[Publib] Budget cuts - hours vs. materials

[Tiar, Marc]

Hello out there,

 

I'm a new subscriber to the list, having just joined to post this
question (although I was a subscriber many years ago).  In these tough
economic times, we're having to make some difficult choices.  We are
trying to find any data, anecdotal or otherwise, to support or refute a
decision one way or another.   We have been searching the literature but
not doing too well - it's sort of a tough concept to put into search
terms, due both to such common words and the many synonyms of them that
appear in the journals. 

 

Put briefly, is it better to cut hours/days of operation or
acquisitions?

 

Or, the way it was phrased to us to look into:

 

Washoe County Library has been asked to consider cutting deeply into its
Library Materials budget in order to fill personnel vacancies, which
might allow some library branches to expand public hours. If you cut
deeply into your materials budget, did your circulation and/or visitor
statistics decrease?  By maintaining or increasing public hours, despite
cutting your materials budget, did your circulation and/or visitor
statistics increase?

 

Many thanks for any information you can share.

 

Marc Tiar

Washoe County Library

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