PALMDALE – The Palmdale City Library has announced its new hours of operation for 2013, which will increase both the number of days and the total number of hours that its services will be available.
Beginning Wednesday (Jan. 2), the Palmdale City Library’s hours of operation will be Monday through Thursday, from 10 am to 8 pm; Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm; and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm.
In December, the Palmdale City Council voted unanimously to contract staffing services with Library Systems & Services, LLC (LSSI). The City maintains ownership of the building, the collection, the equipment and the furnishings, and oversight continues to be provided by the Board of Library Trustees.
“LSSI has a proven history of public library operations and is the only company in the nation to provide such service,” said Palmdale City Manager Dave Childs. “LSSI currently provides public library services in 79 communities across the country.”
“By contracting with LSSI, we have been able to reduce the annual operating cost of the Library by 5 percent, while adding 17 hours of operation, going from 41 to 58 hours a week—a 40 percent increase,” Childs said. “It also allowed us to reopen for seven days instead of five, and will allow us to re-introduce programs that we were forced to suspend when the economy went south in 2008.”
“We’ll also be able to expand our collections of new books and other materials by leveraging the purchasing power of a large organization,” added Childs.
For more information, call the Palmdale City Library at 661-267-5600 or visit www.cityofpalmdale.org/library.
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Hof says
I’ve asked the city manager to look into us applying some of those savings on expanding the Senior Center hours of operation, and depending on the numbers, maybe adding some to some additional grant funds to expand the free wifi over to the library, as well.
Steve Hofbauer
Palmdale City Councilman
Wayne Luke says
Did LSSI rehire the previous personnel? Or are they out of jobs? Seems though with more hours and less cost, the employees would have received a paycut or loss of benefits.
Palmdale_Steve says
Probably cuts in benefits, like CALPERS retirement. Very few US private companies still have a defined benefit retirement program like CALPERS, relying on 401K contribution/match programs. Switching to a non-defined retirement plan is a huge savings for most employers.
Kat says
No a significant cut in pay and not everyone was rehired
Doc Rivers says
Great innovation by Palmdale, one city is living within their means while the other spends like there is no tomorrow,I wonder how long reserves in Lancaster will last?
William says
Well, Doc, one city was going by the Mayan calender and can you blame them?
Liz says
It’s about time someone is doing something about the retirement plan that has been causing the state of California to go broke. The only way to get rid of it, is to start closing down some of the institutions. Privatizing and rehiring employees with realistic and competitive benefits. Good work.
Why should Calpers give everyone a free retirement? They don’t work any harder than anyone else does for their money.
John Mlynar says
Hi Wayne:
Twelve former Palmdale City Library employees were hired by LSSI. There will also be some new job opportunities with the library: Library Director, Children’s Librarian (part time) and Library Pages (part time.)
Forward says
Great that the library is open again with the previous operating hours, so many kids don’t have computers, and since most of their homework is now online – this is great.
Perhaps it’ll be so successful, the city can reopen the Children’s library?
Am wondering what the back-story is to this feel-good story, though. Will fees go up, and will LSSI honor previous library cards?
John Mlynar says
Forward, the Palmdale City Library is still owned by the City of Palmdale. So are all the books and collections. LSSI is simply operating it. The same library cards are valid, and we have the same Web site, http://www.cityofpalmdale.org/library.
The children’s library was consolidated into the main library and will continue to operate there with expanded programming and a part time children’s librarian. There are some exciting plans for the future and we will keep you posted.