City Manager Letter

In response to Awaiting Report Item Number 09-07, regarding a report on plans to eliminate Sunday library hours, please be advised of the following:

The Cambridge Public Library is open a collective total of 320 hours each week.  That is significantly more than any other community in the Commonwealth, with the exception of Boston.  In a sample of surrounding communities and comparable cities, the average number of hours open is 124.

The Main Library is open from 1-5 pm on Sundays from October through April.  Sunday is not a regular work day for members of the Cambridge Public Library Staff Association. Staff volunteer to work on Sundays and are compensated either at time and a half in pay or double time in compensatory time at the employee’s option.

Staffing for Sundays is 11 individuals including the custodian.  The cost averages $1500 in overtime pay and 25.5 hours of compensatory time.  The compensatory time obligation represents 70% of an FTE each week at an approximate cost of $650.

As a result the cost of operating any location on a Sunday is greater than any other day of the week.  It would be impossible to add additional Sundays to our already extensive schedule without requiring new positions and new funding.