Canada: Budget Issues May Force Service Cuts, Fewer New Items at London, Ont. Public Library

From Metro (London):

Tax freeze or not, the London Public Library may still be faced with slashing hours and adding fewer new items to its collections, board chairman Josh Morgan said Sunday.
All of the 2013 tax targets batted around city hall in the past several months — zero per cent, 3.8 per cent, and two per cent — would have meant the same thing for the library: No increase over 2012 funding and a projected $410,000 deficit without cuts.
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The library, which operates on about $18 million annually, has already slashed about $500,000 from its budget to meet previous targets set by city hall, Morgan said.
“The point is, we’ve found the easy stuff, and this is where we’re at,” he said, referring to service cuts that board has approved. “The board felt it was important to be very clear about what we need to do to meet (the) target.”
The biggest cost-savings would come through reducing hours at most locations. Ending seasonal Sunday service at the main library on Dundas Street and reducing the collections budget are also in the money-saving plan.

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