GROVE CITY, Pennsylvania (WBKN) – On Tuesdays, the Grove City Community Library hosts “Spring Storytime” for young children, but with worsening budget problems, no one can say how long it will last.

Library Board President Erin Pisano explained the situation.

“The board members and I are looking at everything and trying to determine what’s going to be the best plan of action,” Pisano said.

The library was incorporated in the late 1950s. Last year, its operating expenses were around $262,000. It brought in $138,000 in income, including donations from local communities and state aid, ending the year with a $124,000 deficit.

Last year, about 40,000 people visited the library, as well as another 17,000 people who were able to use its free Wi-Fi system. But that compares to almost no visitors during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

The pandemic severely reduced donations that year, and the library has struggled ever since.

“Mostly 60 percent of our budget is through donations, support of the library, so we lost 60 percent of our income,” said Library Director Amy Gallagher.

Unlike libraries in the Mahoning Valley, there are no tax levies generating revenue. While the board is planning a number of fundraisers, like a quilt raffle, more may be needed.

“We started charging for some of our programs to at least cover materials,” said Pisano.

For now, directors will be looking to the community for additional support before too many more programs have to be cut.