Board floats budget cut as library looks past virus

NORTH LITTLE ROCK — The library board for William F. Laman Public Library requested officials look into cutting 10% of the library’s budget as the system prepares for covid-19 fallout.

Valerie McLean, chairwoman of the library board, requested Monday during a board meeting Crystal Gates, president of the Arkansas Library Association and executive director of the Laman Public Library System, look into cutting 10% of the budget while keeping employees the top priority.

“Just cut the nonessential and see where that leads us,” McLean said. “Do this without touching salaries and benefits.”

A budget meeting is set for Monday. Board member Vicki Matthews said reaching the 10% cut will be a challenge. The library spends $2 million on salaries and benefits, which leaves only $1 million for the library.

The 10% cut was proposed after McLean expressed concern about the library system being funded by property tax during the covid-19 pandemic. She said many businesses have closed and might not reopen.

“They aren’t anticipating people coming back downtown for a while,” she said. “It can get really bad by the time September rolls around.”

Gates said the library has already seen savings and pointed out that the system has spent $100,000 less in expenditures compared with this time last year because of libraries’ covid-19 closures. The cancellation of events, lower utilities and the library not ordering any new physical copies of books all contributed to the savings.

“Even when we reopen we probably won’t go back and order all the books that came out during the time we were closed,” Gates said. “We will probably only focus on catching up on really popular series and adult fiction books, but not children’s picture books.”

Gates said she doesn’t anticipate ordering physical items until they are close to reopening.

“Whether we cut or not, we will see savings this year,” she said.

McLean said the library must be fiscally responsible during this time, noting that even if the libraries open again she isn’t sure if people will come back in their normal numbers.

“A whole lot of things changed in the three weeks since our last meeting,” she said.