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Monessen likely losing district library status

Date: 3/19/2010

By Jeff Pikulsky, VALLEY INDEPENDENT
Friday, March 19, 2010

The Governor’s Advisory Council on Library Development has asked the Monessen Public Library to continue serving as a district center amid plans to form a new entity that would oversee both district and Westmoreland County Federated Library System operations.

The Monessen library serves the city and, since 1964, has operated separately as a district center for about 25 libraries in Westmoreland and Fayette counties.

There are 29 district centers in the commonwealth.

In January 2009, the Monessen Library was warned it could lose district center status.

Monessen’s library receives roughly $540,000 per year from the state as a district center. That money is used to provide services to the district’s libraries and to enhance the collection of materials available to them.

The Monessen Public Library’s local budget is roughly $230,000.

At a May 5 public meeting at the library, a panel from the Governor’s Advisory Council told city library officials they needed to revamp the way state dollars are used for district center operations.

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