A mark of pride among Buffalo citizens used to be its strong public library system, known as one of the most well developed in the nation. Now, 16 libraries across the city and in the Buffalo suburbs are being forced to close, some as early as Nov. 1.
Some, such as the Greenhaven and South Townawanda branches, have already been closed due to a budget disaster that has many public Buffalo programs reeling.
"I certainly wish it hadn't come to this as it did," said Rich Peters, a librarian for the Audubon Library. "There was just no way to maintain things the way they were," Peters said.
Recent budget difficulties have left all of Erie County's libraries with reduced capabilities, and some of them cannot afford to stay open in the wake of the area's tremendous debt.
"No library will remain untouched," said Mike Mahaney, director of the Erie County Public Library system.
Along with certain parks, police divisions, and other public venues, libraries took a drastic cut in the money allocated for the system in this year's budget. Previously, an item known as the Library Property Tax set aside a portion of all property taxes specifically for the libraries, which in 2004 came to $24.2 million.
This year's budget allocated only $4.9 million to every library in Erie County.
While there is a Library Protection Act in place to prevent the county from changing the allocated amount of money, the county still gets to initially determine the amount to be spent.
Outside consultants had presented a plan known as the Cohen Report, which suggested a consolidation of different branches of the library system, but it was soundly rejected.
"Back in those days, where there was money to do these things, we could have had new facilities and new equipment," Peters said.
Now, closing libraries have had their contents liquidated in order to alleviate financial strain.
"I can understand people wanting libraries they can walk to, but it just couldn't work," Peters said.
When conducting the closings, officials attempted to leave no area without a library, according to Mahaney.
"What we tried to do was look not only at the best equipped facilities, but also at availability," he said.
Municipalities with more than one library in the area were primarily targeted.
"We tried to make sure no large areas of the county had alternatives, though they may have to drive a little farther," Mahaney said.
Despite the closures, UB libraries should not expect a substantial increase in use, according to Mahaney.
"Academic libraries are designed to support the curriculum," he said. "Public libraries are designed for the broader spectrum of the public."
Mahaney said he would not rule out the possibility that library use would raise.
"There may be some overlap," he said.
Peters said he expects additional patronage at the remaining Erie County branches.
"I'd expect we're going to get a lot of their traffic, at least from those people with transportation," Peters said.
Other possible concerns could also arise from reduced facilities, reduced hours, and a smaller staff.
"There are still many things to be determined," Peters said.
John Gullo, a senior English major, said he is disappointed the closings are actually happening.
"I could never understand when people complained that there was always a library within walking distance from anywhere," Gullo said. "Shouldn't we be putting education first?"
