Furloughs to Shutdown Newark Public Library

Employees of the Newark Public Library are facing unpaid furloughs later this year with patrons shut out during those times , according to library officials.

The workers will be on furlough, starting Aug. 22 for 10 days and Dec. 19 for eight days, according to Jared Ash, president of the local union that represents library workers. The state Civil Service Commission approved the furloughs last week, he said.

Wilma Grey, the library director, confirmed the furloughs at a Wednesday meeting for the library's board of trustees, but would not comment further because employees and the council had not been formally briefed on the news.

Sources who wished to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak on the subject said the furloughs were scheduled later in the year in the hopes that money, from either public or private funds, would come in and cancel them out.

The furloughs come after a tough 2010 for the library, which also experienced furloughs, reduced hours, cuts to the new book fund, layoffs and the shuttering of two branches, according to a statement on the library's website from Timothy Crist, a library trustee.

Ash said last year's furloughs, which forced workers to go on unpaid leave for two days per week from August through December, was a severe hit to employees. They have had to rack up thousands of dollars on credit cards and take loans against their pensions, he said.

The library's financial woes occurred last year when the city took out about $2.45 million or 18 percent from the $13.5 million budget, which is made up of mostly city funds, according to library officials.

Fearing more cuts this year, library officials were relieved when city administrators informed them that the 2011 budget would not be cut further, reversing an earlier announcement that an additional $2.45 million would be cut.

Those extra cuts would have resulted in the closure of three more branches, 30 percent of staff being laid off and other "austerity measures," according to library officials.

The cuts have spurred a grassroots movement that started in Newark's West Ward to save the libraries, but more needs to be done, according to library officials and patrons.

"I have never understood how people continue to work here because of the furloughs," said Claudine Royal, a West Ward resident and chairwoman of the Save Newark Libraries. "What does that do for morale or your paycheck? Your mortgage company doesn't understand."

Royal said she wants the library to come up with more ways to raise money.

The library already is in the works of planning a large fundraising event next year to reverse its financial losses as revealed in Wednesday's meeting.

Also at the library's board of trustees Wednesday meeting:

• The Clinton and Roseville branches are currently closed for renovations, which are due to a Community Development Block grant or CDBG funded by federal and city sources.
• There will be a ribbon cutting and reception celebrating the completion of the various CDBG renovations throughout the system on June 22 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the main branch on Washington Street.
• HBO is slated to donate $136,000 to the library, along with Harvest Partners giving $30,000.
• PNC is donating $305,000 to the library for a financial literacy campaign that will kick off in the fall. About 7,500 pre-school kids will be targeted.
• Newark Mayor Cory Booker currently has no representative on the library board, which needs to fill four vacancies total.