Politics & Government

Central Rappahannock Regional Library May Restore Hours

When budgets were slashed, so were library hours, but that may all change.

Fredericksburg's proposed budget includes enough funding that would help the library restore its hours that were lost when budgets were slashed.

Central Rappahannock Regional Library Deputy Director Caroline Parr said that they requested from Fredericksburg $1.353 million and the proposed budget includes $1.238 million. This is enough on the city's part to restore library hours, but it also will depend on how much Stafford and Spotsylvania counties fund, too.

"So far it looks promising," Parr said. "We are very hopeful because that is a real high priority for us.”

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Spotsylvania County supervisors lowered the tax rate by a penny already before the budget even went to a public hearing. That cut will have to be made up, and Parr isn't sure yet how they will do it.

"We don’t usually know until May," she said.

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If all of the hours are restored, the library system will be open on Sundays from 1-5:30 p.m. and evening hours will be Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Fredericksburg's proposed budget did not fund the library system's request to expand its e-books selection. The $100,000 request was made to each localities in Fredericksburg, Stafford and Spotsylvania. Parr said this request was a one-time infusion of money so that the system could purchase more e-books.

"The public is certainly interested in e-books," she said. "We are not going to have that big jump in funding for e books that we had hoped for."

 

Event: The Central Rappahannock Regional Library kicks off its Cultivating  Community/Big Read events on Thursday, March 29, at 7 p.m. at the Salem Church Library with a panel discussion on “Farm to Table” practices and a presentation of Barbara Kingsolver’s book, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.”

 

 


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