One of this community’s most reliable public facilities will be at risk if the provincial government doesn’t pony up its regular share of grant money.

This week concerns have come to light that the provincial government may pull $17.7 million of grant funding from libraries across B.C. Locally that means Penticton’s Public Library would lose the $90,000 it relies on for operational costs.

“With our budgets, I just keep my head above water. If it wasn’t for the city, which actually does give us about $25,000 every year, I would be desperately struggling,” said Larry Little, chief librarian.

“If a community facility is going to be hammered, I would be disappointed if the government chooses one that so many Penticton residents believe is valuable.”

According to Little, over the past couple of years, the library’s visitor numbers have consistently risen and the trend became even more noticeable since the recession took hold. It’s amounted to the previous average of 4,700 visits a week escalating to 5,100.

“Libraries at this particular time are providing a service to people that are being hit really hard financially,” he said.

“We have a lot of people who have stopped subscriptions to newspapers, they don’t buy books any more and they are cutting back and hunkering down in these tough economic times. When you cut library services you are making cuts to kids, to parents, seniors, it’s not one groups of people you are hurting, it’s right across the board.”

And Little stressed that the Library is already run in a frugal manner. Offering everything from free internet services, to access to books and even informational seminars it, just like its patron, has struggled with rising costs and diminished income.

In the last five years, the library hasn’t increased its book budget, nor has it reduced the number of book purchases made.

Instead, Little has focused on other cost-saving measures which have amounted to the local library keeping its costs among the lowest in the province. Per capita, the spending is around $26, which is below the provincial average of $33.

If the grants don’t come in, however, cost saving measures will have to be more aggressive.

“If we get into a situation where they do slash our grants I am into service cuts, I am into cutting out a couple nights of the week and if they eliminate the whole grant that means I am in a layoff position,” he said. “And I don’t think we should be laying people off in times of stress. I think we should be working to get people to spend money.”