Library Cuts to Go Into Effect Today : County: Budget reductions will affect hours, children’s programs, telephone renewals and librarians’ services.

Ventura County residents will have less access to the county’s 15 neighborhood branch libraries starting today because the branches will be changing to shorter hours and even shutting down on some days.

Library patrons won’t be able to renew their books over the telephone and reference librarians will no longer answer phone queries, officials said, and storytelling sessions and classroom visits for children will be reduced.

The budget cuts to the Ventura County Library Services Agency--$1.7 million this fiscal year--will be felt by 403,000 countywide patrons, officials said.

Every library will have reduced hours and reduced staff, agency Director Dixie Adeniran said.

“It has been excruciating,” Adeniran said. “We’ve been through an enormous amount of turmoil.”

Adeniran has served lay-off notices to 44 full-time employees and all 75 part-time workers, she said. Many of the remaining employees have had to take demotions, pay cuts and reassignments.

The result will be longer lines at the circulation counter, more crowded libraries, fewer new books, no children’s programs and fewer specialty librarians.

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors decided to transfer $1.6 million from the county’s General Fund to boost the county’s library system, which lost $3.3 million--40% of its state funding.

With a 1993-94 budget of $8.5 million, the 77-employee district provides library services in Ventura, Port Hueneme, Ojai, Moorpark, Fillmore, Simi Valley and unincorporated areas. The libraries in Thousand Oaks, Oxnard and Santa Paula are funded locally.

Most of the county libraries’ budget comes from property taxes and from a state fund created to help special districts that lost money after Proposition 13, the tax-cutting measure, was approved by voters in 1978.

Because of budget cuts, most libraries will be closed weekends and mornings. None open earlier than 10 a.m. or close later than 8 p.m.

The Camarillo and Simi Valley libraries will be cut from 54 hours a week to 28 hours. The Foster and Wright libraries in Ventura will be cut from 54 hours a week to 30 hours.

The libraries in Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai and Port Hueneme, now open 51 hours a week, will operate just 20 hours.

Smaller libraries in Ventura, El Rio, Meiners Oaks, Oak View, Oak Park and Piru will operate eight to 14 hours a week. Those libraries are usually staffed by one person.

Ventura County Library Hours

The following hours go into effect today.

BRANCH LOCATION DAYS HOURS CAMARILLO Camarillo Library Monday-Tuesday 2 to 8 p.m. 3100 Ponderosa Drive Wednesday-Thursday Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday 1 to 5 p.m. Friday and Sunday Closed FILLMORE-PIRU Fillmore Library Monday-Tuesday 3 to 7 p.m. 502 2nd St. Wednesday, Thursday 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday Friday and Sunday Closed Piru Library Monday and 3 to 7 p.m. 3811 Center St. Wednesday Tuesday and Closed Thursday-Sunday MOORPARK Moorpark Library Monday-Tuesday 3 to 7 p.m. 699 Moorpark Ave. Wednesday, Thursday 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday Friday and Sunday Closed OAK PARK Oak Park Library Monday-Thursday 3 to 7 p.m. 899 N. Kanan Road Friday-Sunday Closed Agoura OJAI Ojai Library Monday-Tuesday 3 to 7 p.m. 111 E. Ojai Ave. Wednesday, Thursday 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday Friday and Sunday Closed Meiners Oaks Library Monday-Thursday 2 to 6 p.m. 114 N. Padre Juan Ave. Friday-Sunday Closed Oak View Library Monday-Thursday 2 to 6 p.m. 469 N. Ventura Ave. Friday-Sunday Closed OXNARD El Rio-Soliz Library Monday-Thursday 2 to 6 p.m. 2820 Jourdan St. Friday-Sunday Closed PORT HUENEME Ray D. Prueter Library Monday and 3 to 7 p.m. 510 Park Ave. Wednesday Wednesday, Thursday 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday Friday and Sunday Closed SATICOY Saticoy Library Hours and location to be announced VENTURA Avenue Library Monday-Thursday 2 to 6 p.m. 807 N. Ventura Ave. Friday-Sunday Closed E.P. Foster Library Tuesday 2 to 6 p.m. 651 E. Main St. Thursday Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday 1 to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Closed Friday and Sunday Historical Museum Library Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 100 E. Main St. Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday Closed H.P. Wright Library Monday 2 to 8 p.m. 57 Day Road Wednesday Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Closed Friday and Sunday SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley Library Monday-Tuesday 2 to 8 p.m. 2969 Tapo Canyon Road Wednesday-Thursday Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday 1 to 5 p.m. Friday and Sunday Closed

Source: Ventura County Library Services Agency