Monday the doors to school libraries in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District are expected to be locked.

The district board voted in June to lay off 59 classified employees, including its entire library staff of about 20, in an effort to cut $14.7 million from its budget.

Friday is the last day of work for the 59 employees, unless the district and the California School Employees Association can come to some agreement that would save jobs.

But that isn't likely.

The district offered the union 16 jobs in exchange for three furlough days, but the union wanted to save all 59 jobs, said Diana Criddle, union representative. The union also asked for a guarantee that its members wouldn't face additional layoffs this school year or the next, said Superintendent Pat Godwin. Neither side could agree.

Starting Monday, most of the district's 19,000 students will be able to use library resources only if teachers bring their classes in and stay to supervise. No materials will be checked out, said Stephen Nichols, district spokesman.

Godwin said that doesn't necessarily mean students can't take books home. He said teachers will be able to bring "buckets of books" to their classrooms and could allow them to be brought home at their discretion.

"What a nightmare," Linda Rodriguez, the library technician at Folsom High School, said on Tuesday. "There is no accountability, and things are going to be cannibalized."

She said library clerks do more than just check out books, something she did 5,400 times last year. She said they also help students find resources and monitor them on the computers. She said most mornings before the 8 a.m. bell rings she has about 100 students in the library.

"They work, get caught up on their studies, stay out of the rain," she said.

Godwin said students have other resources they can use. He said they can use the Internet, go to their public library or use their family library.

Folsom High senior Jake Thompson doesn't think it will be so easy. "I think it is a setback to all the students in the school because we depend on the school library for our English books," he said. "If they close, all the students will have to go to Borders or to used bookstores."

Godwin said the district is continually looking for funding sources to provide library services.

"I was an English teacher, and it breaks my heart not to have someone in the library at all times," Godwin said.

He said some individual schools are trying to save their libraries through fundraising efforts. At Sutter Middle School, the staff is attempting to raise $15,000 for a part-time or $55,000 for a full-time library clerk to keep the library open.

The problem could be solved if the district and union come to terms.

"We had expected the classified union would step up and work with something like three furlough days and we anticipated they will do that and are still hopeful they will," Godwin said.

He said the district made similar agreements with the teachers union and with administrators. The agreement with teachers allowed them to rescind cuts to high school sports, among other things, Nichols said.

Godwin said no discussions are scheduled between the district and classified union this week.

The union's Criddle said the district hasn't asked them to come back to the table. She said most of the people in classified positions can't afford a three-day furlough.

Rodriguez calls herself one of the lucky ones. Her seniority enabled her to return to the job she held 18 years ago – as an elementary school clerk. She says she'll take a 30 percent pay cut.

She'll miss her work at the library.

"I'm just crushed," said Rod- riguez, who has been at the Folsom High School library for nearly two decades. "I don't want to leave. I want to stay until I'm retired, then train someone to take my place."

Call The Bee's Diana Lambert, (916) 321-1090.