Columbia, OH, Library Stays Open for Students, Closes to Public

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By SLJ Staff -- School Library Journal, 09/29/2008

The Cenral Crossing Library is closing to the public next June.

After serving as a public and school library for more than six years, the Central Crossing Library near Columbus, OH, will no longer serve the public after June 2009.

The board of trustees of Southwest Public Libraries (SPL) recently voted to cease operation at Central Crossing due to lack of money. The library system says its budget has been “seriously damaged by several years of declining or stagnant funding,” which was further compounded by a loss of $102,000 this year and an additional 2 percent cut expected from the state in 2009.

The library board has made deep budget cuts over the past seven years to accommodate this steady decline in revenue, including a 25 percent reduction in personnel and a 30 percent reduction in expenditures for library materials, library officials say.

"The library board's decision is completely driven by its funding situation," says Mark Shaw, SPL’s director. "We've tried, and there's just no more money for this. We're stretched too thin."

All the library’s furnishings will stay, as will parts of the collection that are relevant to high school students. Public library materials such as large print books, juvenile books, and the library's computer equipment will be distributed to two other branches.

“This has been a wonderful cooperative venture between the SPL and the school district, which has benefited not only our students and their families but the entire community," says South-Western City Schools (SWCS) Superintendent Bill Wise. "We fully understand the library's situation and will work with them to facilitate a smooth transition."

The Central Crossing Library opened in August 2002, and SWCS officials agreed to furnish and equip the new library, as well as pay for utilities and building maintenance. SPL purchased and maintained the materials collection, provided access to the Discovery Place online catalog, and provided staffing to operate as a public library.