Library director willing to take pay cut to save jobs
Written by Caitlin McGlade | | news@toledofreepress.comDirector Clyde Scoles said he would take a pay cut before laying off any employees at the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, if the proposed state budget cuts are approved.
Gov. Ted Strickland proposed balancing the budget on June 19 by cutting $227 million from the Ohio Public Library Fund, causing Lucas County libraries to cut 25 percent of the annual budget, Scoles said.
“We’re talking about not only tightening our belts, but strangulation,” Scoles said.
The library employs 338 people and allots 55 percent of its shrinking $35 million budget to pay them. Scoles said no one has had to take any pay cuts in the past year, despite a 20 percent decrease in state funding last year and a 5 percent decrease in property tax funding.
About two years ago, Ohio library directors agreed to receive 2.2 percent of the state’s general tax funding rather than 5.7 percent of personal income tax because the general tax fund usually increases, but since has taken a budgetary hit, he said.
Even without the proposed budget, which would wipe out more than $2 million from Toledo-Lucas County Public Library’s budget from July to December, Scoles predicted the library would lose nearly $1.8 million.
In April, the library had to cut $300,000 normally spent on materials, such as books, magazines or other media annually because of the 20 percent decrease in the state’s general tax fund, he said.
The Wood County District Public Library employed 52 people two years ago and is down to 27 workers, who have all had to take 4.5 percent paycuts and cope with losing hours, as well, said director Elaine Paulette.
Within the past year, she’s had to eliminate a staff position, cut operation time by nearly 13 hours and cut $50,000 from the materials budget, decreasing the number of new materials by 31 percent. If the General Assembly passes the proposed budget, the Wood County District Public Library will have an $800,000 budget, rather than the usual
$1.6 million, she said.
Wood County’s library does not have any operating levies and receives 86 percent of its funding from the Ohio Public Library Fund and the rest from private donors.
The Wood County District Public Library could close for a week at the end of the summer to save a week’s worth of payroll, to avoid laying anyone off permanently, Paulette said.
If my math is correct, 55% of their budget of $35 million , divided by 338 employees , comes to an average pay of almost $57,000 / year. That is far above the average for Toledo and AmeriKa.That ,along with libraries becoming as outdated as newspapers….close them and save the taxpayers the money.What is so Scared about libraries??!!These State/ union jobs are excessive and unnecessary .
This comment was posted on June 26th, 2009 at 1:43 pmPlz read! People in recession need their library!
This comment was posted on June 26th, 2009 at 6:21 pmIn response to Ty: I think you need to get some facts straight about the library before you say it is outdated and unnecessary due to computers. Libraries are not only used for research. The Toledo-Lucas County Public Library has seen circulation increase by double digits in this economy—more people are using the library. We offer free books, movies, music CD’s, internet, and much more to people who may not be able to afford those luxuries, or who are simply saving money and using the free resources we offer. The library also offers FREE computer, internet, word processing, and email classes. The library offers FREE one-on-one computer training. The library offers FREE programs on financial aid and employment. The library is an invaluable free resource. It is one place where everyone is on equal footing. Everyone has equal access to the materials, programs, and resources regardless of their employment status or financial situation. Yes, the library is a research facility, and yes, some of that research can be done on a computer (if you own one and have internet access. If not, come to the library. We have them available for you for free.) The library really is a window to the world, and for some people it is the only window.
This comment was posted on June 27th, 2009 at 11:58 amty you are an idiot. Look at the library stas as they are public record. More people use the library than ever before. Free movies, books, music, and other forms of FREE entertainment. Libraries are going the way side, but quite the other way. Apparently you don’t do all of your homework before you speak. Try going to a library you dolt.
This comment was posted on June 27th, 2009 at 3:06 pmWith the fiscal conditions so bad, where is the support of the fiscally conservative leaders and followers?
Spending, on what ever, cannot continue to rise, when revenues are down and heading lower.
People do not want cuts, do not want higher taxes and yet want to spend the same amount, if not even more, when there is less in the piggy bank.
This comment was posted on June 28th, 2009 at 9:38 amRick, so name calling is all you have? Very impressive !What, no statements about economic necessity? My tax dollars pay for all those freebies you mentioned.Where as , I WORK FOR THOSE THINGS !!!I have an M.B.A., from one of the finest universities in AmeriKa and, I HAVEN’T BEEN TO A LIBRARY SINCE 1984 !!!!!!! I own three business and have a farm….all I need is at my fingertips ON THE WEB !!! And all you moan about is FREE STUFF, given to loafers,toadies, and bums ???!!! No wonder AmeriKa , is in the shape it’s in with you as a voter.GOD, help me from weepy, whiny, liberals who believe what I OWN is, equally THEIRS !!!
This comment was posted on June 29th, 2009 at 11:26 amHey Ricky -boy, get to speed, buy a computer, you know, they’ve been around for decades!! An idiot and dolt heh? Hmmm, you sound exactly like our current mayor…you two aren’t sisters are you ?
This comment was posted on June 29th, 2009 at 2:29 pmTy,
As an educated individual with an MBA (which I seriously doubt, but let’s play this game with you), you should be aware of how important education is empowering our citizens of this country. By putting the power of knowledge directly in the hands of everyone, each person is now given the choice of educating themselves on any subject possible–whether they are looking at a MCAT practice test or the aspiring artist who gains inspiration from comic books.
The fact that you would be proud of the fact that you haven’t been to a library in 25 years is something you should be ashamed of. What economically conscious individual proudly boasts that they do not take advantage of benefits that they are already paying for (if you pay taxes, then you know you already purchased some of the books on the shelves, and some of the software on those computers), but instead, go home, and purchase these products AGAIN!
Seriously?
If you don’t want to use the library facilities, then don’t. However, be adult enough to know that there are others in this world who feel different about this matter, and that as an adult, you shouldn’t punish others for not having the same sentiments as you do. If you wish to stop supporting the library, please stop pay taxes. When you do that, then some other employed individual can pay for your meals in a federal prison, and then you can feel priviledged to have someone else’s tax dollars work for you.
Stop being so selfish. There is an entire world out there that is independent of your existent. Be aware of it.
This comment was posted on November 11th, 2009 at 8:48 pmTy,
Also, if you owned any type of successful business, you would know that $57K is not adequate income to provide a respectable home and proper education to a household involving 3 people.
The fact that you would think that the AVERAGE salary of an individual is enough to support a household of 1 tells me that you are a pathological liar. Any person who has taken at least 1 statistics course would tell you that an average consists of a MAX and a MIN. This implies that there is a very good possibility that there are many people making a lot less than an annual salary of $57K a year, and also, a good portion of that sample in question recieving an annual income of much higher than $57K.
Any successful business owner can do the math. A business owner would also look at the percentage individuals living in poverty. A business owner would know to consider the number of people in poverty, but were not sampled for this statistic. A business owner would consider the cost of living in the city in question.
How dare you leave a comment stated as a fact when you never even bothered to do the research. Oh, and PS–I’m a software developer. I know enough about computers/software/Internet to make your head spin. You can not recieve the same services from a terminal that you can from a library.
If you have any questions on anything I just typed, use your COMPUTER to go to http://www.ask.com
Tell me how that works out for you.
This comment was posted on November 11th, 2009 at 9:01 pmTy-your math is out of wack–I work for the library and other than administrators and some agency managers–no one makes $57000/year.
This comment was posted on November 27th, 2009 at 4:51 pm