GLENDALE : Cuts in Book Budget Take Toll at Library

If you want to borrow Danielle Steele’s latest romance from the Glendale Public Library, get in line.

There’s a waiting list for Steele’s work and other popular novels because of recessionary cutbacks that have slashed the 87-year-old facility’s book budget in half.

Library fund-raisers appealed to Glendale residents and Southland businesses this week for donations to shore up the ailing book budget--cut from $400,000 to $200,000 two years ago.

The Friends of the Glendale Public Library, a 2-year-old library support group, used Glendale city letterhead to ask businesses that contract with the city to make donations to the facility, said Chuck Wike, library community relations manager.

The group wants to raise $200,000 through a fund-raising campaign that includes a $75-a-plate dinner with science fiction writer Ray Bradbury.

Fund-raisers have also sent 1,000 letters asking for residents to sponsor the dinner.

A letter from the Friends of the Glendale Library to potential donors said a $1,000 contribution could buy 60 children’s picture books, 10 business resource reference books or 50 novels.

Since the budget was cut, waiting lists at the library have climbed to 50 people for some books, Wike said.

To deal with demand for popular fiction and nonfiction, the library sometimes rents books from McNaughton Book Service for a fee and returns them when requests for a book no longer require a waiting list.

Cutbacks have also forced administrators to cancel 50 magazine subscriptions and change many newspaper deliveries to Sunday only.