MONTREAL — As it approaches its 100th anniversary, the Jewish Public Library (JPL) is having to adapt to both leaner finances and reading habits that are undergoing a revolution.

Jewish Public Library executive director Eva Raby, left, welcomes this year’s Jewish Public Library gala honorees, Harry and Delores Rosen.

In the past two years, the JPL’s budget cuts by Federation CJA, of which it is a constituent agency and on which it relies for half its revenue, have forced an almost 25 per cent reduction in personnel in the programming and marketing departments.

For the first time, the JPL closed for two weeks over the winter break this year as a cost-saving measure, and it now struggles to maintain its 52-hour week (one day less in summer.)

Cutting hours is a last resort, says JPL executive director Eva Raby, who hopes that the holiday closure will not be repeated.

Staff positions were reduced because the federation allocation is mainly for salaries, while much of the JPL’s other sources of revenue are designated for book purchases or certain programs, she said.

Concurrently, the role of public libraries is changing rapidly, with more and more reading done online.

Increasingly, therefore, the JPL is becoming a “virtual library,” with more and more of its resources going online, but that costs money.

The economic downturn hit the JPL in other ways. It is fortunate that over its long history, it has been the beneficiary of numerous endowments, but their values dropped during the recession.

“In hard times, culture is not at the top of the list of priorities, but this is exactly the time that cultural institutions are used more. This is especially true of libraries – all over North America,” Raby said.

The JPL has seen an increase in traffic in all areas – circulation of books and DVDs is up 10 to 12 per cent, its computer centre is full, and its children’s section is hopping. When money is tight, people buy fewer books, magazines and videos, she said.

The JPL is also a haven for older people or the socially isolated, who are welcome to sit there all day, she added.

Its cultural programming, from authors’ evenings to films and lectures, are also well attended and have been kept affordably priced.

The Norman Berman Children’s Library offers programming for kids of all ages, at an annual membership of only $10. Free memberships are offered to any children, wherever they live, who are entering Grade 1 or the first year of high school.

“We are one of the few Jewish institutions that has a public face,” Raby noted, because of its school outreach. It has also formed partnerships with such varied institutions as the Goethe Institut, the Quebec Intercultural Storytelling Festival and the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival.

The result is that the JPL has become a rare meeting ground for children of all backgrounds from chassidic kids from Outremont to those from the Côte des Neiges, one of the most ethnically diverse areas in the city, and beyond. (It receives a small grant from the borough in recognition of that fact.)

The name is not an oxymoron; the JPL is, indeed, although independent, open to all, and stocks books of general interest, including the latest bestsellers, as well as a large Judaica section. Hebrew, Yiddish and Russian are the JPL’s official languages along with English and French. Special attention is paid to serving the needs of the Orthodox community.

“We really are unique in the world,” said Raby, director for the past 10 years.

The computer room is popular because anyone can open an e-mail address there, even non-members. If they are job-seekers or immigrants, they can benefit from on-site counselling from Agence Ometz workers.

The JPL houses community archives, specializing in social, cultural and educational institutions, as well as special collections like Yizkor books. The archives are consulted by scholars and researchers, even filmmakers, and a school program introduces youngsters to researching their heritage, Jewish or otherwise.

The archives are gradually being digitized as funds allow, and a project down the road is the creation of a single portal for Montreal Jewish research.

The archives, housed in the climate-controlled lower level, have grown to the extent that the JPL is now leasing extra space across the street at the Caldwell Residence for seniors.

The JPL has about 5,000 paid memberships, but that includes families, so the the total number of members is considerably higher, Raby said.

She also points out that informal education has been part of the JPL’s mission since its founding in 1914. Many of the people who use its facilities do not belong to synagogues or have other affiliations, and the JPL is their Jewish connection.

The JPL’s annual fundraising gala has become critical to its operations, covering about a quarter of the annual budget. This year’s event, May 31 at the Gelber Conference Centre, honours Delores and Harry Rosen, longtime friends of the JPL. Featured is the musical comedy revue The 25th Century Belongs to Canada! starring “the Four Anglos” – troubadours Bowser and Blue, Gazette cartoonist Aislin and columnist Josh Freed.

Delores Rosen, a member of the JPL’s English cultural committee for many years, said she has loved libraries since her childhood in Lethbridge, Alta.

What stands out about the JPL, she said, is the enthusiasm and friendliness of the staff. “Their love of books is transmitted to people. They are always there to talk about books. It’s the human aspect that I like about the JPL.”

Harry Rosen, a well-known dentist and McGill University dentistry professor, is a native of Montreal. His earliest memories of the old JPL on Esplanade Avenue before World War II are of the animated conversations of its patrons as they emerged from the library to head across the street to Fletcher’s Field to continue their arguments in Yiddish and French.

“These intellectuals or pseudo-intellectuals were always coming and going, trying to solve the problems of the world,” he said.

The couple are actively campaigning, with Rosen calling people on his wide network, and his wife singing the praises of the library and even picking up cheques, if necessary.

For reservations to the gala, call 345-2627, ext. 3042.