CENTER TWP — Township supervisors voted last week to give money to the Butler Public Library, ending a period of the township’s citizens using library services without helping paying for them.

Barabara Wheatall, a library board member and a Center resident, spoke to the supervisors during their Sept. 12 meeting. Wheatall explained that township residents use the library more than most surrounding municipalities, and yet do not pay for the services. Then, in last week’s meeting, the township board decided to give the library $1,500 from its 2019 budget.

“I’m really very pleased,” Wheatall said.

Wheatall provided data on the number of library patrons and circulation figures for eight municipalities. Butler city and Butler Township residents use the library the most and contribute the most cash toward it. The city’s library-goers total about 7,700 and check out about 40,000 books a year. Butler city contributes about $32,000 annually on average.

The township is similar, with about 6,300 patrons on file, and about 30,000 books borrowed year. The township gives $15,000 on average.

But after those two, the next biggest user is Center with about 1,800 library patrons who check out about 11,000 books on average.

Summit, Penn and Connoquenessing townships all use the library less and have paid more taxpayer dollars to do so, Wheatall’s numbers show.

That is, until next year. Center supervisors voted unanimously to contribute, according to Anthony Amendolea, township secretary.

“That is a huge improvement over what they’ve been doing,” Wheatall said.

Wheatall explained that she’s been on the library’s board for a few years and never understood why there wasn’t a Center contribution. The library, she explained, had apparently had poor luck with such requests in the past.

“I’ve been told they were pretty adamantly against contributions in the past,” Wheatall said.

Lori Hinderliter, the library’s executive director, clarified that “several people have gone to them” over the years with no success.

“We have not always had the most positive relationship,” Hinderliter said.

But with those years came changes to staff and the board, she said.

“I do appreciate the fact that they were able to look and reconsider,” Hinderliter said. “It’s a welcome contribution.”

Both women were asked separately what such donations fund, and both said “keeping our doors open.”

Ron Flatt, Center’s board chairman, said two board members, Alan Smallwood and Phil Wulff, wanted to reconsider the board’s past record of not giving.

“The board, going back a decade or so ago, well, there had been a fracturing of the relationship between the board and they library board over the way they approached us about the donation,” Flatt said. “So the board at that time said we’ll give our money to the food bank instead.”

Smallwood and Wulff said times have changed and it’s time to move on, he said.

“Our residents are really making use of the library,” Flatt said.

In her request, Wheatall did not specify an amount to be given.

Center produces about 30 percent as many patrons as Butler Township, but its $1,500 donation is just 10 percent.

Wulff said $1,500 may not be a final number. The board discussed a more immediate donation this year if the 2018’s budget comes out to a surplus.

But Wheatall is happy to be getting any money at all, and to have mended a relationship.

“From the library’s perspective, that’s $1,500 more than we had before,” she said.