Nevada Public Library changes hours

As of Monday, March 16, the Nevada Public Library will be changing its hours. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the facility will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the library will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday hours remain the same, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

"We seem to have people waiting to get in first thing in the morning but hardly anyone here from 5 to 6. We'll still be open late on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we'll still have Saturday hours for those who need to come after five," Susan McBeth, library director, said. Patrons will actually get two additional hours a week, which would be an unusual move for many libraries these days.

"Libraries are used more than ever in tough economic times. People start to check out books more rather than buy them, check out DVDs for free, and use the computers to job search and do resumes," McBeth said.

Libraries across the country report that people are turning to libraries in record numbers to take advantage of the free resources available there. Ironically, at the same time, many are being forced to cut hours, staff and programs because of lack of funds.

"We're faced with a shrinking budget as well, but we want to be a part of the solution during an economic downturn," McBeth said.

Nevertheless, the national average cost to the taxpayer for access to this wide range of public-library resources is $31 per year. That's about the cost of one hardcover book. "We're a bargain!" McBeth said.