Dottie Crecelius, president of the Friends of Baden Library, remembers when the Baden branch of the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System was open six days a week, along with evening hours. But over the past 20 years, Crecelius has seen the library’s hours cut little by little, until now it is only open four days a week and is closed in the evenings.

Crecelius was one of several library advocates who testified during a public budget meeting held Feb. 1 in Fort Washington to protect funding for their neighborhood branches in light of cuts to the embattled system in previous budget cycles.

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III announced at the meeting that the county faces a nearly $126 million deficit heading into fiscal 2013, and Mark Polk, president of the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System’s board of trustees, said additional cuts to the library system may be imminent.

The library system has been asked to provide a “flat” budget, as well as one that cuts spending by 5 percent, or about $1.15 million from the fiscal 2012 budget of $23 million.

Although Polk said the system hopes to get at least as much funding as last year, if not more, he said that “everything is on the table” if the agency is forced to make further cuts, but closing a library would be the last resort.

“What we have to do is make sure we have fairness and equality in regard to any cuts, so we have the least amount of impact on every part of the system geographically,” Polk said. “So if we were forced to cut hours somewhere like at the Accokeek branch, what we’d look to do is make sure it’s balanced out in some place like Fairmount Heights or Laurel.”

Crecelius said she was concerned about the prospect for the Baden branch’s survival, given that it has already taken several heavy cuts over the years, and now only operates Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Crecelius said despite the fact that it is already limited in hours and staffing, the Baden branch represents an important resource for many people living in the rural tier: broadband Internet access.

“That’s where we provide a very important service, because a lot of people don’t have access to the broadband, and some don’t even have computers,” Crecelius said. “So the computers are almost always full during the day.”

Crecelius added that the Baden Library is in a central location compared to a number of other services available to residents, being in the same facility as Baden Elementary School and the Baden Community Center, and adjacent to St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Prince George’s County Councilman Mel Franklin (D-Dist. 9), whose district includes the Baden library, said he will be “paying special attention” to the issue of funding for southern Prince George’s libraries, particularly in light of the limited broadband infrastructure in the rural tier.

Libraries don’t always get the kind of “loud advocacy” as other important community pillars because they’re not necessarily in the forefront of residents’ minds, he said.

“You hear about public safety and education all the time,” Franklin said. “Unfortunately the education conversation hasn’t included public libraries in the discussion even though they’re an integral part of that community education infrastructure. We really need our Friends of the Library groups to be persistent and consistent with their advocacy throughout the year for their respective libraries.”

At the Feb. 1 meeting, Baker remarked about what Polk endearingly referred to as the “library mafia,” who appear in force annually at public budget meetings.

“It’s always great to go to these budget meetings [and see the Friends of the Library groups],” Baker said. “It’s good to know folks are committed to the library system, and it makes a difference.”

ewagner@gazette.net