ORIGINAL HOURS TO BE RESTORED AT LIBRARY : PANEL OKS FUNDING FOR 7-DAY OPERATION.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

Hot on the heels of its reopening, the repaired Thousand Oaks Library facility on Janss Road can look forward to new, longer hours.

On Tuesday, the City Council unanimously approved a recommendation to set aside $60,000 to pay to keep the branch open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays beginning Jan. 10 - the first time in five years that the library will have been open seven days a week, said Mayor Andrew Fox.

The Ojai library has been on a seven-day schedule since Sept. 3 - the only other Ventura County library to be open all week long, officials said.

``We're returning to our original hours,'' said Fox, adding that the library had a seven-day schedule until 1991. ``In my view, it's time to put libraries as a top priority and in allocating this money we've demonstrated to the community that we've done that.''

The library at 1401 E. Janss Road closed about 18 months ago because of damage sustained in the Northridge Earthquake and a chronically leaking roof. Its holdings - moved to the former City Hall at 2400 Willow Lane - have since been returned to the facility, which is scheduled to reopen Monday after completion of a $4.5 million renovation.

The Friday hours will extend the total hours the Thousand Oaks Library will be open to 63 hours per week from the current 55 hours, said Steve Brogden, deputy director of the library.

``We're looking forward to it,'' Brogden said. ``The only issue was that we be provided with the staff to do this and once that's provided we're all for it.''

The money allocated at Tuesday's meeting will cover the additional cost of operating on a seven-day week through June 30, the end of the fiscal year. For a full year, the additional cost would be about $114,000, according to a memorandum from library services director Marvin E. Smith.

To cover the extended hours, temporary employees will fill in on weekends and currently vacant positions will be filled, allowing permanent staff to be reassigned to cover the Friday hours, according to the memorandum.

Permanent supervisors would cover weekend hours on a rotating basis, according to Smith's memorandum.

``It should be noted that this method was used very successfully prior to Friday closure in 1991,'' Smith wrote. ``Utilizing temporary/hourly employees would provide the same high level of service at lower cost by spreading regular staff to cover heavier use times. Secondly, this would provide more equitable weekend and evening schedules while increasing service levels and open hours for the public.''

CAPTION(S):

Photo