Mayor Dave Cieslewicz proposed an amendment to the city budget Wednesday allowing the Central Public Library, 201 W. Mifflin St., to stay open most Sundays.
Before Cieslewicz was aware of all available funds, he eliminated the library's Sunday hours in his executive operating budget to save $60,000 annually.
The city can now support the library schedule because the money from tax-exempted groups such as churches and non-profit organizations exceeded the projected amount by $110,000.
Central Library'the only downtown public library open Sundays'has the largest collections of the Madison Public Library system, which was ranked the fifth-best in the nation this year for the population it serves.
Sunday is one of Central Library's busiest days since families add to the regular crowds, said reference and user services coordinator Carol Froistad.
'Sunday hours are used by a lot of people who can't get to the library during the weekdays because they're working,' Cieslewicz's spokesperson George Twigg said. 'It was one of the first things the mayor wanted to try to get back into the budget if he could.'
In addition to finding books, videos and CDs, many people rely on the library for access to the Internet and databases, Froistad said.
'It's a well-used service, so we are pleased that it is being supported by the mayor and the council,' Froistad said.
'I'm very pleased that the mayor realized it was a mistake to not keep the library open on Sundays,' Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said.
'Prior to the mayor changing his mind, I had always planned on offering my own budget amendment to keep the library open,' Verveer said, who lined up significant support before the mayor agreed to sponsor the proposal.
Froistad said she values the Sunday hours as an opportunity for families. 'It's a thing to do that doesn't cost you money,' she said.
In addition to restoring library hours, Cieslewicz's amendments would add $50,000 to the contingent reserve, which supports unexpected expenditures. Rising fuel prices are a main concern, according to Twigg. If those prices rise higher than expected, the contingent reserve would help pay for additional costs.
'I'm just really excited that we found the money and that we'll be able to continue supporting our wonderful downtown library,' Ald. Austin King, District 8 said.
