Faltering Economy Creates Risk in Library Master Plan

Louisville Free Public Library officials are less than two months away from their deadline to complete a new master plan for the system. The faltering economy isn’t making the process easy.Library Director Craig Buthod has been charged with formulating a master plan and presenting it to the Metro Council by the end of the year. He says officials been taking comments from the public and observing libraries in other cities. But when it gets down to design plans, construction and costs, things are getting a little tricky."The economy worries all of us, whether it’s about whether we’ll have a job tomorrow, or whether, for my end, whether I’ll have sufficient funds to operate the library to meet the demands, the growing demands of the public," says Buthod.But – Buthod says – the master plan doesn’t have to be enacted until the economy improves. The national credit crunch is greatly affecting construction costs across the country.