Yesterday afternoon, Wednesday December 3rd, I received a very disturbing email from Mr. Douglas Henderson, Director of Library Administration in the Loudoun County Public Library. To cut to the chase, the option of closing Middleburg Library is being considered. Let me repeat this in block capitals, as it is important: CLOSING MIDDLEBURG LIBRARY.

The e-mail I received was sent simultaneously to the 10-member Loudoun Library Board of Trustees as well as to library branch managers, library administration staff, and to the library advisory boards. It reached me in my capacity as President of the Middleburg Library Advisory Board, a non-profit group of volunteers which supports and promotes our small community library.

The e-mail contained a couple of attachments dealing with planning for budget cuts in the library system, due to the economic downturn.

The background is that Mr. Kirby Bowers, the Loudoun County Administrator has asked all Loudoun County departments, including library services, to develop new budget cut scenarios of 25% and 30%. (Previously scenarios were 10% and 20%). At the 30% cut level, the Library system would need to find $1,194,015 in cuts across the system. Mr. Henderson has been able to identify 2 options for effecting a 30% cut:

"Option A: Sunday and Fridays are closed, One shift of 8 hrs. from Mon-Th, Sat., current vacancy and operating expenses reductions;

Option B: This option consists of Closing Sterling Library, Middleburg Library, current vacancy and its operating expenses reductions."

The Loudoun Library Board of Trustees did not create these scenarios, but they will have to vote to send them on to the Loudoun Board of Supervisors. As your readers may know, the 10-member Library Board of Trustees is appointed by the Board of Supervisors and has operational control of the expenditure of all funds in the library budget. However, the real control is with the Board of Supervisors.

To put all of this in perspective, these cuts to the Library System are so deep at 30% that they have reached the level of closing two of the seven branches. It is not entirely clear whether or not the Board of Supervisors will see the details of the specific options – their major responsibility is to determine the level of cuts required for each department of Loudoun County. It is worth pointing out that the entire Loudoun County Public Library budget is approximately 1% of the total County budget.

If it comes to CLOSING MIDDLEBURG LIBRARY (pardon my screaming!), Middleburg will lose a cherished institution that has been a key part of the community's life for decades. We will also lose the dedicated library staff members who have served Middleburg so effectively over the years.

The disturbing information which Mr. Henderson sent me yesterday afternoon does state that "These scenarios have not been approved by the Loudoun County Library Board; they should be considered a draft proposal at this time. 12/3/2008." However, given the past actions of the powers-that-be in Leesburg with respect to the small community of Middleburg – the repeated, attempted shrinking and closing of Middleburg Elementary School is an all-too-vivid recent memory - the community needs to act quickly to take the option of closing Middleburg Library off the table for consideration.

The option of closing public libraries – particularly in the midst of an economic downturn when they are needed more than ever – is NOT an acceptable option.

I would urge the Middleburg Community to contact as soon as possible the Board of Supervisors by e-mail at bos@loudoun.gov or 703-777-0115 on their comment line and make our views known. Additionally, it would be useful to contact the Library Board of Trustees. Key persons there include the Blue Ridge District Trustee, Mr. James Mann, at jgmannsenior@gmail.com and the Chairman, Mr. Scott Stewart, at sssstewart@aol.com.