NAZARETH, Pa. (WLVT) - Memorial Library of Nazareth & Vicinity is making strategic changes, facing a $56,000 shortfall this year. The library serves Upper Nazareth Township, Lower Nazareth Township, Nazareth Borough and Bushkill Township.
PBS39 reported on Upper Nazareth's decision to slash its library budget in half, despite significant pushback from the community.
"It was truly devastating, shocking and really disappointing," said library executive director Holly Bennett.
The library asked Upper Nazareth for $98,000 as part of its budget, but the township only agreed to $50,000. Bennett said Lower Nazareth also underfunded its budget request by $7,980, forcing the library to make tough decisions.
"When we had a look at the budget cuts, we wanted to make sure that one area was not being sacrificed over another," she explained. "We really tried to have a very holistic approach to it. We looked a lot at ‘how can we do more with less?'"
Starting on Sunday, the children’s department will close an hour early at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Story time programming will be cancelled at several local schools, and the library will pull out of some community events, too.
"It was really important for us to get out and to reach those residents in their communities, and now, with the budget cuts, we're not going to be able to do that," Bennett said.
The library also cut three part-time jobs and stopped offering the language program Rosetta Stone. Bennett said the changes affect everyone who uses the library, not just those who live in Upper and Lower Nazareth.
"My vision for the future is to continue to build, not step back," she said, "and this was just a step back for us."
Patrons told PBS39 that despite the changes, the library continues to offer what they love.
"It's worth the drive," said Easton resident Casey Stevens, as she held her 18-month-old daughter Riley. "The ladies here are very in tune to what's going on, and all the activities are a lot of fun. Everybody's really friendly, so there's a lot of positives."
"This library is like stepping into someone's living room," added Bushkill Township resident Brenda Reinert. "You come in. You are welcome. There's a variety of things offered for every age group."
Upper Nazareth residents will have the chance to help restore library funding from the township, starting next year. A referendum on the primary ballot asks voters the following question:
“Shall Upper Nazareth Township establish a special library tax to provide for the operation and maintenance of a local public library at the rate of 0.6 mills on the dollar of assessed value on all taxable real estate within Upper Nazareth Township?"
The new tax would bring in $100,000 per year, Bennett said. It would translate to about $60 more per household per year, which is $5 per month.
"The biggest thing it does is provide a continuous sustainable funding for the library," said Reinert, who helped get signatures for a petition to put the referendum on the ballot.
"We're not done yet. We're still fighting for the library, and this is another chance that we can hopefully gather more funding for the library," said Upper Nazareth resident Michelle Primerano, who signed the petition. "I don't think it's going to cost residents a lot, and, with all the residents that did attend the meetings leading up to the vote, I think it just goes to show that perhaps everyone's in it together, and we can hopefully have it passed."
About 400 people signed the petition, but several residents on social media said they’re tired of more taxes and plan to vote "no."
The new tax wouldn’t go into effect until 2021, which means the library still needs to get through this year with a smaller budget. Bennett said it’s a challenge, especially after getting a Gold Star by the Pennsylvania Library Association in December.
"We've made this commitment to the state. We’ve earned our star. We need to maintain that," she said, "so, we're going to have to be a little bit more strategic on how we do that."
The primary election is Tuesday, April 28.