ST. CHARLES COUNTY — The library district here may shut down some of its branches and cut staff, officials said Wednesday.
The St. Charles City-County Library District, in a brief statement, said its board will hold a special meeting Friday night to consider and possibly vote “on actions that include closures of specific branches.â€
The statement also said the closures may “trigger workforce reorganization and reduction.â€
Details were not immediately available on which branches will be considered for closure or how many employees could be let go.
The statement said there will be a presentation on the state of the library and the board will review a proposal on its future strategic direction, but district officials did not release a copy of the plan.
The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at the district’s Middendorf-Kredell Branch Library in O’Fallon.
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“I hope they don’t try to rush it through,†St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, who appoints some of the board members, said Wednesday, adding that the public needs to be given a chance to comment on the plan before a decision is made.
“Obviously they need to be efficient spenders of the taxpayers’ dollars,†he added. “If they have facilities that aren’t being utilized and don’t fill a need, that’s a decision they’re going to have to make.â€
Ehlmann said he had yet to be briefed on details and didn’t have a position on the proposal.
The district’s statement said a public comment period will be held after the presentation and board discussion, and prior to any vote.
Ehlmann said he and St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer, who also appoints some of the board members, are scheduled to meet with library district officials on Thursday.
Jason Kuhl, the district’s CEO, and Staci Alvarez, the district board chairwoman, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
A district spokeswoman, Lori Beth Crawford, said in an email that “we have no further comment and can answer no other questions until a decision is made†by the board.
One of the nine board members, Richard Gartner, did not comment on details but said the district is trying to contain costs, maintain its buildings and “keep good people working for us†by offering competitive salaries.
The district operates 11 branches across the county. The district’s $27 million budget for the current fiscal year ending June 30 called for about 210 employees.
District officials did not say Wednesday how many of those positions are currently filled and how many are vacant.
The special meeting will be held just a few days before the board’s regular monthly meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
The board’s consideration of closures and staff cuts apparently has no connection with a running controversy in the district over the past year.
Speakers at library board meetings have repeatedly complained about the sexual content of some books, while others have defended district officials.
After months of criticism, the system announced in December that it would remove books containing explicit photos of sexual acts from library shelves but that they still would be available in the district’s online card catalog and to check out.
Library staffers estimated then that the change would result in fewer than 10 books removed.
In another controversy, about 35 protesters showed up at a library branch last May to complain that a library clerk had been wearing makeup, nail polish and a goatee. They were met by about 60 others who came out to oppose them.