Contra Costa library system braces for budget cuts, layoffs

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has approved laying off more than 30 library workers and adjusting county library branch hours in response to some Contra Costa cities saying they will cut some or all of their funding for extra library hours.

The county library system provides a baseline 35 open hours per week at each of the system’s 26 branches. While the baseline library hours are paid from countywide property tax revenue, 10 Contra Costa cities last year paid extra to have their libraries open more hours per week.