Reno, Nevada. June 19, 2015. The Library Board of Trustees had discussion and heard public comment at its meeting on Wednesday, June 17 regarding the possible elimination of public hours in two Washoe County School District libraries at Glenn Duncan and Verdi Elementary Schools. The Board took no formal action to eliminate the public hours in those libraries. The Washoe County Library currently offers public hours in these two locations outside of school hours.
Over the past eight years, WCLS has weathered the same downturn that has affected this entire community. The budget for library services remains reduced, sparking a discussion on how to operate your library system under this “new normal” level of funding. The goal is to increase access for the public across the entire system which includes libraries in the Reno, Sparks, Incline Village and Gerlach. Increasing demand for more hours has generated discussions on how best to respond. Library Director Arnold Maurins has taken a recommendation from a recent Facility Study which took into consideration how to provide the most comprehensive service within allocated resources.
At this time, WCLS is looking into the feasibility of eliminating public hours at both Duncan and Verdi libraries. These libraries are school libraries which would continue to operate under the direction of the Washoe County School District. For more information, see the list of frequently asked questions, and the Facility Study.
###
