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Teen Library will stay open Outcry prompts director to scrap money-saving idea By CHRIS BRISTOL Don't close the book on the Teen Library. Reacting to an outpouring of opposition, a defeated-sounding Jackson County Library Director Ronnie Budge backed down Thursday from a plan to close the unique library-within-a-library at the downtown Medford branch. Appearing before the Budget Committee, Budge said the outcry persuaded her to find other ways to manage a library budget she insisted contains no fat. "We will keep it open," she said simply. The timely decision averted a potential squabble with the committee, which includes all three members of the Board of Commissioners and has been holding public hearings this week for the county's 1999-2000 fiscal-year budget. It also deflected a confrontation with opponents of the plan, which came to light earlier this week and quickly drew widespread complaints from teens and parents. Among them was Peggy Penland, chairwoman of the Medford school board, who praised the teen library as "a valuable service to kids and a powerful connection for the community." "It's a shame to share that value only when there's a danger of the budget being cut," she added. Located in the basement of the historic but cramped Carnegie building, across the street from the county courthouse, the Teen Library has been praised as a modest success at ensnaring reluctant readers since its establishment nine years ago. One of only four in the state, the library carries hundreds of titles, including magazines and comic books, that appeal to adolescents. The atmosphere is more relaxed than that of the main library, and there's even an Internet computer. Perhaps most important, three librarians are assigned specifically to supervise the room. They provide help and advice for teens and for parents. Budge said the decision to close the teen library was made in part to offset rising personnel costs. The proposed budget of $6.2 million represents a 3 percent increase over the current year. Part of the problem stems from the inefficient design of the building, Budge said. She also said the teen room is not always busy enough to justify the staff, which would have been transferred elsewhere within the 15-branch system. Now, to continue the program, she said other services may suffer -- longer checkout lines, for example -- and the teen room may be left unsupervised during slow periods of the day. "We will do all we can to find ways to operate efficiently," she told the committee. At the end of the hearing, several concerned parents spoke out against the now-shelved proposal. They defended the Teen Library as a transition between the children's library and the general circulation room. Closing it would send the wrong message to teens in the wake of the deadly Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colo. One parent from Jacksonville wondered about the future of the program, which reportedly has been on the budget bubble for years. "I'm thrilled we got through this year," Kathy Hoskin said, "but I'm worried about next year." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA