Duane Hicks
Non-residents could be paying more to use the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre down the road.
During a discussion of user fees at yesterday evening’s budget meeting, Coun. Paul Ryan noted the non-resident fee for membership at the library is $77.
Each taxpayer in Fort Frances, meanwhile, pays $105.13 per year to subsidize the library.
“I think there’s something wrong with that,” he remarked.
But Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft cautioned that if the town raises user fees too much, non-resident users may stop using the library altogether and the town would lose revenue overall.
“I am trying to find out what’s fair to our own residents,” replied Coun. Ryan.
“If we lose a few, then we do,” he said. “At least they’re paying the proper amount.”
Mayor Roy Avis said it is the responsibility of municipalities to offer library services.
He believes that if people come from Alberton, for example, they can get a membership at the local library, then go back to their township and get their money back.
He added that if this is true, they should be paying the same amount as it costs Fort Frances residents.
On the other hand, those from unorganized territories do not have a mechanism to get that money back, the mayor noted.
Council agreed to bring the matter forward to the library board.
Library board chair Joyce Cunningham, meanwhile, spoke briefly yesterday to offer information to council about library usage in the community, and let it know that any further cuts to the library would equal lost jobs.
Cunningham stressed the library is a vibrant community service that is “all about people,” and the people it provides services to “are important to us.”
“But we need people to serve people,” she added.
Cunningham noted that when the library opened at its new location, staff was reduced by .5. Then in March, library hours were reduced by 11 a week, which is equal to one-third a staff member.
In 2011, the library received no increase to its budget. In 2012, the library budget comprised merely 2.17 percent of the town’s total budget for that year.
The library brings in revenue through fees and fines, and works hard to access grants for further funding.
It also works to increase joint programs in the community and develop sponsorships, and so far has been generously supported by individuals and organizations.
Recent cuts have enabled the library board to prepare a budget based on no increase for 2013.
“But once again I reiterate—we are a service organization and, as such, a large portion of our budget is staff,∏” said Cunningham.
“Any further cuts to the library budget will result in layoffs,” she warned.
“People will lose their jobs.
“So yes, it is about people—it’s about people in the community we serve, it’s about the people that serve this community,” Cunningham added.
“I respectfully suggest that people need to be valued just as any other part of all that you do in this community.”
The library saw 67,751 people come through the gate between September, 2012 and March, 2013.
A total of 152 meetings were held in the Shaw Room there while a total of 280 sessions of library programs were held, drawing 2,962 attendees.
Nearly 70,300 items were borrowed, including 5,390 items delivered to shut-ins.
As well, the library borrowed 470 items from other libraries via interlibrary loans, and in turn loaned 314 items elsewhere.
A total of 6,437 people used computers/Internet at the library during that time span, and a total of 69,132 visited the library website in 2012.
