Princeton library trustees eye economy’s impact on upcoming budget

By Greg Forester, Staff Writer
   When it comes its looming budget for next year, the worldwide financial crisis and its impact on Princeton have the Princeton Public Library board of trustees preparing for the worst.
   At the board’s meeting on Tuesday, members discussed and expressed support for creating a contingency plan for the budget in case of flat or reduced funding in the coming year. They also passed a resolution calling for monthly reports on staffing decisions from Library Director Leslie Burger.
   Board member Mark Gordon, citing dismal economic reports recently released by the state government, said that the state faced a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall that would “affect the state’s ability to support municipalities and schools.”
   The library, located at the corner of Witherspoon and Wiggins streets, receives a majority of its funding from the Princeton Borough and Township municipal governments.
   ”We’re in a dire economic crisis,” said Mr. Gordon.
   Princeton Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman said the borough had not made any decisions regarding future library funding, but “everyone knows about the crunch we are going to be under.”
   She said she has routinely declared, during past budget addresses, that the borough must “do more with less, but this time we’re going to have to do less with less, and produce more, or at least the same.”
   Ms. Burger said the library, which currently has one vacant employment position, would consider leaving future vacancies open as a cost-saving measure.
   ”We want to be proactive with the budgets cuts in 2009,” Ms. Burger said.
   Library officials expect the facility’s endowment fund to be down significantly.
   Despite the nation’s economic woes, people are still giving to the library, according to Ms. Burger.
   She cited a recent gift, from a woman who contacted library staff to arrange a visit to the facility, and told Ms. Burger that “I want to give you lots of money.”
   In addition to discussing the library’s future finances, board members voted to approve a resolution putting an official notarizing service policy in place.
   The library has been providing public notary services since 2006, according to officials, who said the new policy was necessary to protect staff from certain liabilities regarding the service.
   The policy calls for a recommendation that those seeking notarizing services contract the library prior to visiting. It limits the service to three documents per person per day, and states that the library will not provide witnesses.
   The board also voted to accept $25,000 in grants, received from various foundations, in addition to $2,000 from former Borough Council member Wendy Benchley.