Armed security guards will be stationed next week at Gilbert's two libraries, Southeast Regional and Perry Branch, but it will come at a cost to patrons and has caused concern among some town officials.

Southeast Regional, which has had no guard since last July, will reinstate one guard on Tuesday. Perry branch, which never had a dedicated security guard since its inception but relied on guards from Perry High School during emergencies, will receive a guard on Thursday. The latter library is on the school campus.

In return, Southeast Regional will close on Sundays, leave a vacant staff position open and have less money for materials like books and CDs, thereby saving about $66,000. Perry Branch will eliminate a vacant full-time staff position and have less funds for materials, thereby saving about $55,000. The total cost of security guards for both libraries is about $95,000 annually.

The move was approved by the Maricopa County Board of Library Directors. The guards will be supplied by the county.

Some town officials were surprised that the guards will be armed.

Jim Norman, director of the town's Community Services Department, said he is not satisfied with the resolution of the problem and that there are "more things to work out."

Norman said neither Community Services nor the Gilbert Police Department were in favor of placing armed guards in the libraries.

The risks at the libraries did not warrant armed guards, Norman said. And if it did, he would want them to be sworn Gilbert Police Department officers. Also, the location of the libraries is hardly crime-ridden, he pointed out.

"Other city libraries do not have armed guards," Norman said.

"The level of security response should be based on the level of activity," he said, adding that viewing pornography, yelling and complaining did not require lethal force.

The security guards come after former library manager Andrew Chanse presented a troubling situation at Southeast Regional first to the Parks, Recreation and Library Services Advisory Board earlier this year and then to Gilbert Town Council in June.

Chanse, who is now the branch operations administrator, spoke of the hostile environment and issues his staff faced from time to time with irate patrons and thefts.

"We've seen a dramatic increase in threats from customers over fines because we provide access to information, we provide access to the computers, people claiming unemployment benefits, things that are very immediate to the public in need, we provide," Chanse told the Gilbert Town Council. "So they have an emotional attachment to us and when they don't get that, they get angry. They take it out on the staff."

Harry R. Courtright, library district director and a county librarian, said in a press release: "Over the past year since security service was suspended at Southeast, we have become increasingly concerned about the safety of our staff and customers, particularly children.

"Some individuals have become unruly because of disagreements about late fees and the like. Our employees have been threatened by customers. In these instances, the police had to be notified. Because of these types of issues and our responsibility to provide a safe environment for staff and customers, we prefer to be proactive in the area of security."