MAY 2, 2008

LEGISLATORS GRANT, MILLER-WILLIAMS PLEASED WITH LIBRARY RESTORATION OF SERVICES, HIGH USE OF FACILITIES IN COUNTY

The Erie County Legislature Community Enrichment Committee was pleased to receive a positive report from officials from the Buffalo and Erie County Public Libraries (BECPL) when representatives recently presented their 2008 capital spending plan comments.

County Legislator Betty Jean Grant (D-Buffalo, 6th District), chair of the Community Enrichment Committee, and County Legislator Barbara Miller-Williams (D-Buffalo, 3rd District) appreciated hearing the library delegation of Director Bridget Quinn-Carey, Chief Financial Officer Kenneth H. Stone and Chief Operating Officer Mary Jean Jakubowski express gratitude for the $1.6 million in restoration funding the County Legislature approved in 2007. A document the library officials distributed noted that the funding "will have maximum impact, strengthening service at 26 libraries and system services to all libraries."

"Many libraries have restored open hours on evenings and weekends that are most in demand from the public, which means we are providing more service directly to taxpayers," Legislator Grant said. "Library officials tell us that the service and financial impacts are larger by increasing these services than by reopening closed libraries."

Legislators Grant and Miller-Williams were also pleased that the Buffalo Public Libraries restored 16 open hours per week at the East Clinton and East Delavan Libraries, up to 40 hours from 24 hours, and will provide 8 additional open hours Thursdays at the Frank E. Merriweather Library, allowing the new, heavily used library to be open 7 days a week during the school year, as part of the $421,047 in restoration funds. The East Clinton and East Delavan libraries will be open 5 days a week, including Saturdays and two evenings, and are developing additional children's, teen and senior programming, including gaming and technology. The East Delavan Library will also use its computer training lab to increase technology programming

Legislators Grant and Miller-Williams commended the libraries for using $317,574 in restoration funds for increased computer training, expanded teen programming to create a Teen Space and Teen Blog, conduct teen outreach programs, improved collection development and specialized database training as well as outreach programs in the business community at the Central Library.

The BECPL report noted that system-wide circulation year-to-date through March is up 4 percent (even counting the March Easter holiday), with Sunday circulation up more than 30 percent and year-to-date computer use at the libraries up 41 percent.

"The County Legislature and the library system have worked as partners to restore needed library service, which our constituents have repeatedly told us is a service they value," Legislator Miller-Williams said.

"I am pleased that some of the additional funding the legislators put in the budget is being used to expand the hours and days that branch libraries will be open to the public," Legislator Grant concluded. "Our libraries are truly an asset to Erie County residents."

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