The Maurice M. Pine Free Public Library is requesting $76,000 less in borough appropriations for 2011 than it received in the 2010 municipal budget, Library Director Tim Murphy said in an interview Wednesday.

After the library employees took 18 furlough Fridays during the last five months of last year—four more furlough days than other Fair Lawn employees—Murphy said no furloughs are planned for 2011 as of now, although that is "still an open question."

Once 2011 began, library hours were restored to 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday. Sunday hours were initially eliminated during the 2010 budget process, but were restored to 2-5 p.m. last October. At its meeting Tuesday night, the Borough Council asked Murphy to explore how much opening for an extra hour on Sundays would cost the library this year. 

Following $2,284,932 in borough appropriations last year, the library was able to request a lower amount for 2011—$2,208,490—because it reduced salary costs and is anticipating two retirements.

"We're aware of what's going on in the world [of municipal finance] and we're trying to do our part," Murphy said at the council meeting.

Thursday's library hours remain 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in the budget proposal, rather than the 10 a.m.-9 p.m. hours that existed before last year's reductions, Murphy said.

Deputy Mayor Steve Weinstein said "the library did a very good" managing 18 furlough days and other cuts during the final five months of last year. Mayor Lisa Swain said library employees "really took the brunt [of the borough's budget cuts] by taking the extra furlough days." The borough also received "numerous" complaints from residents following the cuts in service, Swain said.

Councilman Ed Trawinski said the library needs to explore more opportunities for shared services with other municipalities, and that part-time library employees should not receive the vacation and sick time that they currently do.

Murphy explained that three library staffers who requested to switch from full-time to part-time work receive health benefits as well as pro-rated vacation and sick time based on their hours—and would not have switched to a part-time basis without those benefits. Regular part-time library employees also receive pro-rated vacation and sick time according to the number of hours they work, Murphy said.

Trawinski said that "people would be happy to have a job without those benefits right now."

Weinstein, however, said the council is "not here to micro-manage" the library's finances, but rather to give residents "service with the expertise that's required in the library."

"This library is a jewel in Fair Lawn and we have to keep it that way," Weinstein said.