Robbins library out of money, will close indefinitely

June 27--Nineteen-year-old Germeisha McGee used the computers at the Robbins library to search for summer jobs because the community college student has no Internet access at home, like many in this south suburb of about 5,000 people.

"There's a little silence, a little peace," she said. "It's a place to get some work done."

Residents will lose this haven Tuesday, when the William Leonard Public Library is expected to close until further notice due to lack of funds. The library has struggled financially for more than a decade and almost closed its doors in 2009 but was saved in part by a $25,000 check from NBA star Dwyane Wade, whose hometown is Robbins.

Library director Priscilla Coatney said she's searching for a last-minute solution to keep the library open, perhaps donations or allowing library staff to work as volunteers, though attorneys must first be consulted. She blames the library budget crisis on the poor economy, which resulted in less money from property taxes and state grants.

Libraries across the country have seen similar financial challenges. The American Library Association in 2013 surveyed state library agencies in 48 states and found 22 states reported reduced library hours and 10 had some library closures. But the agency also noted several libraries nationwide had seen a slight uptick in funding as part of a "slow recovery" from the economic downturn in the last decade.

All the Robbins library employees -- about 10 total -- were laid off Thursday, including Coatney, 65, of Robbins.

"It's sad. I signed my own layoff notice," she said. "And then I had the nerve to feel bad when I opened it."

She said it's particularly hard to close during the summer when the library normally would offer a reading camp for children in the afternoon following summer school. Students aged 5 to 15 earn prizes for reading contests and excellent report cards, and in years past they've gone on field trips to local zoos and museums. The air-conditioned building serves as a cooling center, an educational environment where parents can know their children are safe, Coatney said.

Kids can also help weed the library's vegetable garden and take fresh food home to their families during harvest time, said custodian Tommy Carr, who cares for the garden.

During the school year, the library's after school program gives kids access to costly school supplies and introduces them to adult speakers in different vocations, said 60-year-old Alfreda Keller of Park Forest, a retired juvenile probation officer who runs the after school program.

"You don't want to see children out on the street," she said. "You want to give them something structured to do."

Coatney said bare-bones library operations cost about $28,000 a month. The library began cutting back hours about 10 years ago, and now opens at noon most days and at 3 p.m. on Fridays.

She said the library started in one room of a local hardware store in 1974, later moved to the community center and was temporarily housed in double-wide trailers while the existing building at 13820 Central Park Ave. was erected in the early 1990s.

"It's a pillar of the community," Coatney said. "We love our little library."

The library has struggled with financial problems in the past but found ways to endure.

In July 2012, the library's rooftop air conditioner was gutted by vandals, leaving the facility baking in the summer heat and without the money to pay the insurance deductible for repairs. After seeing media reports on the vandalism, two companies volunteered to replace the damaged unit and install an alarm system.

In 2009, the library was on the verge of closing when Wade returned to his hometown and presented a check to keep the facility open until more funding could be found. "He's a modern-day hero. What a great guy," Coatney said at the time.

Robbins resident Sherrie Dotson, 45, was using a library computer Thursday, just after the layoff notices were distributed. She said she can't afford Internet access but walks to the library to fill out forms and check social media. Now she says she'll have to take a bus to Markham or Blue Island.

"Who wants to take a hot bus in the summer?" she said.

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