The city of La Crosse’s Library Board may close one of its three branches due to budget shortfalls -- an option many struggling libraries are considering.
Nikole Hale and her six children live within walking distance of the South Community Library in La Crosse, and the family goes up to four times each week. She said she was shocked to hear that the board proposed closing the smaller branch.
“It’s so important for kids to come here and have a safe, quiet place where they can come and they can learn to read,” said Hale.
Hale said if the library does close, her family wouldn’t check out books as often, since the main library and the other branches are farther from their home.
La Crosse Public Library’s director said it has a $268,000 deficit because of rising expenses and reduced revenues. Closing the library could be the only solution.
Dr. Joyce Latham, an assistant professor at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Information Studies, said La Crosse’s budget situation is echoed in libraries across the country. Latham said every Wisconsin library is struggling in some way, which she attributes to increasing technology costs, tax base reductions, and aging buildings.
Plus, she said, people are using libraries more than ever: “Just at a point in time when the demands are peaking, the support for the library is diminishing.”
Latham said library budget solutions vary depending on the community. Some are hiring fewer professional librarians and others are reducing hours. She said in extreme cases libraries are closing branches, which is what could happen in La Crosse.
