Seymour Library Director Carl Gouveia provided members of the Sweden Town Council with information regarding recent usage of the the library and the 2018 budget during their regular meeting September 26.
Gouveia provided statistics from the library’s 2016 usage report which showed that the number of patrons borrowing materials increased by 10.5 percent over 2015. In 2016, there were 11,512 registered borrowers, and an average of 363 visits per open day, Gouveia said.
More than 141,000 items were borrowed, Gouveia reported. “Books are still the majority of items … that averages to 397 items per day,” he said.
The library offered 737 special programs in 2016, Gouveia said, with an average of 20 participants per program.
He also provided information regarding the 2017 Summer Reading Program which drew 214 children who read more than 2,600 hours and 54 teens who read more than 2,400 hours. 130 adults also participated in the summer program, but do not report on the number of hours they spend reading.
“For every dollar provided from municipalities, the library provides $3.89 in resources,” Gouveia noted.
Regarding the 2018 budget, Gouveia said there is very little change from 2017, with personnel and building insurance costs rising slightly. Personnel costs in the 2017 budget were $280,108.01; in the proposed 2018 budget personnel costs rise to $289,241.07 Building insurance increases from $13,500 to $14,389.
The library is requesting a 0.04 percent increase from the Town of Sweden, Gouveia said. Sweden provides about 26 percent of the library’s revenues.
Gouveia provided a chart with the amount local towns contribute to their community libraries per resident. His figures showed the Town of Parma contributes $30.11 per resident; the Town of Ogden $25.45; and the Seymour Library receives about $23.11 per resident. The Seymour Library receives support from three municipalities – the Towns of Clarkson and Sweden and the Village of Brockport.
Supervisor Rob Carges asked Gouveia about the financial issues surrounding the 2017 budget, which included a deficit. Gouveia said there is still a small deficit, but, “we are not where we were last year, cuts helped to shrink a very large deficit,” Gouveia said.
Councilperson Lori Skoog asked Gouveia what cuts were necessary. He said library hours were cut as well as staff hours. The materials budget was cut and Gouveia himself has taken a cut in salary and hours. He said in the 2018 budget, he will drop his health insurance coverage which will also help create more savings.
Sweden resident Shirley Vetere attended the meeting. She told council members that she had previously lived in Chili and Churchville and that the Seymour Library is “phenomenal … this library is absolutely amazing.” Vetere said she visits the library several times a week, often with her grandchildren. “I’ve never seen a more knowledgeable staff … the programs offered at no cost floored me. I don’t know what I would do without the library and having access to the resources that they have there. Carl and his staff are amazing.”
