HARMONY — Representatives of the Zelienople Public Library on Tuesday night asked borough council not to cut its annual contribution.

To balance the 2015 borough budget, borough officials have proposed a reduction in its contribution to the library from $5,200 to $500.

Library director Jan Lawrence made a presentation to council in which she talked about the services the library offers and its finances.

There are 538 people from Harmony who borrow from the library. That is about 60 percent of its population, Lawrence said. The state average is 35 percent, she said.

“I think that says a lot. That your residents find the library a vital community service,” she said.

The library is supported through private donations, state aid and money from Butler County, Lancaster Township, Jackson Township, Zelienople and Harmony.

Lawrence said Harmony contributed $6,000 in 2003 and cut that to $5,200 in 2004, which it has maintained every year since then. She requested it give $5,500 for 2015.

She provided a projected 2015 library budget that showed that even with the requested $5,500 contribution from Harmony, the library will end up with a $26,450 shortfall.

The budget listed $34,000 from Zelienople and $5,000 from Lancaster Township.

Lawrence said that Jackson Township has not given any money since 2010. However, the proposed township budget on the township website indicates that it will make a $7,000 contribution in 2015.

The library anticipates $35,000 in state aid for 2015, though to qualify it must spend at least $5 per capita for the area it services and maintain certain hours and programs, Lawrence said.

This year it has spent about $7.50 per capita, though if that figure would decrease in 2015, so would its state aid.

Despite potential cuts to its funding, the library is working to provide more services and potentially expand, board President Mike Razaunaskas said.

“Harmony residents see a tremendous value in the library and the services we provide. We’re starting our own fundraisers to try and make up the deficits,” he said.

The library trustees recently hired an architecture firm to draw up plans and look at options for expanding the building onto an adjacent lot it owns.

That planning involves identifying potential grants for construction costs, Razaunaskas said.

Council member Frank Luek asked if the borough could allocate more money for the library by subtracting funds from the streets budget.

Council member Don Sims said he would prefer to see if some of the borough’s planned street projects come in under budget and then decide later in the year if it can make an additional contribution.

“Take it to the end of the year to see what you really have, before you start giving away the money of the taxpayers,” he said.

Resident Joe White encouraged council to support the library.

“The library performs so many services used by so many people, that it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture, which is that a library is about the most cost-effective way of getting people in touch with information and knowledge,” White said.

Council decided to continue its meeting to 7 p.m. Dec. 16 when it plans to vote on adopting the 2015 budget.

The $551,620 budget has a property tax rate of 11.085 mills and 1.125 mills for fire service, the same as this year.