From the The News-Press (Fort Myers):
Lee County’s libraries will open later, close earlier and offer fewer books under plans that call for spending cuts, while increasing the tax rate by 68 percent.
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Libraries in Cape Coral, Pine Island and Captiva also would cut back to four-day weeks, closing their doors on Thursdays or Fridays. Additionally, four regional libraries would open one hour later at 10 a.m. on weekdays and close at 6 p.m Mondays, two hours earlier than before.
The interlibrary loan system would be shut down — preventing Lee residents from obtaining books through a system that can borrow texts from libraries across the U.S. Nearly 7,000 books are ordered by Lee residents and another 5,000 or so loaned out every year.
Additionally, readers can expect to wait longer for popular titles, because plans call for officials to cut purchasing power by $198,799.
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Commissioners agreed to move ahead with library cuts this month. But Commissioner Larry Kiker said there’s hope before a final budget passes Sept. 18.
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