Despite Budget Vow, Libraries Closed On Sundays

Thomas Breen photo

At the main branch on Elm St.

City libraries remain closed on Sundays 11 weeks into a fiscal year in which they are supposed to be open, with the Elicker Administration citing staff shortages as the biggest roadblock so far to realizing a heralded budget promise.

That’s the latest with the city’s effort to open all five library branches on Sundays.

More than two months, including 11 Sundays, into Fiscal Year 2022 – 23 (FY23), which began on July 1, that Sunday-library-hours goal remains stymied.

During this spring’s budget-making season, Mayor Justin Elicker touted that goal multiple times as one of the key city service expansions included in the FY23 $633.1 million general fund budget.

We’re proposing a lot of exciting new programming, including increasing the number of inspectors to address blight, increasing library hours, increasing youth programming, opening a climate office, and more,” the mayor said in a budget-explainer video released on March 1.

He elaborated on that same Sunday-hours commitment during a budget-focused press conference he held that same day at City Hall. The budget will allow us to ensure that libraries at every branch are open on Sundays,” he said.

Again, in a May 23 email press release sent out after the Board of Alders voted on a final amended version of the FY23 budget, Elicker pointed to the expanded library hours as a highlight of the city’s newly approved annual fiscal document: In addition, working in collaboration with the Board of Alders, I’m pleased to report that this year’s budget funds several important initiatives for New Haven families, including increased funding for our public schools, more programing for our youth, and expanded library hours so that all five branches will now be open on Sundays.”

Specifically, the FY23 budget includes a $140,000 bump to make the library’s planned new Sunday hours a reality: $100,000 for part-time library aides and a $40,000 increase for library staff overtime. 

Securing city funding for Sunday hours at all five library branches was one of the top goals and final accomplishments of the late City Librarian John Jessen, who died from cancer at the end of May. He has been replaced by Interim City Librarian Maureen Sullivan.

What happened? And when will libraries be open on Sundays?

The City of New Haven is committed and excited to offer Sunday hours at our public libraries to make them even more accessible to residents,” city spokesperson Lenny Speiller told the Independent in an email comment. 

While funds have been approved and allocated for this service, unfortunately, library staff shortages and vacancies currently prevent the New Haven Free Public Library from implementing Sunday hours across our five branches. NHFPL is eager to fill these vacancies as quickly as possible so that library staff can be hired and trained to offer Sunday hours at all our branches in [an] ongoing and sustainable way.”

Speiller said that there are currently 15 library-wide vacancies (six full-time positions and nine part-time positions) out of the NHFPL’s full budgeted staff of 68 positions (44 full-time and 24 part-time.) This is reflective of the larger hiring challenges we’re having citywide,” Speiller said, citing 290 vacancies among the city’s 1,456 total part-time and full-time budgeted positions.

City of New Haven images

Current city library locations and hours.

In the meantime,” Speiller continued, NHFPL is working diligently on an interim plan to provide some initial Sunday hours at one or more of our branches later this year and then scaling up to all five branches as soon as possible as staffing permits. Our public libraries are among our most treasured city assets, serving as centers of learning, inspiration and empowerment for so many New Haven residents, and we are committed to making them as accessible as possible for as many people as possible moving forward.”

Speiller declined to provide any more specific of a timeline for when the limited Sunday library hours will start beyond the later this year” comment included in his initial email response.

The city’s public library system has long been one of the most celebrated and accomplished departments in city government, winning in 2019 a National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the highest honor a library can win for​“exceptional contributions to their communities.”

Tags:

Sign up for our morning newsletter

Don't want to miss a single Independent article? Sign up for our daily email newsletter! Click here for more info.


Post a Comment

Commenting has closed for this entry

Comments

Avatar for DJKsMom

Avatar for NHVJimmy

Avatar for Mel2278

Avatar for c0ncerned

Avatar for DJKsMom

Avatar for newhavener

Avatar for CityYankee2

Avatar for NHVJimmy

Avatar for Elim2400

Avatar for Dennis..

Avatar for NHPS family

Avatar for Dennis..

Avatar for Fellaman

Avatar for Elmshaker

Avatar for Heather C.

Avatar for NovemberTwoSix