The East Brunswick library is scaling back expenses in preparation of the township’s forthcoming budget, and officials are anticipating cuts that will impact employees and patrons alike.

Library officials recently announced a reduction in hours of operation, staff and programs in order to balance the facility’s 2010 budget.

“We are living in challenging economic times, and the residents of East Brunswick understand that difficult decisions must be made to keep costs down and still enjoy a high level of service,” Library Board President Elaine Lee Kessler explained in a March 4 statement about the cuts.

The pre-emptive measures were taken in response to information provided by Mayor David Stahl, who recently advised all township departments to prepare for a flat budget. He said the library will be receiving $3.2 million from the township — the same amount the institution received in 2009.

Last year, the Township Council cut $350,000 from the library’s budget, also reducing appropriations in various other departments, in order to mitigate bleak financial conditions. At the time, Stahl said library finances were strong enough to withstand such a reduction since a 2007 audit revealed that the facility had about $1 million in reserve funds.

However, library officials said the money had been earmarked for certain projects, and little was left to fill the deficit.

As a result, the institution implemented a variety of cuts. Staff hours were reduced along with the facility’s hours of operation. Several employees were laid off, new fees were introduced, and programs and classes were limited.

Library Director MaryEllen Firestone said that while the facility’s budget has not been reduced, operational costs have increased. Therefore, cost-saving initiatives similar to the measures taken in 2009 are necessary, she said.

“The board was very careful in trying not to significantly hurt the institution and instead balance the cuts so the pain was spread evenly throughout, and so the residents and staff are not as negatively impacted as they could be,” Firestone said. “We agonized over how to do this, and now we just need to move forward.”

As of last Saturday, the library began adhering to limited hours of operation. The facility will close its doors at 5 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and will close on Good Friday, Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans Day and the day after Thanksgiving.

In addition to the decrease in hours, Firestone said that four part-time employees were laid off — two in the children’s department and two in the reference department. Also, no library employees will receive raises this year.

The cost-savings measures will in turn bring a decrease in library programming.

“We’ve done quite a bit of programming, and we know we’ll have to do less now,” Firestone said. “With less employees and fewer hours, we just won’t have the time or the resources to keep up our programs at the level they’ve been at.” Firestone said the majority of children’s programming runs during the day, and that will endure the most impact of the staff cuts. Classes such as Mother Goose Magic and Magic Carpet Ride will have limited availability, she said. Saturday night adult programming will be rescheduled.

“We had our highest turnout on Saturday nights,” Firestone said, noting that the library averaged about 140 attendees for Saturday night events. “This is going to have a huge impact— we found that, especially on Saturdays, people really enjoyed coming here to browse the shelves and see our entertainment.”

Firestone said the events, which range from music to lectures, would still be available, but that the times and dates would vary and the amount of programming would be reduced.

“We know that the quantity of programming is going to go down. Instead of doing multiple programs, we’re going to have to make due with less,” Firestone said. “We offer something for every age from birth to 99, and every level is going to be affected. It’s so disappointing to watch the residents hurt.”

The cuts are particularly troublesome, Firestone said, because they come at a time when libraries are in great demand as a result of the economic crisis. Many people do job research or apply for unemployment using the library’s 50-plus computers.

“It’s a safe haven for residents, and they really enjoy coming here for a variety of reasons. But I have seen a shift — we have a very good, very reliable computer network, and there are many people who come in strictly to use it to fill out job applications,” Firestone said, estimating that over 1,000 residents use the East Brunswick Public Library each day. She noted that the institution offers computer classes and résumé-building services.

While the library deals with the budget crunch this year, Firestone said the facility is working to partially fund itself through various revenue-generating sources.

“East Brunswick Library is unique in that it’s always looking for unusual ways to bring in revenue. We’re always doing fabulous things and thinking outside the box,” she said, noting that the library receives a percentage of money from fees for passport and notary services.

Though the library has a supplementary income and continues to look for potential revenue sources, the reserve funds the facility once had are gone, she said.

“You can only plug a hole once,” she said. “We’ve been a fiscally responsible institution, and have always planned for the long term. We felt strongly that we should be an independent facility and not rely completely on the township. We were judicious about [the reserve funds], but we can’t fall back on that this time.”

Stahl said the library still has reserve funds, but their use is up to the library board.

“They still have reserves, but the Township Council has no right to tell them to do anything. Their decision to reduce hours and services was made by the library board alone. It is their choice to use the reserve fund or not,” Stahl said.

The mayor noted that the library would receive Comcast franchise fees from the township in addition to the $3.2 million. Stahl also said the municipality provides the facility with more funding than is mandated by the state.

“The state mandated that East Brunswick provide $2.7 million to the library. We’re giving them $500,000 more,” he said. “The taxpayers are supporting the library in excess of the mandate. They’re being funded very well, and rightfully so — it’s a well-valued institution.”

According to Stahl, the municipal budget will be presented at the March 22 council meeting, but will not be formally introduced until a later date.