The J-MRL Board met at Crozet Library on February 22.

The Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Board budget committee announced Feb. 26 that it would recommend the closure of Scottsville Library and reduction of service hours at Crozet Library in response to Albemarle County’s proposed cut of $242,591 in its share of J-MRL funding. The closure and hours cuts would be effective July 1. County leaders have argued that the library should find other ways to absorb the 5 percent cut short of closing a branch.

Meeting at Crozet Library Feb 22, the board reiterated that they would not reduce services at branches whose funding was shared by other jurisdictions who are completely funding their portion. Only Scottsville and Crozet libraries are solely paid for by Albemarle County.

Under the Regional Library Agreement enacted in 1972, each locality, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson, has paid its fair share of library costs based on actual library use by its citizens. Almost 50,000 Albemarle residents are regular library users, according to J-MRL director John Halliday.

Library Board President Anthony Townsend suggested that Scottsville and Crozet area residents attend the county Supervisors’ March 31 public hearing on the budget if they hope to save their libraries. Without directly calling for it, except personally, the board appeared to prefer that Albemarle’s real estate tax rate be raised to provide the additional funds. The board praised a website set up by Crozet preschool teacher Karen Elias that has collected many testimonials urging the preservation of regular service at the Crozet branch.

Board member Gary Grant noted that when Greene and Louisa Counties faced budget cuts they reduced hours at their branches and did not try to affect services at other branches.

Highest volume J-MRL patron Leslie Lepage, with librarian Wendy Saz at the Meeting.

Leaving the double doors to the library’s meeting room open as they met, the board deferred a discussion of fee rates until July, when the next budget is in effect. Among the economies suggested were ending the policy of allowing two pages to be copied free per day, selling DVDs, and perhaps charging out-of-county residents to use the libraries—a move that might invite the same policy to be enacted by Augusta and Waynesboro. “Do we want to be the first domino that sets that off?” wondered board member Tim Tolson.

Albemarle’s cut could endanger full state funding for J-MRL, Halliday said. “One hundred percent of the book budget comes from the state. We get the second largest amount of state aid because of how we are organized [as a regional system]. But to remain eligible you have to show maintenance of effort…. Libraries cannot be targeted for cuts.”

Halliday said he expects a state review of the J-MRL budgeting process to ensure its fairness to all parties. If J-MRL is found in violation it would result in a loss of aid, he said.

“Albemarle could decide to affect every jurisdiction,” added Tolson.

“We have never had this situation before in the 40-year history of the J-MRL,” noted Halliday.

He said afterward that if libraries are closed by cuts, the system will try to find positions for the librarians in other branches.

Halliday reported on meeting with Congressman Tom Perriello’s staff about the possibility of finding federal funds to build the new Crozet library. They identified a rural community development fund in the U.S. Department of  Agriculture that would likely loan the county the $6.3 million needed for construction at 4 percent interest and would also likely defer interest payments for a few years.

Halliday reported that county officials had told him that the Supervisors would not be interested in such a possibility. The county is thinking of looking for federal grants (which don’t have to be repaid) to pay for the Crozet streetscape project, Halliday said. The J-MRL board appeared skeptical about the earnestness of county efforts to build the library.

Meanwhile, Perriello may seek $1.6 million to fund the books, computers, DVDs and furnishings the library would need, reported Bill Schrader, who chairs the local fundraising effort for those needs. “Crozet citizens accepted this [fundraising campaign] and we have been working on it,” he said. “Congressman Perriello is very excited about Crozet library.”

Board president Townsend noted that the time to build is now, since construction costs have fallen at least 20 percent during the recession.

The J-MRL user with the single greatest number of checkouts happened to come to the library as the board met and Crozet librarian Wendy Saz took the occasion to introduce her to the board. The board was pleased to talk with Leslie Lepage of Yancey Mills, the mother of five young boys who are being homeschooled. “We check out about 75 books a week on my card,” she explained. Over the last five years she has checked out more than 10,000 books.

Her son Sam, age 11, was interviewed meanwhile by Channel 19. He said he is a big reader of fiction and biography and that he writes book reports on what he reads. His favorite books are the Lord of The Rings trilogy. He has not read any Harry Potter books.

The board “toured” the Crozet branch and came away struck by how cramped it is when even a few patrons are in it.