Closing the Riley Park library branch before the new Hillcrest branch opens won't be on the agenda for library trustees in this year's round of 2011 budget deliberations.

"We heard what the community said with respect to not wanting to reduce the branch operations in advance of Hillcrest opening, so there is no intention of closing Riley Park early," said head city librarian Paul Whitney. "But it is still definitely our plan that the branch will close when Hillcrest opens."

Library administrators are analyzing potential ways to save money in anticipation of budget cuts. The city recently tabled its operating budget and needs to make up a $20 million deficit.

Whitney, who's about to retire, says the library board hasn't been given a target yet.

"We'll obviously be considering strategies to address the budget shortfall that will be somewhat similar to what we had to do last time around," Whitney said.

Last year the city asked library trustees to trim $1,354,000 to help with the city's funding shortfall of $61.7 million. In addition to potentially closing the Riley Park branch in January and reducing technical, collections and administrative budgets, the library proposed reducing operating hours at 14 of its 22 branches.

But at the last minute, council restored $800,000 to the library budget so it could maintain hours at the central branch and branches in communities with vulnerable children or low-income neighbourhoods. Five to 11 hours a week were cut at six branches.

"We were the only department or board that had funding restored at that stage of the budget deliberations," Whitney said.

Diana Guinn, director of neighbourhood and youth services for the library, said branches with reduced hours appear to have reduced rates of borrowing.

The library board's next meeting is Nov. 24, and trustees have asked staff for more in-depth analysis of the users the various branches serve. The library uses the University of B.C.'s Early Development Instrument, a population-based tool that measures children's state of development upon entry to kindergarten, as a key part of its considerations.

A final report on the 2011 budget will go to city council Dec. 2.

Funding from the province isn't anticipated to be an issue for the next two years.

Hillcrest is scheduled to open, and Riley Park to close, next fall.

Money in the city's 2012 capital plan could be made available to construct the new Strathcona/Downtown Eastside library branch, but library administrators aren't sure when the project will be ready for construction because the property on the 700 block of East Hastings needs to be rezoned.

crossi@vancourier.com