Library jobs trimmed

Nearly 100 jobs will be eliminated, library hours will be cut and local libraries will buy fewer new materials under a 2010-11 budget adopted Thursday by the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.

The district's Board of Trustees unanimously approved the budget. The district's operating budget of $52.5 million will be about 2 percent less than the budget for the current year and is about 9 percent less than it would have been had the cuts not been made.

Executive Director Jeanne Goodrich told the board that the assessed value of property from which the district derives most of its revenue has dropped almost 50 percent in two years.

"When we talk about falling off a cliff we're not exaggerating," she said.

She and Deputy Director Fred James presented data showing that property tax revenues account for 71 percent of the district's operating budget, while sales tax revenues accounted for 24 percent. The rest comes from fines and charges for services such as renting rooms for meetings.

Revenues from both taxes have dropped dramatically in the past two years as property values and overall spending in Clark County have plunged.

In total, 93 jobs will be eliminated, according to a report Goodrich filed with the board. Salaries and benefits account for nearly two-thirds of the district's operating budget.

Nineteen full-time employees will be laid off, 23 part-time employees will be laid off, 39 jobs that had been left open will be removed from the system, and 12 people took a voluntary buyout package.

Layoff notices will begin going out in the first week of June.

Goodrich said some departments will be consolidated, supervisory positions will be eliminated, and some employees will end up being reassigned or relocated.

"It's a major shift in library operations," she said.

Because the district's total work force will be reduced by about 11 percent because of the job losses, Goodrich said operating hours will have to be reduced at the district's urban branches -- those not in outlying areas of the county.

The urban libraries are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Under the new plan, which will go into effect next month, the operating hours will change to 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on those days. Operating hours for Friday through Sunday will remain the same, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

"We have no choice but to do this," said Kelly Benavidez, a board member. "We're hoping, once the economy gets better, we'll go back to our regular hours."

Agreements in place to rent library rooms that are currently booked for hours later than the new operating hours will be honored through the end of August. After that, the agreements will have to be renegotiated, James said.

In addition to the job losses and reduced hours, the budget for new materials will shrink. Goodrich said the district will reduce the amount spent on new books, videos and other materials from 20 percent of the district's operating budget to 15 percent.

Contact reporter Richard Lake at rlake@review journal.com or 702-383-0307.