The Community Library Board is seeking to cut spending for the coming year but is divided over how to do it.

Options range from reducing hours to laying off employees.

Under the libary’s operating agreement with member communities Salem, Silver Lake, Paddock Lake, Randall and Twin Lakes, the library already has funding in place for 2010, approximately $1.2 million to run three libraries.

Library Board President Marlene Goodson, also president of Paddock Lake, said the existing budget for 2010 has a small deficit, about $1,000, in part because of increased employee retirement costs that will occur when Twin Lakes takes over as fiscal agent for the district, a change that forces the library to move its employees to the state employee retirement system.

Facing those increased costs, the finance committee presented a series of three options to the board last week, including reducing employee hours, closing the libraries at 8 p.m. rather than 9 p.m. during some portions of the year, or closing the libraries on very low-traffic days, such as the day after Thanksgiving.

Cuts would allow the district to maintain spending on library materials and build a capital improvement fund, Goodson said.

Board member Kenneth Mangold proposed laying off some employees.

“At the risk of sounding heartless and cold, as the library board it’s our job to provide service to the public,” Mangold said, saying he did not want to see cuts in library services or hours.

The library has nine full-time positions, Mangold said, including a director and four supervisors who oversee technology, circulation, children’s programs and information services. He would like to eliminate two of those supervisory positions, combining the four positions into two.

He said he would also like to cut the three part-time gardeners who oversee the gardens at the libraries, saying the program could be taken over by volunteers. There are extensive ornamental and vegetable gardens at the Salem library and a children’s gardening program. He said the garden program costs between $12,000 and $15,000.

Mangold would also like to eliminate in-house computer services.

“I think we need to really restructure and get back a little more to the community,” Mangold said.

Goodson said she opposes layoffs, saying she does not want to add to the number of jobless people in the community.

“I’m not going to go for that, especially in this economy,” she said.

Board members discussed the options, but were unable to come to an agreement.

“Opinions were so mixed that they have to go back to the drawing board,” Goodson said.

The board is expected to meet Dec. 28 to discuss the budget.