Due to a reduction in expected revenues coupled with rising costs for utilities in 2009, the Town of Ballston Community Library will reduce its hours of operation on Saturdays.
Starting in January, the library will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Currently the library is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The expanded Saturday hours were initiated in January 2006 in response to a patron survey that indicated that longer Saturday hours were desirable. At the time, the library had been open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
The reduction in Saturday hours comes in response to budget constraints. The single largest source of revenue for the library comes from the Town of Ballston, which passed its 2009 budget Thursday, Nov. 6. Other grants, state funding, fines, and fees are also revenue sources. The Town of Charlton provides a modest grant to the library for Charlton residents who use the facility but reduced the amount by 10 percent in their 2009 budget. Expenses for utilities and other items are rising sharply, prompting the Board of Trustees and Director Karen DeAngelo to propose the new schedule and reduce costs.
Lunch and learn
Christopher Nyhan of Edward Jones Investments in Burnt Hills will host two Outlook and Opportunities informational luncheons at the Town of Ballston Community Library on Friday, Dec. 5, at 11:30 a.m. and Saturday, Dec. 6, at 12:30 p.m. Some of the topics to be covered include the current economic outlook; the impact political and social events may have on the financial markets; and the importance of maintaining a long-term investment strategy. The events are free, but if you would like to attend you must register in advance by calling Susan Martinez at Edward Jones Investments at 399-5087.
Book club to meet
The first meeting of the sixth and seventh grade Library Book Club is coming up on Thursday, Dec. 4, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the community room of the library. Sign up now and pick up a copy of the book Hoot, an ecological mystery by Carl Hiassen. Hiaasen is the author of many bestselling novels for adults, including `Sick Puppy` and `Basket Case.` He also writes a column for the Miami Herald. The New York Times Book Review writes of Hoot: `You don’t have to be a young adult to enjoy it.` `Hoot` is Hiassen’s first young adult novel.
Holiday hours
The library will close at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 26, and will be closed Thursday, Nov. 27, and Friday, Nov. 28, in observance of Thanksgiving. The library will re-open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29.
Sonja Olson
All library programming is free (unless otherwise noted) and open to the public. The Town of Ballston Community Library is located at 2 Lawmar Lane, Burnt Hills. For information, call 399-8174 or visit www.burnthills.sals.edu.“