Thoughts From County Native and Arlington Public Library Director, Diane Kresh

Hello again,

As you may have heard, the County Board on Saturday adopted a $955.9 million budget for Fiscal Year 2011. For Arlington Public Library, the results mean some changes in Library hours and materials when the fiscal year begins July 1. The Board did not implement all the cuts that were proposed but the following is approved. Again, what appears immediately below takes effect with the new fiscal year July 1:

• Central Library will begin opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday
• With the exception of Plaza (which is not open weekends), branch libraries will be closed for one day of service during the work week (Cherrydale and Glencarlyn will keep their current total weekly hours as those were already reduced for the current fiscal year)
• We plan for Aurora Hills, Cherrydale and Glencarlyn to be closed on Tuesdays
• We plan for Shirlington, Westover and Columbia Pike to be closed on Thursdays
• Central, Columbia Pike and Shirlington will maintain their current Sunday hours
• The Library materials budget has been reduced by $28,000 including state funding

The Board restored $100,000 dollars in proposed cuts to the Library materials budget. My staff and I will be evaluating how best to spend this money with the understanding that periodicals in the branches are of great importance to the community.

Please return to this blog and the Library website from time to time for more details as we move closer to July 1.
I would be remiss if I did not thank the Arlington community for all the great support expressed for the Library during the budget process (and the rest of the year as well). We have a strong Library system because of you.