Nechako Branch To be Scratched from City’s Hit List
Prince George, B.C. – The Nechako Branch of the Prince George Public Library, will not be closed. At least not as a result of any order from City Council.
It is important to note that City Hall, really has no jurisdiction on how the Prince George Library spends its money. Council simply approves the budget presented by the Prince George Library, and then it’s up to the Library’s Board to ensure those dollars are used responsibly and effectively.
None the less, a Core Services review recommendation that the City close the Nechako Branch of the library as a cost savings measure, caused a stir, as members of the community became concerned the branch would be shut down.
Today, the Finance and Audit Committee at City Hall, reviewed a report which shows the Nechako Branch is a solid contributor to the overall performance of the Prince George Public Library.
It generates:
- 14% Circulation
- 22% People counts
- 10% Internet sessions
- 11% Patrons added
- 12%. Total patrons
But only accounts for 9.6% of the overall P.G. Public Library budget.
The Finance and Audit Committee will be forwarding a recommendation to Council, that Council, “take no further action” with regard to the Nechako Branch of the Public Library.
It is a move welcomed by Councilor Murry Krause who said it was a shame KPMG, which conducted the Core Service Review, hadn’t done a bit more research on this particular recommendation. He said if there had been more knowledge, “a great deal of angst created in the community” would have been avoided.
Comments
Sould open a branch in the (actually) growing College Heights area of the city.
The Nechako branch of the library is an integral part of the Hart community and has been here since the 1970’s, so glad that the bean counters didn’t get their way. A very short sighted recommendation to be sure.
Well Krause, the whole core review was shameful not just the library portion – hope the chief librarian is not interested in going on a book finding mission to China!!
If College Heights wants/needs a Library branch maybe they should take a page out of the Hart Highway branch’s book and start with an Atco Trailer annex at the back of the high school. Just saying.
“Today, the Finance and Audit Committee at City Hall, reviewed a report which shows the Nechako Branch is a solid contributor to the overall performance of the Prince George Public Library.
It generates:
â¢14% Circulation
â¢22% People counts
â¢10% Internet sessions
â¢11% Patrons added
â¢12%. Total patrons”
Would love to see the real numbers behind the percentages.
@JohnnyBelt The City hasn’t updated the meeting minutes for the Finance Committee on their website since October, and the Library’s most recent Annual Report on their website is from 2011, but it at least contains some of the figures you are requesting, though 2 years outdated.
http://www.lib.pg.bc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2011-annual-report.pdf
KPMG-A $330,000.00+ waste of the taxpayers money! At the same time, Mayor Green hires herself an assistant. Put that money into the Nechako Branch, roads, snow removal and other benefits that directly help the taxpayers of PG.
I am a strong supporter of the Nechako Branch both in word and financially. I told the branch this week that if City Council doesn’t leave the Nechako Branch alone, they will never see another cent of support from me!
The numbers used are meaningless, however they allow the Finance Committee, to make a recommendation that the Library not close.
The Mayor, Stoltz, and Hall are on the finance committee, The Mayor is now the Chair after Stoltz stepped down because of his tax fiasco.
I would suggest that this being an election year had more to do with keeping the Library open than anything else.
I am starting to discover that to some people such as Palopu, virtually all numbers are meaningless, likely caused by either one or both of numerophobia and Arithmophobia.
Leaving out the numbers, the simple statement is that based on the key indicators used to assess value for money – Circulation, People counts, Internet sessions, Patrons added, Total patrons, and total library expense budget – the Hart library runs more economically than the central operation.
Now, should someone have some other or additional indicators on which to measure effectiveness and efficiency, let us hear them. I expect that there will be some.
Agree Junco – and with a handle like mine – how could I not love the Nechako branch of the library!
Ha, ha hart books. I always wondered about that handle. See you at the library ;)
Maybe the main branch should be closed and just keep the Hart branch open for a large savings in money. This would probably increase bus ridership up that way too.
I wonder how the “street people” count affects the count at the main branch.
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