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Fredericksburg, Virginia, June 15, 2023 - Central Rappahannock Regional Library’s budget request for the coming fiscal year (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024) has been underfunded by three of CRRL’s four jurisdictions, leading to a reduction of hours at some branches.
- In Stafford County, Porter Branch will reduce Wednesday hours starting July 5, closing from 5:00 pm-8:00 pm, remaining open 9:00 am-5:00 pm.
- In Spotsylvania County, Salem Church Branch will reduce Thursday hours starting July 6, closing from 9:00 am-1:00 pm, remaining open 1:00 pm-8:00 pm.
- In Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg Branch will reduce Tuesday hours starting July 11, closing from 9:00 am-1:00 pm, remaining open 1:00 pm-8:00 pm.
The Library Board approved these schedule changes at their June 12 Board meeting, and passed three motions designed to quickly restore hours in any jurisdiction that funds the hours during the coming fiscal year. CRRL expects these reductions to go into effect as planned, pending any decisions from the jurisdictions on restoring funding.
In presenting the FY24 budget to the Board, the priority was increasing the books and materials budget and giving staff a 5% cost-of-living increase. These priorities could not have been achieved without reducing branch hours. Due to rising costs, physical materials, such as books, have become more expensive, and demand for access to digital items; such as eBooks, eAudio, and streaming video; is at an all-time high, resulting in longer hold lists and waiting times for CRRL customers.
Despite record inflation over the past 5 years, the funding approved by the three localities for the coming fiscal year is less than what they approved to fund in FY20.
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