Kellogg-Hubbard is keeping eye on costs
Toolbox
By Sarah Hinckley Times Argus Staff - Published: December 1, 2008
MONTPELIER – Dan Pudvah has been going from town to town asking for money.
In his first year as the executive director of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Pudvah is learning how to go out and solicit from the communities that use the library. Over the course of a month, Pudvah will visit the governing bodies of six contributing towns to ask for a total of $405,600 in funds for the fiscal year 2010 budget.
A few of the town clerks he has spoken with let out a sigh of relief when Pudvah reminded them that the library will only be asking for 4 percent more than they did last year, he said.
"They seemed to be really pleased that we were coming in with only a modest increase," he said. "We actually came in under the rate of inflation."
The library is also sending out the message that it is taking steps to trim costs in a tight economy.
Keeping requested increases at the rate of inflation was an idea pitched by Pudvah's predecessor Martin Hahn. While soliciting funds from towns a year ago, Hahn told town officials that the library would agree to raise its funding requests at the rate of inflation for the next four years, if its requested budgets at the 2008 annual town meeting were passed.
"It will still be a challenge for us," said Pudvah, about meeting the needs of the library with a 4 percent increase. "We have an endowment fund and endowment funds have not done well in this downturn."
Funding requests vary by town, which makes Pudvah's job interesting The library seeks funds from neighboring Berlin, Middlesex, Calais, Worcester and East Montpelier, along with its annual appropriation from Montpelier.
"Every town has slightly different rules," he said, noting that some towns require a petition for funding with any increase in the request. "The process is a little different with each town… Most of the towns are working on their budgets now."
Fundraising was a little different for Pudvah as the vice president of community relations and development for Central Vermont Medical Center.
"We didn't go to all the towns and ask them to support us," he said. "We raised money in a more classic way."
The Kellogg-Hubbard Library is in the midst of a campaign, with the goal of creating a $3 million endowment that would be used for library programs, increased operating costs and the budget.
Residents of the capital city are asked to make up the lion's share of the community contributions, which is $293,975 for the 2010 budget – 73 percent of the $405,600 total. The next highest funding request is for the town of East Montpelier at $32,296, and Middlesex is the third highest with $25,543. Montpelier and Middlesex have the highest increases in patrons, at 14 and 11 percent respectively for 2007.
"We've had a significant increase in our service and demands," said Hilari Farrington, library director. "Unlike a business, when we have more people, it actually costs us more money… That being said, we want to be busy."
Using numbers from 2007, Montpelier had 7,175 library patrons, which included over 1,400 children. They borrowed about 107,000 materials, which included print and audio books, magazines and more. That accounted for about 60 percent of the library's total borrowing activity, according to the letter of solicitation to City Council from Pudvah.
"It's a very busy place," he said about the Main Street institution that has been in Montpelier for over 100 years. "We get 800 people in here a day. This is a fascinating place."
Not only are residents checking out books, but many visitors are using the library to research and apply for jobs on the Internet, attend the offered educational opportunities – like workshops and movies – and children partake in lots of activities throughout the day, particularly once school is out.
"If people don't have school children, they may not see," said Farrington. "This is the after-school community … The role of the library has become much more multi-faceted than it ever was 20 or 30 years ago."
Pudvah went before the Montpelier City Council during its last regular meeting, accompanied by Board of Trustee Chairman Sarah Hofmann. Council member Sarah Jarvis asked the library officials, in these tough economic times, what the library is doing to justify the increased funding request, even thouh it is minimal.
"We're always looking to provide the best service at a low cost," said Pudvah, from his office, who began his new job at the library June 1.
In a meeting earlier this week, Farrington pointed out that the library had done away with the bookmobile, which was listed at a cost of nearly $100,000 in 2007. Volunteers are now used to deliver books to those unable to travel to the library. Other, perhaps less noticeable, adjustments were also made to cut costs throughout the operation.
"Given with how busy this library is, we are very thinly staffed," said Farrington. "We maximize every member of staff here."
Library officials expect to see a continued increase in services, especially if the state of the economy continues to look dismal.
"Libraries these days are very vibrant places," said Harrington. "With hard times in the economy, this is the place where people come for continuing education – if they can't afford it – or inspiration."
Contact Sarah Hinckley at sarah.hinckley@timesargus.com.
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