Alert! New Library Hours Due to Cuts

Public Law Library Cuts Hours, Books as of July 1, 2004 Due to a budget shortfall of about $330,000, as of July 1, 2004, the Law Library will institute the following measures: As of July 1, 2004, the Main Library of the San Diego County Public Law Library will be closing on Mondays at 6 p.m., rather than at 9 p.m. as before. Additionally, the North County Branch location will be closing Mondays through Thursdays at 5 p.m., rather than at 6 p.m. as before. New Hours as of July 1, 2004- Main Library Hours: Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Sunday Closed New North County Branch Hours- Monday - Friday 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday Closed In addition to these reduction in hours, the Public Law Library is also going to try to compensate for its budget deficit by: - cutting $85,000 from book acquisitions, subscriptions, and online services, - providing no cost-of-living adjustment, suspending the merit system and rank promotions for the year, - freezing medical benefits at current levels, - cutting all travel and training funds, and - instituting a one-week mandatory furlough without pay. Thus, the Library would be closed at all four locations December 23, 2004, through January 2, 2005. These cuts, plus delaying small capital expenditures and eliminating all training and travel budgets, are needed to compensate an 11% operating budget deficit. Why the Cuts? The San Diego County Public Law Library is a special district government that is funded almost solely by the receipt of a small portion of the initial filing fee in a civil lawsuit. However, since filing fees were raised dramatically last fall by the State Legislature, fewer lawsuits are being filed. Additionally, the courts are allowing more litigants to waive filing fees. These factors, combined with the fact that the cost of law books has risen 60% in the past few years and continues to rise, means that the Law Library must continually look for ways to tighten its belt and raise funds. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Law Library, please contact Gail Lawrence in our Finance Office at (619) 531-3905.

We hope you've enjoyed our newsletter. We're hard at work on the next edition. In the meantime, please visit us online at: http://www.sdcpll.org/. And come see us in person at one of our locations. For locations and hours please click here: http://www.sdcpll.org/location.htm. For more information contact: Amy Hale-Janeke ahale@sdcll.org Media Coordinator / Reference Librarian (619) 531-3900