An outcry from loyal patrons has failed to sway the directors of Warren Memorial Library, who are closing the Westbrook institution in the next two months.

“The fact that the library’s closing May 1 is not changing. It’s a done deal,” said Rene Daniel, a member of the board.

The board announced Friday the library would be closing no later than May 1 due to a steep decline in the value of its investments, which the library’s budget was dependent upon. Daniel said in the past two years, the board cut operating costs in half, down to $250,000 per year. But, in the end, it still wasn’t enough to keep the library open.

It was the streamlined budget that led Wendy Hysko, the director, to hand in her resignation two weeks ago. She said her last day was supposed to be this week, but she was told to leave Friday after employees learned of the closing. The staff now is down to one part-time and two full-time employees.

“They just had made too many cutbacks, and it was getting too difficult to handle the tasks,” she said Friday.

Hysko, like many patrons, said she was disappointed that the board didn’t seek other sources of funding to keep the library open.

Established in 1876 for S.D. Warren mill employees and their families, the library was turned over to the trustees of the Warren Memorial Foundation in 1929 and opened to the public.

“My question is, why didn’t the board bring this to the attention of the public beforehand,” said Danielle Gorman, who was at the library with her children Monday. “Give the community an opportunity to do something.”

But according to Daniel, the board had explored other options and found, after 18 months of discussion, that nothing would be able to keep the library open.

“It’s really not that sudden,” he said.

Daniel emphasized that the board is responsible not for the library, but for the endowment.

According to Caren Michel, treasurer for the board, the performance of the endowment is down 1.5 percent since 2005.

“That takes into account good times and bad,” she said.

Though she wouldn’t put a dollar figure on the size of the current endowment, she said it would have been completely depleted within four years if the library were kept open.

Daniel said the board did not plan on selling the building and would continue with free programs and services for the community – just not a library.

He said he’s been receiving a lot of e-mails from people who are hurt and angry, but, he said, it’s all part of the grieving process.

“They’re losing something they love,” he said.

For many, the Warren library has been an integral part of living in Westbrook.

“This is an extension of our home,” Gorman said.

Though Westbrook still has a library – the Walker Memorial Library, also on Main Street – for the patrons of Warren, it’s just not the same.

Cece Barron Morse said there’s a certain intimacy to the Warren library. It’s smaller and the librarians all know her daughter’s name – and even her tastes. Barron Morse said not long ago a librarian called her at home to let her know that a new princess book had just come in – 5-year-old Madeline’s favorite.

“They treat you like your family would,” said 8-year-old Quintessa Bissonnette, as she collected two armfuls of books and tapes Monday. The last day to check out items is March 18.

Daniel said he wasn’t sure yet what would become of the some the library’s collection. The board is planning on holding focus groups in the coming months to generate ideas, to which it will invite leaders in the community.

It’s possible that the Walker library would absorb Warren’s collection, but it’s not the biggest concern of Karen Valley, Walker director.

“It’s going to have a huge impact on our services,” Valley said about Warren library closing.

Valley said she’s still processing how the library is going to handle the increase in circulation she’s expecting, but that it would be impossible for the library to handle without more staffing.

Walker has a yearly circulation of 55,000 and, like many libraries, has seen an increase in people coming through the doors in recent months, with many unemployed residents turning to the library as a resource for information and Internet access.

But at the same time as the library as gotten busier, it lost two part-time staff members and $21,000 out of its budget in January, when the city was faced with a $580,000 shortfall in the total budget due to declining revenues from excise taxes and building permits.

With a staff that already has more than it can handle, taking on Warren’s circulation of 33,000 would be impossible without more people working, Valley said.

According to Hysko, Walker and Warren “have grown up together.” Warren’s collection has been more focused on the arts, and, Valley said, has been particularly popular with children and seniors.

“We kind of had it divvied up. Now it falls on my staff’s shoulders,” Valley said. “The community needs to have a discussion on what to do.”

Concerned patrons came to the City Council Monday to seek help in saving their library.

“I’m looking for community support,” said Kelly Watters, who said she’s lost sleep since hearing about the library closing.

Watters started a group on the social networking Web site, Facebook, called “Save the Warren Memorial Library!” which has garnered some 300 members.

Council President Brendan Rielly said he hoped to schedule a workshop for the public and the library’s board to discuss how to move forward.

Daniel said that while the board would be willing to meet with the council in order to generate ideas for what to do with the collection, it would not be holding a meeting for the general public.

Madeline Barron Morse, 5, reads in the children’s room at the Warren Memorial Library Monday.Quintessa Bissonnette, 8, collects armfuls of books and tapes at the Warren Memorial Library Monday. “They treat you like your family treats you, she says of the staff.