Downtown library closing early caught me off guard last Wednesday

I went to the main branch on 3rd Street at 4 PM and found the doors locked with a handwritten sign saying they close at 2 now due to staffing cuts. Turns out they've been operating with half the usual team for the last six months and nobody told regulars like me. Has anyone else noticed their local library changing hours without any warning?

3 comments

3 Comments

janarivera6d ago

That sign about 30% of people still using libraries monthly got my attention. I used to think libraries were mostly for borrowing books and figured people would adjust, but seeing how many rely on them for computers and job stuff really changed my view. The city cutting hours without warning is just tossing those people aside, which doesn't sit right with me now.

ray_miller847d ago

I read somewhere that library funding in this state took a 15% hit last year and that's why so many branches are cutting hours without warning. Makes you wonder what the city council actually thinks people need libraries for if they're just going to slash them like this. I swear I saw a report saying over 30% of people in this city still use libraries at least once a month for computers, job stuff, or just a quiet place. So much for community services, I guess.

taylorellis7d ago

The main branch by the park did the same thing last month. One day they were open till 8, next week a sign said 5 PM and that was it. No email, no notices on the door ahead of time. I asked at the front desk and the librarian said they lost two people to budget cuts and just couldn't cover the evening shifts anymore. It's frustrating because I had been planning around those hours for months. They should at least put something on their website or send out a mass email if they're going to change things that drastically.

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