To the dismay of some loyal patrons, the Lincroft, Navesink and Bayshore branches of the Middletown Township Library system could be shuttered by an official vote next week.
A letter issued by Library Director Susan O'Neal was posted in the branches yesterday. It said, "Pending final approval of the Trustees of the Library, we regretfully announce that all branch libraries are scheduled to be closed to the public on Friday, January 25, 2013, at 5:00 pm. This action is necessary due to major budgetary constraints. Discussions with local community groups and schools will continue to pursue ideas and possibilities for some type of neighborhood library services in the future."
A patron working on an online job application at the Bayshore branch in Port Monmouth yesterday afternoon was startled to learn this news. "This is the only library I come to," said Tai'Rell Billingsley, who lives five minutes away in the neighborhood. "My sisters come here every day, to read books."
Middletown Township's main library is on New Monmouth Road -- a modern, vibrant, spacious facility with several wings and meeting rooms, stacks of books, lots of computers, special interest programs, rows of video games and movies, a teen center and a cozy fireplace area with plush couches and reading nooks.
The MTPL's three satellite locations are housed in much smaller, older buildings. They are used, but their combined circulation accounts for just 11% of the system's total circulation.
Closing these branches would save the MTPL "roughly $300,000 annually," said Library Board President Lawrence Nelsen, after factoring in things like the cost of salaries and benefits, publications and utilities. If the branches are closed, some workers would be transferred to the main library.
The township library system's funding is tied to assessed valuation of properties, and the downturn in the real estate market and rising of tax appeals makes for a gloomy forecast, Nelsen said.
The board's Financial Committee weighed reducing expenses and increasing fees, but could not identify significant savings in order to close a gap in the 2013 budget, Nelsen said.
"We have a very serious financial problem, and the closing of the branches really is the only way we are able to overcome that problem," he said. "As much as we don’t want to, from a financial standpoint we really don’t have any alternative," he said.
The library branches are appreciated as local landmarks, a place to be recognized by neighbors, to explore interests, make copies or to search for a job online.
"There isn't a single place to go to sit down and hang out, without having to buy something, unless you go to the parks" said Janice Melillo, who brought a toddler to storytime at Lincroft last week.
Her 12-year old daughter Riana Melillo is planning to present a "save the Lincroft Library" petition at the public meeting Jan. 16. "Now we have to go to the main library, which is 20 minutes away from were we are now," she said. "In the summertime, when we don’t have the school library to go to for our summer reading, we're not going to go all the way there."
The board president welcomes any suggestions. "If anyone can come up with a couple of hundred thousand dollars on an annual basis, we'd be happy to hear about it. We cannot support those three branches in a continual basis. The library, like most government agencies these days, is in a financial fix, quite honestly."
The MTPL cannot sell the library structures or land for money, as it does not own the property. The Lincroft Library is owned by the Board of Education, and has been on loan since the 1900s. The township owns the Bayshore Branch library. And the Navesink Branch Library is owned by a foundation, which the MTPL pays $1 a year for its use.
The money transferred from surplus last year is being replaced by the bonding the town is doing to pay for the parking lot expansion at the Main Library. The town is going to pay more than the dollars taken. The Library Board has gotten away with taking tens of thousands of dollars EVERY YEAR in pension and health insurance payments out ot the town budget. This year that has ended, bringing on the fiscal crisis that has led to closing the branches. Cutting staff and materials at the Main Branch by the same amounts that staff and materials will be cut from the closing branches could have left the branches open, but the Library Director decided to recommend closing the branches. Their choice, NOT the town's. Get the facts straight, at least...
FACT: The MTPL has enough money to run the branches in 2013. However, they will need to use that surplus to do so. FACT: The MTPL will most likely see a decrease in funding in 2014 from it's formula due to the Hurricane damaged properties. To say that the library does not have any surplus is preposterous. They certainly have more than enough surplus as required by law. The issue for the board is for the future. Do you use surplus in this year to keep the branches open and potentially cause issues for your main branch in 2014. The director has recommended not doing that. How can you argue that point?
I think the Board has made a wise choice, although I do feel sorry for the people who used the branch libraries. They will just have to go to the centrally located main branch. If past Library Boards didn't spend unwisely, they would have seen this coming and been prepared. But common sense is now being used. The Library should be okay going forward...
That rottenness you say you smell? Probably sour grapes.
Last I heard, the lease with Trinity HS was still being negotiated, so how do you know how much the school is paying per month - is that public information somewhere or are you just making stuff up? And as far as utilizing buildings that the town owns, would you rather have the town pay for modular office space or use a building that the Library no longer intends on using? It seems to me that spending less and making use of available space is actually good administration, no? It's kind of fun to make things up on the internet, isn't it?
Unfortunately being a township committee member is a part time job in Middletown, so they need to rely on the professional staff most of the time. They apparently have hired good staff these past 4-5 years and there are changes being made. I think it's progress, you don't. You have the right to your opinion, of course, but looking at the results of the elections the last few years, it appears that you are a part of a VERY small minority.