Library Official Calls for Patrons to Attend Town Hall Meetings

Anne Arundel County Public Library (AACPL) administrator Skip Auld is hosting three "Town Hall" meetings in March to discuss the issue of cuts to library funding. The meetings will take place at the:

• , 7 p.m. March 10
• , 7 p.m. March 17
• , 7 p.m. March 24

In an open letter to patrons, Auld, who has been at the helm of the county library system since last November, said that he is focused on protecting the services, materials and operating schedule that the library system currently offers.

"AACPL funding has been reduced 16 percent over the past four years – much more than other County agencies. Because of this, I have asked the County Executive to restore our materials budget and to limit any FY 2012 budget reductions to cuts that will allow us to maintain current operating hours," Auld said in the letter.

The letter stated that AACPL asked the county to restore the portion of the budget dedicated to books and materials. Auld said that the cuts have forced the library system to cut hours and reduce the offerings to patrons. According to Auld's letter, library funding was cut by 33 percent, or $1 million, two years ago.

Auld said that the public library's mission is more critical than ever to economic recovery in the county.

"AACPL has assisted nearly 1,600 under- or unemployed residents seeking new career opportunities. Many others have benefited from library-sponsored computer training and job search workshops, and still more rely on the Library for access to computers and the Internet. We are also an integral part of the educational system. Library programs and materials tailored for infants through preschoolers play an important role in school-readiness and summer programs prevent the loss of reading skills for many older students over their educational break," Auld said.

He noted further that before the cuts in library funding were implemented by the county, the Anne Arundel County Public Library was ranked eighth out of nine of the largest jurisdictions in the state in per capita spending on library resources. 

Auld implored patrons to attend the Town Hall meetings to join the discussions about the budget and to learn how to influence decision-makers about library funding.