Clayton libraries forced to rely on private donations

Struggling with budget cuts, Clayton County libraries have turned to private donors to help build a virtual library system.

Clayton’s six libraries have already lost $62,677 in state funds.

This week, the county’s finance director asked each department to identify possible cuts of an additional

3 percent. County Commission Chairman Eldrin Bell said he is deciding if that reduction is necessary.

“The sad part is the cuts will continue in fiscal year 2010,” said Carol Stewart, director of Clayton’s library system. “They hurt our students who need these resources.”

Stewart and Bell said they didn’t want to see the library system decimated and have asked the library’s foundation to increase its fund-raising efforts.

On Thursday, the library raised $16,500 at a $25-per-person fund-raiser featuring University System of Georgia Chancellor Erroll B. Davis.

The goal is to raise $50,000 this year to help sustain an online homework help system and other Internet resources for Clayton students.

“We’re not just trying to supplement our losses, we’re trying to add value to what is available for our students,” Stewart said. “Students in more affluent areas have wonderful, premium online resources. It’s not right that our students don’t have access to these programs.”

Bell said he is trying to recruit businesses to donate by showing them that the library system directly affects Clayton’s 50,000 students.

“Right now, everyone talks about [the school system’s] accreditation,” Bell said. “But we should be talking about student achievement.”

Stewart said she used to worry about buying new encyclopedias and books each year. Now, the county library system’s $3.5 million annual budget has to also cover online subscriptions, which can range up to $25,000 each a year.

The homework help program, which costs $24,000 a year, allows students to access live tutors online by entering their grade level and subject. It provides not only help with math and science, but term paper ideas and proof reads on term papers.

Since its 2006 inception, the system has provided over 10,000 tutoring sessions to Clayton students, Stewart said.

Bell said he is determined to create what he calls a “library without walls,” which would allow residents to access all of the library’s materials online from home.

“I want kids sitting at the T-ball field and football field to be able to do their homework and get help while they are at practice,” Bell said.