SIDNEY — It's crunch time for figuring out how to keep the Sidney Community Library open.

Library board members met with village board members Monday to try finding some solutions to a budget crisis that may force the library's closure.

A committee is expected to be formed at the village board's Dec. 5 meeting.

In October, library board members asked the village trustees to consider increasing the library's $21,000 annual budget and to redistribute telecommunications tax revenue to the library. Library board President Bethe Lynn said the library needs another $9,000 to cover operational costs.

There are 318 cardholders in the town of 1,100. Library Director Jeanne Daly estimated that the library has between 350 and 450 visitors per month, most of whom check out materials, she said. Daly estimated that 220 of the library's cardholders visit the library at least monthly.

The library's past fundraising attempts have met with little success. Library board member Lezli Cline said many of the library's patrons are on fixed incomes and cannot afford to donate to the library.

"We need a budget we can count on every year," Lynn said.

The village currently receives between $16,000 and $18,000 annually through its telecommunications tax. Ideas considered included reallocating that money from sidewalk repair to the library, or raising the 3 percent tax to 4.5 percent or 6 percent and giving the library a portion of the total revenue.

In January, the library signed a 99-year agreement to lease the former Sidney Market from the village for use as the new library building. Sidney library officials expect use to increase dramatically when the move is made to the new building, which has about six times as much space. In order to be eligible for grant funds for the project, the Sidney library must hire a consultant and an architect, a cost not within reach.

While Sidney's library budgeted $4,400 for books and materials last year, it only spent about $2,700 because library officials decided to make fewer purchases and to rely more heavily on donations. And volunteer hours for library staffing and programs were increased to an estimated 300 hours last year.

"There have been efforts to cut that stuff (expenses) back," library board member Bruce Ramseyer said.

The library will need an estimated $10,000 this year for renovating the grocery store building.

"We want to be able to keep this running now and we want to look to the future," Daly said.