By DEBORAH HIRSCH • Courier-Post Staff • September 2, 2010

CAMDEN — The cash-strapped Camden Free Public Library board Wednesday held off on scheduling a closure date for the Centerville or downtown branch at the request of city officials, who said the move could hamper negotiations to save the local libraries by merging with the county system.

City Attorney Marc Riondino said he couldn't comment on specifics because the plan was still under negotiation, but stressed that he, like the board, didn't want Camden to lose either of its remaining branches.

"We're looking to make it better than we had before," Riondino said. "We have to find a way."

Faced with only a third of the city funding that had been provided in past years, board members in July began planning to shut down the entire system by the end of the year.

Despite predictions of doom that made national headlines, the buildings remained open through the end of August and the board has yet to submit plans to lay off any of the 21 employees to the state Civil Service Commission.

Patrons will notice a change this month, however, as a furlough program takes effect, temporarily closing libraries on Fridays for an entire calendar year.

The Fairview branch, the smallest of the three and located in a former two-story brick home off Collings Avenue, is scheduled to close down permanently on Tuesday. The two employees based there will be transferred to the Centerville and downtown locations.

Whether one or both of those branches will also shut down remains unclear. Mayor Dana Redd previously announced that the county had agreed to take over the system, but board members have yet to find out when that will happen or how.

"We know nothing," said Board President Martin McKernan.

Meanwhile, McKernan said, library funds have dwindled to $181,325, including capital improvement dollars. City officials budgeted an additional $108,291 to meet the minimum funding required by law, but couldn't say when that would be sent to the library. Even if it comes through this fall, McKernan estimated the system would still run out of money by mid-January.

Though McKernan said he was heartened by the city's efforts to keep the libraries running, the board will need more specifics soon.

"My fear is that we're going to keep going along and all of a sudden have no money," he said.

Board member Parthenia Cogdell worried that there was no way of knowing whether joining the county system would turn out to be a good thing since all the details were being worked out without input from her colleagues, who have direct contact with the city libraries and a vested interest in their needs.

Fairview resident Bill Hatcher, 54, questioned how the board or elected officials could ever allow any libraries to close.

"Why are we negotiating for something we're supposed to have all along?" said Bill Hatcher. "It's not like more money can't be generated or fitted into libraries in Camden. You've got tons of money going to the waterfront."