Thank you for expressing your feelings regarding persevering the Scaleybark Branch Library. Similar feelings are being expressed by residents throughout Mecklenburg County regarding their particular local library as well.
If a decision needs to be made regarding closing library branches, it will be a difficult one for the Library Board and administration to make and will be painful for any of our loyal communities to experience. The decision would result from the fiscal challenges currently being faced by Mecklenburg County, which provides over 90% of the Library’s support. Since January of last year, over $4 million dollars in budget reductions from the county have been absorbed by the Library through staff salary and benefit reductions, reducing the overall book/materials budget by almost 50%, and closing libraries on Sundays for ten days during the summer of 2009. With these steps having already been taken, any further significant reductions will necessitate staff layoffs and the subsequent reduction of direct library services through the closing of a number of branch library locations. Criteria for any such closings will include, but not be limited to: looking at leased vs. owned facilities, proximity to other library locations, and overall levels of use. I hope that you can understand the difficult position that the Library finds itself in at this time.
I am attaching contact information for the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners if you would like to express your concerns to your elected representative(s).
Again, thank you for taking the time to express both your concerns as well as support for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
Sincerely,
Charles Brown
Charles M. Brown
Director of Libraries
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
