking part,” Chy Ross, Managing Librarian for the Lake Stevens Library said

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