Politics & Government

Proposed Cuts Put Library Programs on Chopping Block

Storytime sessions and cultural workshops may be eliminated from the Glendora Public Library.

On any given day at the Glendora Public Library, you may see several senior residents reading the morning paper. There are the mothers and their children who come in for one of the library’s many storytimes. Students come in after school hours to study.

The library is what Director Robin Weed Brown calls Glendora’s meeting place, where residents of all ages can enjoy a variety of programs, classes and workshops on a wide range of topics and interests.

But as the city proposes $1 million in budget cuts, many of the popular library programs are on the chopping block, including two children’s storytime sessions, the Adult Summer Reading Club and cultural programs such as the Opera Talks and Jet Propulsion Lab series.

Find out what's happening in Glendorawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“These programs are offered at no cost and they give the community a venue to bring family and friends together and meet up with people with similar interests,” said Brown. “Our math and science programs have helped stimulate students’ imaginations and help them look at these areas as they grow up,”

The library, facing $195,356 in reductions, will also contend with a smaller staff as two full-time librarians will be laid off.

Find out what's happening in Glendorawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In their place, the library plans to purchase an automated check-in/out system.

The cuts will also force the library to eliminate its children’s reference desk, teen advisory board and regular school visits to promote literacy programs.

The continuing cuts to the city budget has spurred the community to help save library programs. The Friends Foundation raises $195,000 to $200,000 each year for the library. The Foundation’s efforts also fully funds the adult literacy program Glendora Reads.

“Fundraising has been a cornerstone of what we’ve been able to do over the last 15 years,” said Brown. “But as some point they’ll be maxed out.”

Brown said the library will continue to strive to be a safe meeting place for the community by focusing on being an educational supplement to local schools.

Although the library’s book budget has been slashed by 63 percent over the years, Brown said she hoped to continue to expand the library collection.

She said there will often be about 50 people on a waiting list for a popular title.

“We’ll do our best to keep some programming in place, but we’ll see a difference unfortunately,” said Brown.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here