Library, Bay Breeze community center to consolidate at Vandenberg Published Jan. 22, 2014 By Staff Sgt. Alexandria Mosness 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The 81st Force Support Squadron will be consolidating some of its services due to the current fiscal environment. "In FY14, our operating budget for community programs has been reduced by approximately 40 percent. We cannot continue to operate business as usual," said Lt. Col. Sharon Nickelberry, 81st FSS commander. The Bay Breeze Community Center services are scheduled to combine with activities in the Vandenberg Community Center Feb. 1. The Bay Breeze Community Center will stay open until the move. In addition, McBride Library will be consolidating into a smaller library function on the second floor of the Vandenberg tentatively scheduled to open March 10. The McBride Library will stop checking out materials Feb. 10, and will close Feb. 28. People will still be able to use library resources until it closes. The mini library at the Vandenberg will be more technology based with access to computers, the ability to check out E-Magazines and E-Books. There will still be some books, but patrons will not be able to check any books out. It will be for in-library use only. The CLEP and DANTES studying materials will be moved to the education office located in the Sablich Center and will be available March 1. "All of this has to do with budget reductions," said David Jenkins, 81st FSS deputy director. "These were two of the ways that we felt we could still provide a service to the community by consolidating into one facility which allows us to use money we do have more efficiently and meet mission requirements." The biggest thing the 81st FSS wants to highlight to customers is that there are still services available. "There are multiple bases that have closed the libraries all together and we are trying to avoid that," Jenkins said. "There are bases that have closed the community centers all together and we are trying to avoid that. This is one of our efforts and initiatives to continue services to the community." Another important point to take away is that the Vandenberg will be available to everyone. "Permanent Party members can utilize the Vandenberg now," said Lisa Campbell, marketing director for PAE. "This is a facility that is going to be open to the entire base." This decision to consolidate functions falls in line with recommendations from the AF Services Transformation Project. One of the goals of Services Transformation is to build a sense of community and relationships at unit and base levels and to do so in a manner that fits with modern lifestyles, attitudes and expectations of our population. This will include the development of more multi-use facilities and use of outside services. "It is very unfortunate that we have to reduce library and community center services," Nickelberry said. "For those programs we are no longer able to provide, there are resources available within the local community that can be utilized. Airmen can also visit the AF Portal to check out additional library resources available to them. This can be accomplished by accessing the library resources tab and clicking databases and online resources tab. For more information on upcoming changes, visit www.keesler81fss.us.