Despite attracting more use than ever, three of Nevada County’s largest libraries may have to cut back their hours and temporary staff people in an effort to make up for $222,000 in lost sales tax revenue.

County librarian Mary Ann Trygg will present a proposal for dealing with the shortfall to the county Board of Supervisors at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Eric Rood Administrative Center, 950 Maidu Ave.

“For fiscal year 2007-08, sales tax revenue to the library was down $222,386, or 12 percent, from the prior year and revenues for the current year are down 4 percent from this time last year,” Trygg said in a staff report.

If approved by the board, managers would trim 12 hours each week from the Grass Valley Library Royce Branch, Madelyn Helling Library and Truckee Library beginning Dec. 1, Trygg said.

Such a reduction could save the county’s library system $100,000 annually.

“This is an effort not to lay off any of the permanent employees,” Trygg said. The library system has 27 full-time employees.

Hours at station libraries in Penn Valley and Bear River High School won’t be affected, nor will the Doris Foley research library in Nevada City.

“Of primary importance to the library department is customer service and meeting the needs of the community,” Trygg said.

The library has 17 temporary employees who could lose their positions. Two vacant permanent positions within the library’s budget will not be filled, saving another $50,000.

The library’s funding relies heavily — more than 70 percent — on funding from a sales tax measure approved by voters first in 1998 and again in 2003. The measure contributes one-eighth of a percent of every penny from local sales tax.

“It was a fantastic boon for the library for 10 years until now,” Trygg said.

Last year, the county library dipped into its fund balance for $300,000 when it became apparent mid-year that only $1.6 million of a predicted $2 million in sales tax would materialize, Trygg said.

Until the economy brightens, the library has discontinued several online search databases and postponed regular maintenance, such as fresh coats of paint.

Ironically, the state of the economy has driven many to the library for free books, music CDs and movie rentals.

“We know the libraries are used during economic bad times,” Trygg said.

Last year, 721,000 items were checked out from all of the county’s libraries, compared to 680,000 the previous year.

“That’s why we’re trying to do the reduction now,” to preserve the library’s core services, Trygg said.

“We just want to be proactive and sustain us through this difficult time,” Trygg said.

To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.