LAKEPORT >> The Lake County Library will begin offering visitor information services on Oct. 7.
Services will include answering the toll free telephone number listed on www.lakecounty.com, responding to emails and mailing the Lake County Destinations magazine.
The move is part of a deal to save the facility from dipping into its reserve funds.
During the Sept. 3 budget hearing, Lake County Library Director Christopher Veach told the Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) that the library”s operating budget was “not sustainable.”,The use of $50,000 of the library”s reserve funds, which totals approximately $150,000, was suggested to maintain hours of operation. By offering visitor information services, $53,000 from the county general fund can be transferred to the library fund, eliminating the need to use reserve funds or reduce operating hours.
“It”s not just thinking outside of the box, it is making a new box,” District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock said.
Lake County Administrative Officer Matt Perry pointed out that the library will not be the primary location for walk-in visitors, as that will be the responsibility of the five visitor information computers, which will located in businesses throughout the county.
According to the Lake County Public Information Office, the computers will be installed in approximately six weeks.
Additionally, one computer will be located at the Lake County Courthouse and another will be used for off-site events.
“A library is a lifeline, not only for information online, but all information,” District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing said.
Further options to address the library”s unsustainable budget included reducing administration fees, staffing at multiple branches, closing the Upper Lake library and limiting both landscaping and its maintenance.
The least amount of savings would have been from limiting landscaping and landscaping maintenance, which was estimated to save between approximately $6,000 and $9,500. The largest amount of savings would have been from reducing administration fees, which was estimated to save between $80,000 and $110,000.
In the 2014-15 fiscal year, administration fees totaled a little more than $131,000, which is “unusually high ? most likely due to construction of the Middletown Library,” Veach said.
Last year, administration fees totaled a little less than $7,000.
During public comment, multiple people voiced their appreciation that all branches were going to stay open and maintain the same hours of operation.
“It would have been real bad for our community,” District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith said. “It would have been a huge loss.”
According to Veach, the reason for the shortfall in the library”s budget is because of a reduction in state funding. Whether the state funding will return is unclear at this point.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
