Harrison County Library seeks 3% operating increase; asks Biloxi to consider millage support

Sarah Chrisler Ruski, director of the Harrison County Library System, told the Biloxi City Council the system is seeking a 3% increase from municipal funders as part of the non-departmental budget review to address staff pay and depleted materials. Why it matters: The county library system provides public library services across Harrison County, including four branches in Biloxi. Library leaders said pay is low enough to hurt recruitment and retention for youth services and other front-line staff; they said materials budgets are well below historic levels. In testimony the director said the Biloxi portion of the system includes four branches and 25 Biloxi-based employees; she said 72% of those staff make $13 an hour or less and that no Biloxi library employee earns more than $19 an hour. The library…