3:00pm | Long Beach public libraries this week released new hours of operation at each of the twelve branches across the city. Chief among the changes is the fact that all libraries are now closed on Sundays and Mondays due to budget constraints. Some libraries already had this schedule but for the remaining four, the closures went into effect this week.
The official Long Beach Public Libraries website released the following statement:
This action is a result of the Long Beach Public Library’s implementation of the City’s adopted budget to offset a structural deficit of $18.5 million for FY11.
In August, as a massive City budget deficit threatened to lay off librarians and slash hours even further, local teacher Devon Day wrote an impassioned plea to save libraries and their special programs that appeared on the lbpost.com.
A spokesperson for the Long Beach Public Library told KPCC yesterday that this outcome is “probably as good as it could be right now.” Los Angeles also runs its libraries five days a week, which sadly seems to be the new norm in a post-Recession society. Click here for a full list of operating hours at all Long Beach public libraries.