Monessen library
Monessen Public Library asked and it received.
At Thursday’s Monessen City Council meeting, library Director Dave Zilka spoke to council about a request the library made to the city for $12,000 in American Rescue Plan funding.
Zilka said the library receives $12,000 less in state aid now due to a change in the library’s service area that was dictated by the regulations set out in the state library code.
“It was not a result of anything the library did, it was the regulations of the state library code regarding the rules of service areas,” Zilka said.
The funds will enable the library to hire a children’s coordinator who will work 20 hours a week at $13.50 per hour.
“The children’s coordinator position is a very demanding position and a lot of work is laid out in the job description,” Zilka said. “It’s a very important position, not only for the library, but also for the city. It’s our main connection to the youth in the city.”
The coordinator’s main role is leading the summer reading club, which takes place each year from roughly mid-June to mid-August. Zilka said the 2022 program had an incredible turnout of 80 kids registered, which is the most he can remember in many years.
“We would like to continue to build on that program, but since we’re coming up on June, we need to start planning,” Zilka.
Aside from the summer club, Zilka said, there are programs held throughout the year and the person also does a fair amount of outreach work.
“For a relatively small salary, that’s a lot of work,” Zilka said. “I was talking to the employees about it today, it’s going to be tough to find someone to work part time for the salary we’re advertising.”
Councilmen John Scott Nestor and Tony Orzechowski, who is also finance chairman, asked several questions regarding the library’s budgets over the past few years and how the library plans to pay for the position moving forward.
Zilka said the library understands this is a one-time request. His hope is that the addition of the new hire will spark some interest in the library and attract more attention to some fundraisers as well.
“If we have someone in that position, we can fund-raise,” Zilka said. “Fundraising is a big issue. You have to have a solid board behind you and it’s a full-time job.” Zilka said that because the library is a nonprofit, it’s
MONESSEN • A4 difficult making a budget any year, let alone the previous few years with the ongoing impact from the pandemic. Each year, he said, board members have to make a budget as best they can and hope the funding comes through. In 2021, the state funding for Monessen was cut in half, hurting the budget more than most years and impacting the library into the future. Orzechowski warned Zilka that the library will have to find a way to pay for the position next year because the American Rescue Plan funding will likely no longer be available. “You can’t predict everything, but most of it is fixed costs,” Zilka said. “It’s always tight.” Councilwoman Lois Thomas said all Monessen residents should do more to help the library by attending the various fundraisers it holds throughout the year. Library board member John F. Golomb showed some bumper stickers the library has made and is selling now for $2 each. It shows the original site of the library, where it sat just across from the current city hall. The sticker has been made in honor of the library’s 87th anniversary this year. “Let’s celebrate our dear library,” Golomb said.