Hours may be reduced at Brevort Township Public Library in Moran this year owing to a $2,300 deficit. Next year, the library may be closed, unless more funding is generated locally, said Ken Miller, director of Bayliss Public Library, who addressed the Brevort Township Board of Trustees at its Thursday, September 4 meeting.

The Brevort Township library is a branch of Sault Ste. Marie-based Bayliss Public Library, which also has branches in Curtis, Engadine, Drummond Island, and Cedarville.

To prevent cutting hours at the Moran library, the township board will hold a special meeting this week to analyze its budget and search for money to address the deficit.

Generating funding to keep the library open next year will be the topic of a future meeting, said Ed Serwach, township supervisor.

"It is something we would have to look very hard at," he told The St. Ignace News. "We will try to do everything we can. The library affects a lot of people."

This year, without more funds, the library's hours will be cut from 20 hours a week to 15, Mr. Miller said.

After the first drop in funding last year, Bayliss compensated by not buying new books or materials. A 12% funding decrease this year prompted Mr. Miller to approach the township board and ask for funding to keep the library open.

Mr. Miller said he would move $600 from Bayliss' savings to reduce the deficit to $1,700.

Four people attending the meeting immediately donated $100 each, reducing the deficit to $1,300.

Penal fines come from violations written against state statues. Much of the money comes from driving citations and for overweight commercial trucks.The fines collected in each county are disbursed to local libraries on a per-capita basis.

This year, the Brevort Township library received $15,140 in county funding but had $17,451 in expenses.

Mr. Miller commended Bernice Peterson, clerk at the library, for keeping the facility operating under adverse financial circumstances, noting there are 218 registered users at the library, a good number for the township's population.

Fine revenue is stable in Chippewa County, so apportionment to Bayliss branches there is not being cut, but Mackinac County penal fine revenue is down, Mr. Miller said, partly, he thinks, because Mackinac Bridge traffic is down and enforcement effort has declined.

Brevort Township pays for heating and lights at the library building, said township clerk Susan Stelzer, in response to public questioning. This is the type of arrangement at all Bayliss branches, Mr. Miller said.

Mrs. Peterson said she is considering holding local fundraisers, such as bake sales.

The library has a $4,000 savings account which could be used to address some of the deficit, however, this would be a temporary solution that would not help if penal fines continue to fall next year. If fines rise, township assistance may not be needed next year, she added.

Rob Frazier, a citizen attending the meeting, speculated that fines will continue to fall.

"They are going to continue to fall as long as fuel [prices] continue going up. People are not going to keep moving, and they're darn sure not going to be speeding. As far as truck traffic goes, that's down, so you're not getting heavy loads," he said.

Township resident Suzanne Bullard noted that Moran is growing, has improved its businesses, and is improving aesthetically.

She cited the library as an important part of the community.

"I'd hate to see our community lose this little library that has been here for years," she said.

She noted that the library provides computer, copying, and faxing services in addition to providing books. Being able to access these services locally saves residents on gas and user fees at other libraries.