Erie County approves regional plan.(News in Brief)(Brief Article)

Erie County (Pa.) Council unanimously approved December 9 a plan to convert the county's six library branches into three regional branches by the end of 2005, the Erie Times-News reported December 10. County Executive Rick Schenker's administration introduced the plan December 1 after state funding cuts (see p. 30) caused a reduction in hours at the existing six branches.

"I think it's clear the current branch system is not sustainable," said County Solicitor John Onorato in the December 2 Times-News. "We have too many branches open too few hours."

While the county council agreed November 17 to keep all six branches open by providing $800,000 to make …