The Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre will be open for less hours during the week due to budget cuts.
“Effective April 1, the Library will reduce its hours of operation on Mondays and Thursdays, only being open from 10-5 on Mondays and open 10-6 on Thursdays, leaving Tuesday and Wednesday as the days the Library is open during the evening.” says Richard Bee, CEO for the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre. “This will be the second reduction in Library hours in 4 years, as the Library was forced to permanently cut Sunday hours of operation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Library Board met for an emergency meeting on February 28, 2024 to discuss the Library’s 2024 operating budget.
“At the meeting I presented the Board with a revised budget that I felt created the least amount of harm to Library operations while also maintaining as many current services for the community as possible.” said Bee. “The Board approved this budget, which was an over two per cent cut from what we had initially submited as an estimate to the Town for our 2024 operating budget, and the revised budget was submited to Town administration right after the meeting.”
On March 4, 2024, the Town of Fort Frances Council held a special meeting to discuss the 2024 operating budget. This discussion included debate regarding whether to cut Library budget funding by five per cent as proposed by Town administration or to cut funding as proposed by the Library Board. Ultimately, Council chose the option provided by the Library Board, recognizing any further cuts beyond what the Library Board proposed would irreversibly damage Library operations.
“The only way the Library was able to make the cut we proposed to the Town was to reduce our hours of operation and to permanently cut a vacant student shelver position,” Richard states. “If we had attempted to try and cut our budget to the amount proposed to us by Town administration on February 23 then the Library would have been forced to cut more deeply into staffing, which would necessitate an even further reduction in operating hours for the Library, or cut more deeply into core service budget lines like being able to buy books.”
“The Library already operates on a shoe-string budget, especially since we have so many uncontrollable costs that we have to spend in order to maintain our current levels of service and to maintain the Library facility.”
“With this budget cut the Library is now at a point where any future cuts will cause substantial damage to Library operations and services.”
