Belvedere Tiburon Library reports $3.57 million budget, program growth and expanded volunteer program

The Belvedere Tiburon Library reported Tuesday that its 2024–25 operating budget totals $3.57 million and that the agency held about $2.5 million in reserves as of January, according to Library Director Crystal Duran.

Duran told the Belvedere City Council the library spends roughly two-thirds of its budget on personnel and plans program expansions and new volunteer recruitment, while the agency will retire its original construction bond in fiscal year 2026–27.

The library’s three-year strategic plan, adopted in January 2024, is guiding service changes that staff said are driven by public feedback and higher digital demand. Duran said the budget breakdown for FY24–25 is roughly 66% personnel, 12% for collections and programs, 17% for overhead and technology and 4% toward paying the bond on the 1501 Tiburon building. She said the library maintains approximately a 27% reserve level of operating costs.

Duran highlighted several service changes and usage metrics: the library will expand one-on-one tech-help hours from weekly to twice weekly because demand is high; it is increasing its e-book spending to reduce wait times; it is adding AI-related workshops and programming on ethical uses of AI; and it is relaying out parts of the collection to improve wayfinding. Duran also described partnerships with local groups — including the Rotary Club and Audubon Society — and a makerspace that houses a laser cutter, 3D printers and media digitization equipment.

Board chair Tony (last name redacted in the meeting record) said the library’s success can be measured simply: “The parking lot is full.” He told the council the library has more than 41 volunteers helping with books, art shows and events, and he said the agency is essentially debt-free aside from a small bond that will be paid off next year.

Duran gave usage numbers for July 2024–February 2025: more than 94,000 visits to the facility, just over 71,000 items checked out (print and digital combined) and about 9,492 active cardholders. She said the library has posted more than 16 art exhibits since September 2022 and plans donor and community events in 2025 to mark the library’s 30th anniversary of the joint powers agreement that created the Belvedere Tiburon Library in 1995.

During public comment, resident Dr. Rothman said he attended a recent library board meeting in which donors raised concerns about administrative dysfunction and criticized the firing of a longtime program coordinator, identified in public comments as Milos Petrovic. Duran and trustees acknowledged Dr. Rothman’s remarks but did not present new personnel details at the meeting.

Council members praised the library’s strategic plan and the progress staff have made putting it into practice. Several said they were pleased to see increased community engagement via events and the makerspace, and thanked staff and volunteers for the work.

The council took no formal action on the library presentation. Staff said recordings of related public forums, including a recent fire-safety program co-hosted with Tiburon, are available on the Belvedere and Tiburon websites.

Looking ahead, the library plans volunteer recruitment tied to its new volunteer program, additional digital-literacy workshops and continued partnerships with civic groups to broaden program offerings.

(Reporting note: budget figures, usage counts and reserve amounts come from the library director’s presentation to the Belvedere City Council on March 10, 2025.)