The DeKalb County Public Library Board of Trustees recently approved a service reduction plan to deal with staff cuts imposed by the 2010 DeKalb County budget. Under the plan, one existing library branch, the Briarcliff Library, will close in September at a date to be determined. In addition, the new Stonecrest Library, which was expected to begin service in September, will be delayed in opening until May 2011, pending inclusion of required staff positions in the 2011 DeKalb County budget.

These actions will permit the Library to transfer enough existing staff positions to the Hairston Crossing and Salem-Panola branch libraries to allow both facilities to open in late October 2010. Expansion of these libraries under the DeKalb County 2006 Bond Program is nearing completion.

The Library Board had been considering a series of options to deal with the 2010 staffing limitations, including reducing open hours schedules system-wide, closing two existing branches, or delaying the opening of upcoming bond branches under construction. However, during the County’s mid-year budget actions, an additional 20 vacant library positions were defunded. "The reduction of service hours option already involved a significant decrease in evening and weekend hours of operation in our branches," said Library Director Darro Willey. "But making up for the loss of 20 additional staff positions would have forced us to almost totally eliminate evening and weekend hours at all library branches. The Library Board felt this was too draconian and would cut too many people off from library services."

"The Library Board felt that opening the Hairston Crossing and Salem-Panola branches was preferable to opening the new Stonecrest branch because they both have existing constituencies that have been waiting for over a year for their libraries to re-open,” Director Willey said. “The Stonecrest branch is a new library in a new service area without an existing customer base."

The closure of Briarcliff Library was judged to have the least service impact because of its small size and proximity to nearby library branches. In addition, the Briarcliff branch was expected to close for several months to replace the roof, make needed repairs and carry out mold remediation in its interior caused by several years of leaks.

"While no one likes closing a library, the Board felt strongly that a solution to the staffing issue should not affect just one part of the county alone. Any service reduction should be shared by residents in the northern and southern parts of DeKalb," said Library Board Chair Deborah Torbush.