Rural libraries tell county funding maintained but rising costs and programming demands persist

Directors from the five rural Tompkins County libraries and the Finger Lakes Library System told the county’s expanded budget committee on Sept. 15 that rural branches are seeing more visits and registered borrowers while facing flat county funding and rising operational costs. Sarah Glugowski, executive director of the Finger Lakes Library System, and directors from Newfield, Dryden, Lansing and Southworth summarized 2024 metrics and service changes. The presenters said the five rural libraries recorded more than 120,000 visits in 2024 — a 10 percent increase over 2023 — while circulation remained at about 270,000 items. They attributed the divergence to more in‑person use of programs, computer access, hotspot lending and “library of things” services such as state park and museum passes. Sarah Glugowski explained the system also supports interlibrary loans and shared IT services that allow local cards to access ebooks and audiobooks from neighboring systems. Library directors described expanded community services: summer reading programs, field trips with free transportation, telehealth kits and loanable mobile hotspots, expanded teleconferencing and Zoom programming, and partnerships with local school districts and county departments. They noted county funding has been restored in recent years after proposed cuts, and that the libraries rely on a mix of school tax ballots, local town funding, fundraising and grants; program budgets are small and many programs rely on grant or donated funds. Directors stressed staffing and utilities as the largest expense lines and said some rural buildings are historic and costly to maintain. Committee members asked about specific budget items and donor‑funded services; directors said the libraries routinely seek additional local support while leveraging county dollars through cooperative grants and the Finger Lakes Library System. The group asked the committee to consider the libraries’ outreach and connectivity work when weighing county support. No formal committee action was recorded during the session.