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New budget restores extended hours at public library
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Posted on Oct 02 2011
Joeten-Kiyu Public Library patrons can now take advantage of the CNMI state library’s extended hours this new fiscal year with the enactment of the new budget bill, Public Law 17-55.
Executive director John Oliver DLR Gonzales said yesterday that the new law reinstated longer hours for JKPL, which is now open five days a week.
The new hours for JKPL are Tuesday to Friday, from 10am to 6pm, and Saturday, from 9am to 4pm.
Gonzales said the new budget also allotted funding for seven full-time library employees, one for the Antonio C. Atalig Memorial Library in Rota, and two for the Tinian Public Library. The library also has six federally funded part-time staff.
According to Gonzales, the library management spent “long and valuable hours” to provide the Legislature hard data that will justify the restored hours and positions.
Gonzales said the basic staffing and expanded library hours will benefit library patrons and allow the library to provide family-centered lifelong literacy activities and programs and comprehensive library collections.
These activities include Movie Nights on Wednesdays from 4pm to 6pm and Read Aloud & Arts Craft every 10:30am on Saturdays.
CNMI Library Council chair Jose T. Limes, for his part, said that Public Law 17-55 “indubitably demonstrates the renewed unconditional and unfettered support” of the Legislature and the current administration toward education and for educational institutions.
For more information, stop by the public libraries, visit www.cnmilibrary.com or call JKPL at 235-READ (7323) or 7322, Tinian Public Library at 433-0504, and Rota Public Library at 532-9451.
