Brownell Library directors, trustees outline staffing, safety and sustainability concerns

Brownell Library Director Wendy Hisco and Brownell trustee chair Jean Grant briefed the Junction City Council on March 26 about building pressures, staffing challenges, patron needs and planned policy work.

Hisco said construction at nearby Lincoln Hall has increased demands on the library’s meeting spaces and parking, and that staff have seen more patrons in crisis recently. “We’ve had to call emergency services, more regularly,” Hisco said, adding that outreach workers have been an important resource. She described efforts to manage the building and its services while staff cover additional duties and absences.

Hisco noted concern about possible federal funding reductions to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and described the importance of state Department of Libraries grants…