Glen Rock Library Trustees Cut Hours Due to 'Budget Constraints'

Facing escalating costs and dwindling funding, the Glen Rock Library Trustees voted to slash hours for the upcoming year.

The Glen Rock library will close at 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday for the upcoming year. The move was effective May 7.

According to Library Board President Vicki Fleiss, the library's budget has been declining since 2009. Funding is directly tied to the assessed value of properties, which has been in decline since 2009. At the same time, costs of materials has risen.

Despite "tightening belts" and "doing more with less," the board felt the reduced hours were its best option, Fleiss said.

"This year, we had to choose between sacrificing the quality of service that we provide to all the residents of Glen Rock or continue to provide the excellent services that they have come to expect for 3 1/2 fewer hours per week," she said. "This was not a decision undertaken lightly. After much discussion of alternatives, the Board decided that the best choice was to close at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday nights."

Activities and meetings that had previously been held on Tuesday nights have been rescheduled.

"Of course, we are doing everything we can to accommodate these groups to the best of our ability," Fleiss said.