Des Plaines city officials urge library board to curb spending

Des Plaines city officials want their municipal library board to cut expenses such as staff travel to conferences and pay raises from next year's library budget.

City aldermen this week urged library board members to curb spending in light of tighter finances and the current economic climate. It was the first time both sides met to discuss the library's budget.

Funding for the Des Plaines Public Library comes from the city's general fund as there is no separate library tax levy. Yet, the voter-elected city council has no control over the library's yearly budget -- $7.2 million in 2009 -- which is approved independently by an appointed library board.

Des Plaines Library Board President Noreen Lake said her board understands the city aldermen's frustration.

"We do the budget and they basically can't say a lot," Lake said. "Illinois library law says that the (library) board is responsible to develop the budget and it's (the city's) responsibility to make sure the funds are expended properly."

Alderman Patricia Haugeberg, whose 1st Ward includes the downtown library, said the city council wanted to weigh in before library staff and board began working on the 2010 budget in July.

"As the city is unfortunately feeling the need to slice and dice and really take a long hard look at expenses, we want to make sure that the library board does also," she said.

During last year's budget process, the city laid off 12 employees, and has scaled back operations since, including privatizing some city services. Perks such as staff trips, which include paying for airline tickets and hotel stays for conferences, were slashed.

However, the library's budget for 2009 was approved well before the city started reviewing its departmental expenses and making cuts in November, Lake said.

"When we did the budget last year the economy wasn't as bad," Lake said. "We will definitely take into consideration what (the council) said. We're a city library."

After a recent gesture by 12 senior city staff and department heads voluntarily refusing a pay raise next year, Des Plaines Mayor Marty Moylan and several aldermen agreed the library staff should forego salary increases as well.

"I think the library board should hold the line on spending and follow the city's example keeping pay raises in check," Moylan said.

Lake said this year the library director didn't get a raise because of economic considerations even though it was already budgeted. So far, the library board has not discussed staff raises.

The library has 44 full-time employees, and 76 part-time staffers. The library has 5.4 fewer employees than in 2008 because vacant positions were not filled, officials said.

While layoffs are not imminent, everything from travel expenses to merit-based pay raises will be reviewed for 2010, officials said.

Yet, making severe cuts may affect library services at a time when usage is at its peak, said library Director Sandra Norlin.

Last year, the Des Plaines Library checked out more than a million items and officials anticipate a 10 percent increase in checkouts this year.

"It will be kind of counterproductive in a year when people are using us more than ever to cut in those areas where people will feel it," Norlin said.

Still, Norlin said there are areas the board can and likely will cut.

"Cutting out conferences will have a negative effect but it's something we can do, and I think we will, and look for creative and resourceful ways to find educational opportunities for the staff," she said.

Library staff may be limited to attending local and regional conferences that don't involve air travel or overnight stays. Officials are also considering pooling resources with area libraries to bring in speakers.