Politics & Government
Library Re-institutes Three Week Loan Period
Change will take effect next week, officials said.
The Glendora Public Library has re-instituted the original three week loan period after patrons expressed their displeasure for the change instituted last July.
Budgetary issues had library officials institute the reduced loan period in light of an ever-dwindling budget. The reduced period was intended to allow the more popular materials to circulate better, officials said. The three week loan period will be reinstated April 29.
"We've been getting comments ever since we implemented that loan change. It was not working for people," said Robin Weed-Brown, director of the Glendora Public Library.
Library officials conduct a yearly survey to collect data for the state of California and to gauge public comment on how to better provide services. The top two complaints in library services were the reduced hours on Thursday and Friday and the reduced loan period, Weed-Brown said.
Since 2007, the Library has had the materials budget reduced by $255,000. Without an adequate budget, multiple copies of the more popular books could not be purchased.
"The last two years we have been holding the line. Reductions came through staff furloughs and layoffs. We've been able to hold the materials budget at about $130,000," Weed-Brown said.
The Library Friends Foundation has provided much help with bringing in donations to help pay for services.
"People have been donating money to the book budget and that has helped us in keeping something from having to be cancelled," Weed-Brown said. "We appreciate the community's understanding and support as we try to come up with a solution that would be effective. We realize it wasn't the right path to go."
