Without closing neighborhood branches, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County would have to double fines, cut capital projects and freeze employee wages, according to a list of cost-cutting measures submitted to the library board Tuesday.

        And that's just the beginning.

        Other options include reducing hours at each branch, closing on Sundays, cutting spending on materials and eliminating “outreach services” to schoolchildren, prisoners and the elderly. The Rare Books Department could be closed, children's story hours canceled, and inter-agency deliveries halted.

        And then, at the end of a two-page memo from Clerk-Treasurer Patricia Schoettker to the board, there's this one: “Ask Hamilton County residents to approve a property tax levy or bond issue.”

        The library is trying to come up with $2.2 million in budget cuts to offset a decrease in state library funding. In 2003, those cuts must reach an estimated $3.9 million.

        But the library board passed on all the cost-cutting proposals Tuesday without debate, instead choosing to wait until the conclusion of a series of public hearings through December.

        “At this point, I'm just very reluctant to make a decision that we're going to cut this or cut that,” said Finance Chairman Charles Lind berg. That includes the previous proposal, now all but permanently abandoned, to close five branches: Bond Hill, Deer Park, Elmwood Place, Greenhills and Mount Healthy.

        Nor did the library board take immediate action on a proposal by Hamilton County Commissioner John Dowlin. Mr. Dowlin's plan would allow the library to borrow money interest-free from the county, allowing it to get over its cash crunch until the economy picks up and state funding returns to normal levels.

        Library officials have expressed skepticism about the plan, saying they're proud of the fact they've operated for years without debt.

        “The word "loan' has always been a dirty word at the library board,” said board member William J. Moran.

        Library patrons from the five communities where branches may be closed quizzed the library board on its finances Tuesday, and urged them to consider alternatives.

        “I hope you would consider Mr. Dowlin's offer carefully,” said Fred Murrell of Greenhills. “Some of us like our small branches.”

        Some alternatives under consideration include:

        Increasing fines. Under this proposal, most daily fines would double: adult books from 10 cents to 20 cents; juvenile books from 3 cents to 5 cents, and videos from $1 to $2.

        The library raised $1.1 million in fines last year, but library officials caution that doubling fines doesn't necessarily mean a doubling of income.

        Also under consideration: eliminate the mailing of past-due and reserve notices. But library officials are reluctant to increase fines and eliminate notices at the same time.

        Canceling capital projects. Halting the Trailside Nature Center, a joint project with the Cincinnati Park Board at Burnet Woods, would save $1.7 million. Money earmarked for future Reading and Bond Hill projects would save $1.45 million and $250,000, respectively.

        Library officials say they're not sure if state law allows them to transfer money earmarked for capital projects to operating expenses, and the Hamilton County prosecutor is reviewing the plan.

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