Throughout the early days of the recession, Pittsburghers were congratulating each other because the region was doing better than most of the country.

Then the city woke up one day last month to discover it hadn't been spared all of the economic pain. It turns out its historic Carnegie Library system was in worse shape than most urban libraries in the United States.

The library had been staving off the inevitable since 2002, when the state cut its funding 50 percent. The library reduced hours, staff (it employs 182 fewer people now than in 2000) and benefits, cut other corners, such as building maintenance, and tightened up services to preserve a system built to serve a population twice as large. Depending largely on a money stream based on the vagaries of consumer spending (the additional 1 percent sales tax in Allegheny County), the library said it needed a "dedicated" source of funds. Nobody in government listened, and the wolf showed up at the big bronze doors of Andrew Carnegie's building in Oakland this summer as the state legislature dithered and shoppers bought less.

To cover an estimated $1.2 million deficit in 2010 -- and it could go higher as the state continues to determine final figures -- the library took the giant step of eliminating branches in five neighborhoods. Carrick and Knoxville will share a facility, but Hazelwood, Lawrenceville, the West End and Beechview will be without a branch.

Those first three areas have had a library since the turn of the 20th century. Lawrenceville's branch opened in 1898.

Unless more money appears on an annual basis, those branches are gone for good, maybe not as soon as Feb. 1, but down the road.

Libraries across the nation have all made cutbacks in this recession year, but so far, I haven't found any urban system that plans to close any branches.

In Ohio, where public libraries enjoy revenues from the state income and property taxes, the economy has blasted both sources. For example, the Cuyahoga County Public Library faces a $14 million cut next year to its $68 million budget. (The Carnegie Library budget is $24 million.) Yet, it will not close any of its 28 libraries.

Cleveland Public Library, serving a population of about 100,000 more than Pittsburgh, worked with $66.7 million this year and is facing a similar cut in government revenue as its county neighbor. Its 28 branches will stay open.

Just to add to public debate about library spending here, the Cleveland Library director makes $165,000, the same as Barbara Mistick, Carnegie's director. The Cuyahoga director is paid $175,000 and the head of the Free Library in Philadelphia makes $185,000.

Across the continent in Seattle, home to one of the best-funded library systems in America, cutbacks have been ordered to deal with a $72 million city deficit.

The library's solution is cutting operating hours 23 percent but keeping all 27 branches open. It will close 21 branches on Fridays and Sundays.

In Pittsburgh, only the main and Squirrel Hill libraries are open Sundays and eight branches are closed on Friday.

Now, the Carnegie Library is planning a 28 percent cut in hours next year systemwide.

The library has faced tough times before, but it never closed a branch. Now, it appears it has no choice.

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