Certification may be dream deferred for Saugus Library

SAUGUS – With a proposed 10-percent budget cut on the table, recertification is a far-off dream for the Public Library.The Board of Selectmen debated the justification of the library during a budget meeting Tuesday drawing few conclusions and mustering less and less support for the struggling institution.Town Manager Andrew Bisignani is recommending a 10-percent cut to the library’s budget, dropping it from $255,677 to $247,477. Selectman Stephen Castinetti said that seemed to be the antithesis of what should be happening.”The library seems to be moving in the wrong direction for recertification with the 10-percent cut,” he said. “It sounds like we sealed the fate of the recertification.”Bisignani agreed that recertification wasn’t something that was going to happen this year neither is it likely to happen next year.The library needs to be open 50.4 hours per week for at least two consecutive years, among other criteria to be considered for recertification.Selectman Michael Kelleher said he loved the idea of having a fully staffed and certified library but admitted that given the town’s rocky economic situation, it is not a high priority.Bisignani said when it came to funding, his priority is topped by the School Department followed by Public Safety and town-wide services.”The library falls under town-wide services but it’s not at the top,” Kelleher said. “That $248,000 could be a firefighter and a police officer.”Kelleher also argued that while it might not lend itself to recertification the library could be opened more hours if it would utilize volunteers. The library must be staffed by library personnel for the hours it is open to be counted toward certification.Bisignani said he would argue that volunteers are not always dependable but Kelleher said quickly, “they’re more dependable than a locked door and that’s what they have now.”Castinetti said he didn’t disagreed on the use of volunteers but Chairman Donald Wong noted that finding qualified volunteers was not easy.Selectman Stephen Horlick noted that other libraries have successfully trained volunteers to help out.”You think you wouldn’t have volunteers, I disagree,” he said. “You would have enough to fill the gap.”Kelleher said it’s his understanding that volunteers had been turned away.”They talk about certification as if its inch way when it’s a football field away,” he said. “It’s not going to be recertified anytime soon.”