The South Branch Library will survive another year, a number of Evanston City Council aldermen predicted.
“Nothing is cast in stone,” said Ald. Steven Bernstein (4th). “But the sense is we’re not going to close the South Branch Library.”
The library, which has been slated for elimination multiple times, is one of many cuts included in City Manager Roger Crum’s proposed 2003-04 budget. The closure would save the city about $133,000. Aldermen must pass a budget that balances a $3.5 million deficit before Feb. 28.
A budget amendment offered by Ald. Gene Feldman (9th) proved that the city had the revenue to save the library, Bernstein said.
The amendment would keep the library open and eliminate many other cuts proposed by Crum. To cover the costs, it would raise the parking tax and rooming house license fees, as well as estimate a higher return on parking fine revenues.
The amendment would also eliminate a number of police and fire cuts from the proposed budget.
Feldman said the council has shown little opposition to his amendment and predicted it would pass.
Bernstein said citizens actually are more likely to protest library cuts than reductions in the police or fire departments because they don’t expect alderman to cut essential services.
“We would be crazy to cut police and fire,” he said, “but the library is a luxury.”
Those who have daily contact with one of the library branches develop a strong emotional bond to it but might consider police and fire services more of a given, Ald. Joe Kent (5th) said.
Kent said strong libraries have been a concern in his ward since a branch there was closed in the ’70s. He said he will not vote to close the library and doesn’t think the rest of the council will either.
“It was wrong then, and it’s wrong now,” Kent said.
The South Branch Library has about 50,000 visits annually, about 29,000 fewer than the North Branch. But Kent said fewer visitors is a reason to improve a library, not a reason to close it.
Library Director Neal Ney has said the only alternative to closing the library would be to reduce books or personnel. He and his department developed an alternative plan to reduce library hours at the Main Branch, eliminating the equivalent of about five full-time positions and saving $137,000. The city would eliminate the equivalent of about two full-time positions if it closed the South Branch.
Neither cut would be necessary, though, if Feldman’s proposal passes.
At a public budget hearing Monday night, a number of people urged the council not to close the library, including South Branch Manager Sally Schwarzlose.
The library is the only city service many citizens use on a regular basis — besides essential services like police and fire protection — Schwarzlose said.
“They really value it,” she said. “It’s not as obvious from the outside that people have a sense of belonging about it.”
Schwarzlose said a sense of community develops at a branch library because people get to know the staff and are more likely to bump into their neighbors.
“The main library has wonderful resources but is so big and has so much turnover that you’re less likely to have that happen,” she said.
Bernstein said if it were absolutely necessary, he might consider closing both branch libraries. That would enable the city to sell the North Branch building to a commercial resident, which might bring in tax money. But it would be unfair to close only one branch, he said, and he doesn’t plan to do that.
The council rejected a plan to close both branches last year.
