Why Do We Need This Library to be Open?

Our Public Policy

Re-open the town library on Saturdays

Open for four hours

12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Advantages vs. Disadvantages

PROS CONS

Re-opening the library on Saturdays allows students and adults to access it at a more convenient time

People who do not have computers and other resources can access the library at convenient hours

Students who participate in extracurricular activities will be able to access the library

• This will cost about $32,797 more per year

• Something else will be cut in order to fund Saturday openings at the library

Comparing Libraries

THOMPSON POMFRET

Hours: Mon – 10:00 to 5:00 Tues thru Thurs –

10:00 to 8:00 Fri - 10:00 to 5:00

Budget: $361,760 for library $22,235,371 total 

Hours: Mon thru Thur – 5:00

to 8:00 p.m. Sat – 10:00 to 12:00

p.m. Budget:

$66,069 for library $20,130,000 total

Comparing Libraries

THOMPSON PUTNAM

Hours: Mon – 10:00 to 5:00 Tues thru Thurs –

10:00 to 8:00 Fri - 10:00 to 5:00

Budget: $361,760 for library $22,235,371 total 

Hours: Mon thru Thur – 10:30

to 8:00 Fri – 10:30 to 5:30 Sat – 10:30 to 5:00

Budget: $444,286 for library $8,036,981 total

Math: What Our Plan Will Cost

According to the official website of Thompson, Connecticut (www.thompsonct.org), the adopted budget for running the library from 2008-2009 is $361,760.

According to the library’s official website (www.thompsonpubliclibrary.org), the library is open on Mondays and Fridays from 10AM to 5PM, and 10AM to 8PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. This adds up to 44 hours that the library is open during the week, which averages at about 6 hours (6.285714286… hours) that the library is open per day. Multiply this by 365 and you have about 2,294 hours (2294.285714… hours) that the library is open per year. Since the most recent yearly budget is for $361,760, if you divide $361,760 by 2,294 hours you get that it costs about $157 (157.6787049… dollars) to run the library per hour.

We are proposing opening the library from 12PM to 4PM on Saturdays. This means four extra hours of running the library per week, or $630 ($157 times 4 hours) per Saturday. Since a year averages 52 Saturdays, our proposal will cost $32,797 ($630 times 52 Saturdays) extra per year.

Who Needs to be Influenced

GENERAL GOVERNMENTAL

The people who do not believe that the library should not be re-opened for extra hours on Saturday (opponents)

Any people to support our cause to open the library (supporters)

The Board of Trustees who will decide whether or not the library will be re-opened on Saturdays

How We Plan to Accomplish This

Create a petition asking for the library to be open on Saturdays, based on a previous petition that was created by the townspeople

Gather signatures in support of our petition

Interview the people in town about their views on opening Saturday at the library

Conduct additional research to support our cause

Present our findings to the Board of Trustees