This week’s city council agenda had on it the introduction of an ordinance that would change the fees that our library system charges. The backup material has two items in it that you might find to be interesting.
Contrary to what most people that I speak with think, library usage is going up, not down. Circulation in 2011 is expected to increase by 17.4% through 2013.
El Paso spends less per capita on it’s library than other major Texas cities:
EL PASO $12.61
ARLINGTON $20.59
AUSTIN $34.20
DENTON $42.34
FORT WORTH $25.89
HOUSTON $20.23
SAN ANTONIO $18.99
Aren’t we proud?
We may have to close recreation centers to house city staff and we may starve our libraries but at least we can tear down city hall and build a new one.
What is wrong with us? How do we expect our children to stay in town or companies to move here?
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
“Friends” of the El Paso public libraries operate several used book stores throughout the city to resell library discards and books donated by people in the community. The proceeds from these stores are given to the libraries to supplement their budget. What is not clear, however, is how these proceeds are accounted for in the budgeting process. Do these contributions truly supplement the libraries’ budgets or does the city use these contributions to reduce the net tax dollars allocated to the the libraries, making the tax dollars spent on libraries even less than we think?
These stores are staffed primarily by volunteers and the stores receive tons of books, both of which prove that average citizens believe in the importance of the libraries and are doing their part to support them. Support these stores whenever you have the opportunity. Store locations include Remcon and McRae, plus there are small shops inside Memorial Park and the Main Library. I know there are others, but for some reason the El Paso Public Library’s website doesn’t even provide a list of the Friends stores.
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I guess you should consider yourselves lucky. Any city government that fights freedom of information and open records requests might also be inclined to burn books. Your tax dollars being spent on legal fees to fight open records requests could be put to better use in the libraries. Next thing you know, they’ll be closing the libraries early on summer nights to save money and encourage attendance at the new ballpark.
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Library staff is at 1994 levels and there are two additional library branches and more hours open. Public-facing city departments are being cut back while internal departments like Financial Services are increased to handle all the extra workload of the stadium project.
AAA and hotdog jobs – they key to urban greatness in Woody World.
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