The economy is dealing a double blow to the public library where staff have seen an 83 percent increase in circulation while struggling through the third year in a row without a budget increase.

“We’re still doing the absolute best that we can, and we’re trying hard not to give people the short shrift, but especially in this last year or two, probably, our patrons are starting to notice that we are just running around here,” said Library Director Sue Hoadley. “It’s incredibly stressful. It impacts our ability to be able to focus and serve people when you see the line (at the check-out desk) queuing up.”

Since the library moved into a larger building in its present location alongside the town hall and the police station in 2003, attendance has risen by 300 percent. In that same period of time, the library’s budget has grown only 5 percent, according to Hoadley.

Other public libraries in the area are also seeing a dramatic increase in circulation and attendance. In nearby Windham, business at the library has risen by 21 percent over the past year while circulation has jumped from 180,000 items loaned in 2007 to 201,000 in 2008. Though a change in the way circulation is tracked in neighboring Salem has made comparisons between years inaccurate, officials there report an increase in registration as patrons have turned in large numbers to borrowing rather than purchasing books, movies and albums.

With only five full-time employees, three part-time employees and an on-call staff of six, Hoadley said the rise of business has given the librarians less time to spend on a one-to-one basis with patrons.

One measure Hoadley has taken has been to delay the opening of the library on Thursday – the slowest business day of the week – from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. According to Hoadley, the late opening gives her staff enough time to finish their administrative work, processing interlibrary loans and checking on overdue books, with the least impact on customer service.

Earlier this month, library patrons fought a move by the budget committee to cut the library’s budget a further $2,447 and restored the funding to the town’s operating budget. While that will keep the library on level with years in the past, what Hoadley said the facility really needs is the ability to hire additional staff to meet the demand.

The budget crunch has come just as patrons need the services provided by the library more than ever, Hoadley said. The number of people coming in to use the facility’s computers and Internet access to search for jobs has increased greatly. While the staff has tried to help patrons find the resources they need to navigate the ongoing economic storm, from trying to save their homes to posting their resumes online, meeting the tripling demand has been a struggle, according to Hoadley.

“We’re getting a lot more adults getting in and using the computers looking for jobs,” Hoadley said. “That’s the irony. As people are losing their jobs and the town has less funds to distribute to town services, our services are needed more than ever.”