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Kane area residents show support for library |
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Written by Publisher
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Monday, 16 November 2009 |
Photo by Ted Lutz
Jon Peterson (left), representing the Hamlin Bank and Trust Co., presents a $1,000 check to Susanne Zampogna (right), director of the Friends Memorial Library in Kane. Peterson is the assistant treasurer for Hamlin Bank and manager of the Kane branch office. The library is seeking donations to help maintain services since the state has cut its aid to all libraries.
By Ted Lutz
Republican Staff
The Friends Memorial Library in Kane is very dear to the hearts of residents in the community.
Faced with a 21 percent cut in state funding, the library has turned to area residents, businesses and clubs for financial support. Letters seeking donations have been sent out.
The response to this appeal has been “incredible,” Library Director Susanne Zampogna said.
“It’s very obvious that our people love their public library,” Zampogna said. “I think people realize that an accessible library is a key to their quality of life.”
Hamlin Bank and Trust recently presented the library with a $1,000 gift.
The state normally provides the library with over $13,000 a year in financial aid. The state budget — finally adopted last month — calls for a funding cut for all libraries. The Friends Library in Kane expects to receive about $10,000, Zampogna said.
State funding in the coming year will provide less a quarter of the budget of $45,000 for library staff salaries, utilities, supplies and the purchase of books and resource materials.
Counting Zampogna, the library staff includes just four part-time workers.
To qualify for state funding, the Friends Memorial Library is required to open for a minimum of 26 hours a week. For a 10-week period during a year, the state permits the library to operate only 24 hours a week.
The Friends library is taking advantage of this guideline and will be open only 24 hours week for the last 10 weeks of this year and the first 10 weeks of 2010. The two-hour reduction begin last month and will continue through March 3. Then the library will be obligated to go back to a 26-hour schedule every week.
The library is reducing its schedule to 24 hours a week by cutting back on Saturdays. The library now is open Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Under the previous 26-hour schedule, the library was open from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday.
The library is closed Sunday and Monday. The library is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The library is open Friday from 10 a.m. until noon.
Friends Memorial Library, which receives financial assistance from public contributions to the Kane Area United Fund, has more than 14,000 books on its shelves. Zampogna said the library also has 32 different magazines, which can be borrowed just like books. Community residents have donated magazine subscriptions to the library, Zampogna pointed out.
The library director said the local library is able to obtain virtually “any book in the world” for its patrons through the inter-library loan program.
It seems that every discussion about the library involves budgetary issues.
“I’d much rather talk about what we offer – our programs, our book titles and our speakers,” Zampogna said. Instead, she said, “our time is consumed with efforts to try to make ends meet.”
Zampogna said the community seems to understand the financial dilemma facing the library and it “stepping up” to help as much as possible.
“The Kane area residents know what the library means to the community,” Zampogna said.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 December 2009 )
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