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GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The Greenburgh Public Library will soon be open on Sundays following a New York State Education Department regulation for the library to be open a minimum of 55 hours per week.
Since the library eliminated Sunday and Thursday evening hours in 2010, the NYSED has been waiving the requirement for a 55-hour week at the Greenburgh library due to budget constraints. But when the library's budget stabilized this year, the department denied the waiver, prompting the Library Board of Trustees to open the library from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays starting in April.
The library is currently open for only 52 hours per week.
On Jan. 22, the library board unanimously resolved to transfer $15,000 from the library's appropriated fund balance into the 2013 library operating fund. The Greenburgh Town Board approved the resolution Wednesday.
Assistant Library Director John Sexton said the library has received numerous requests to open on Sundays, which is normally the busiest day for other libraries throughout the county.
"It's a nice family day — people are not quite as busy with their workday schedule," Sexton said. "After getting the news, a lot of people were excited and looking forward to it."
The additional operating fund will allocate $7,000 to part-time library clerks, $6,000 to part-time librarians and $2,000 for electrical expenses, according to the town board resolution. The library will not make any additional hires, Sexton said.
Those who visited the library Tuesday said they were glad to hear the building would be open an extra day. Susan Hilsenratch, of Greenburgh, said she's grateful the library will provide its needed services an extra day of the week.
"It's good that they'll be open for the people who use its computers since they don't have any," Hilsenratch said.
Richard Murphy said he goes to the Greenburgh library several times a week for research, but is forced to go to Ossining's and Hasting's libraries on Sundays. Greenburgh's Sunday hours will be a major convenience for him, he said.
Comments (3)
Again The Daily Voice prints a story written as those issuing the release would have it read. Even going so far as not to question what is apparent in the story's text.
The Library Board approved this measure at its regular January meeting. The Town Board rubber stamped it in early February (a Budget Transfer). It will not begin until April. Not stated is that there will be no Sunday hours throughout the summer (whenever that begins) and thus no Sunday hours until after the summer (whenever it ends).
The obvious question is for how many Sundays will the Library actually be open and does NYSED consider 55+ hours a week for SOME weeks compliance with their weekly requirement.
Incidentally, using the Library Fund balance is one way (more funding from the Town being another) of obtaining Sunday relief. But only if the Library requested enough money to do the job properly -- or was it afraid to ask what was needed (in December the announced need was $40,000) and thus $15,000 is the result.
Even allowing that Sundays in the summer may be overkill, the Library decided not to request enough from their Fund balance to commence in March and perhaps it will also be necessary for it to shave too closely around the start and end of summer. Residents need to find out how many Sundays the Library will actually be open in 2013 to understand what is going on. Since the Voice isn't going to ask, then ask individually.
And consider that the Library knew in January that Sunday hours were coming, don't be fooled by their answer that the reason they held off to March was to find personnel. This has been discussed internally since last Fall's budget discussions and the ability to be open HRwise was already known. April (and March) is just a way to save the cost of these hours.
What the article should have stated, but did not, is that the Library will be open SOME Sundays, probably only around 30 (out of 52) this year. It doesn't take much effort to read between the lines yet libraries have been known to be concerned with furthering literacy.
Hal Samis
Just glad that Sunday hours are resuming! Next wish list item to tackle: More and new materials!
So there's no money to purchase BOOKS, or DVDs for that matter, for the library, which is kind of it's whole purpose of a library, but there's money for generators, extra/back up boilers and and now to stay open on Sundays. This has got to be one of, if not the most, mismanaged department in the Town.
Assistant Library Director John Sexton said the library has received numerous requests to open on Sundays, but that didn't matter to Feiner or the Board - they cut the budget. Sexton said. "After getting the news, a lot of people were excited and looking forward to it." Sure, when kids are off from school would be the time to be open, not at times that are convenient to the library's staff. They should open late by two hours three days a week and use those six hours to be open from say, 11 until 5 on Sundays. More evidence of Feiner's hand in Town mismanagement!