POLL: Should Library be Open on Sundays?

Does spending a lazy Sunday afternoon at the Royal Oak Public Library seem like a good idea?

The Board of Trustees of the  is in the beginning stages of considering switching days the library is open to allow service on Sundays. The board meets at 7 p.m. today to decide on a process for evaluating a possible change.

How the idea came about

During the 2008 strategic planning process, community participants expressed a desire to have the library open Saturday and Sunday, library Director Mary Karshner said.

“We were revisiting our strategic plan for 2008-13,” Karshner said. “One of the things people said they wanted was Sunday hours. Of course, that strategic plan was created before the economy tanked.”

Funding for the library is based on property values. Due to the dismal economy the last few years, the library has experienced a severe decline in revenue – about $376,000 lower than a few years ago – so there is not enough money to open the library seven days a week, Karshner said.

“Our emphasis has been on trying to maintain our current hours and services,” she said — with less money.

Will it work?

Because the budget cannot accommodate an additional day of service, the library would have to trade days. The logical day to close seems to be Friday because it’s one of the library’s shortest days — open only eight hours — Karshner said.

At tonight’s meeting, the director expects the board to appoint an ad hoc committee to evaluate Sunday hours. “We’ll be giving the group their marching orders and a deadline,” she said.

There are several factors the committe will need to consider, including current bargaining unit contracts, and the fact that Friday is not the library’s slowest day, Karshner said. 

In the meantime, the director has begun the process of polling the staff and the public, too, via the library’s website.

The proposal

Current hours of operation for the library are:

• Monday-Thursday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
• Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Sunday: closed

The proposal the library is considering would have the library open 1-6 p.m. Sunday and closed Fridays.

Advantages and disadvantages of Sunday hours listed on the library website are:

• Sunday opening would be a shorter day (five hours) than Friday (eight hours) so the total number of hours the library woudl be open weekly would decrease from 60 to 57.
• Some libraries that honor your ROPL library card are closed on Friday. 
• Some area libraries that honor your ROPL library card that are open on Sundays include Troy, Baldwin (Birmingham) and Southfield.
• Parking in the nearby lots is free on Sundays.