Both this year and next will prove challenging to us all as we chart the unfamiliar waters of recession and recovery. Our town finances will be stretched thin and the Board of Selectmen has asked that all Town departments (Police, Fire, DPW, Parks & Rec, Social Services, etc.) and public/private partnerships (Wilton Library, Trackside, Ambler Farm, Nursing & Home Care) submit a flat budget request for FY’11 (July 2010-June 2011).  In other words, all are expected to come in with the same bottom line that was approved for the year we are in, FY’10.

Presumably the Board of Education and Board of Selectmen both were given this directive by the Board of Finance, who anticipated a 4 to 5% increase in mill rate for FY’11 over FY’10 even if all budgets were flat, due primarily to the fact that we do not anticipate as large a cushion from the Fund Balance (last year, over $5 million was used to reduce the overall budget and only $1 million was projected for next year) to bring down the bottom line.

Like roughly half the libraries in Connecticut, the Wilton Library Association is a private association library that acts as the public library for our town.  Each year, our Board of Trustees makes a request for Town funding that amounts to about ¾ of the Library’s budget.  The remaining ¼ results from revenue derived from Library operations (rental & late fees, interest on our bank and investment accounts, etc.), book sales, fund raising events, our Annual Appeal, and other donations (bequests, memorial gifts, grants, and the like).

This year’s Wilton Library budget request (presented to the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, January 12) is, as requested, flat.  Despite the fact that Library usage has soared since the impact of the economic downturn was first felt in October 2008, the Board and staff of the Wilton Library are committed to helping the Town face the tremendous challenge expected.  In a time of rising usage* and prices coupled with falling contributions, you can imagine how difficult our task has been.

In order to spend the same next year that we will this year, while striving to maintain service to a community that is depending on us more than ever, we have implemented or are engaged in the following measures, with implications for the coming months (regrettably, some of the changes will negatively impact service – but we hope to keep negative impact to a minimum):

• We have reviewed contracts with all our vendors and renegotiated many downwards.
• We have significantly reduced our employee benefits costs, primarily by moving to health savings accounts and high-deductible plans for the staff.
• We have reviewed all the fees associated with service (fines, fees, etc.) and will be increasing many in coming months – although all increases will be put in place as compassionately as possible.
• We have given only a 2% average salary increase to staff this year and must assume 0% next year in order to make our budget request for FY’11 flat.
• We are implementing a selective attrition plan – with each retirement or resignation, we will analyze the need to replace the position.  We are asking more from fewer staff members as attrition takes place.
• We have cut staff hours in some cases at our service desks and behind the scenes – but are hoping to mitigate the loss in service with technology: inaugurating an “auto attendant” for our increasingly busy phones and encouraging use of our self-check machines.
• We will selectively discontinue some services – for instance, canceling our contract with American Express (too expensive to continue) and ceasing publication of our monthly program postcard (to save the postage cost).
• We will continue to fund raise aggressively – depending on those who have the means to help us maintain the Wilton Library as an outstanding resource for our community.

*Our usage statistics demonstrate vividly the new uses to which our Library is being put.  Many folks are newly discovering the expanded Wilton Library – the surge in reference questions reflects their curiosity about what is where and how best to use it.  Traditional measures are up significantly (see circulation and visitors), but less traditional measures show that folks are coming to use our spaces and materials all day long (see in-house use – primarily of newspapers and magazines; note the climb in use of computers):

July ’08 – November ’09

We are proud to serve as a safety net for our community – contributing quality of life and opportunities for growth when times are bad as well as when times are good.  Our focus since the recession began has been on programming that is relevant: print and online resume writing, job searching, interviewing, learning new computer and language skills.  We have beefed up our collections in these areas as well.  We will continue to keep the doors open and these relevant print and online collections, programs and services coming as long as we are able.

Your email and support can make a difference – please contact Kathy Leeds, Library Director, for more information  by calling 203-762-3950 or emailing kcleeds@wiltonlibrary.org.

Email addresses for your elected officials and the local newspapers follow – please let them know your opinion regarding priorities for the FY’11 budget.  They will appreciate hearing from you.

Many thanks for your continued support of the Wilton Library Association.