Jean Williams, executive director of the Jackson Hines Library System, told the Jackson City Council the library system is requesting level funding for fiscal year 2026 and outlined plans to modernize branches, deploy new public computers and a bookmobile, and reopen shuttered neighborhood branches. "We're asking for level funding," Williams said.

The nut graf: the library presentation matters because branches provide free internet access, public programs and meeting space in a city where officials said a substantial share of households lack broadband; reopening branches and major repairs require capital decisions and outside partnerships.

Williams, who said she had been on the job about two months, described recent accomplishments and near‑term priorities: a completed 2025–2030 strategic plan, new branding and website, a bookmobile expected in December or January, a systemwide upgrade to Windows 11 and more than 100 new public computers, and a newly established $1,500,000 endowment placed at the Community Foundation of Mississippi. Williams told the council the endowment proceeds will begin to be available in 2027.

She reviewed building and service needs. Williams said branches closed in the past for HVAC or flooding are mostly reopened, but some buildings still rely on temporary HVAC units and meeting rooms without air conditioning must close on very hot days. She described investments underway in furniture, lighting, signage and ADA access; said the system will expand self‑service options and after‑hours pickup; and said the library is exploring a "library of things" for short‑term loans of tools and equipment.

Council members asked about funding sources for reopening branches. Williams said the library cannot itself be a 501(c)(3) or fundraise directly, so it relies on friends groups, foundations and state aid. She said the city transferred a $1,500,000 endowment check to the Community Foundation of Mississippi about three weeks earlier. Williams also said the library receives state aid through the Mississippi Library Commission (the amount is included in the audit but depends on legislative funding) and that federal funding channels such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services are uncertain.

Williams said a possible HUD grant in the $3 million range could support a new branch (Teasdale/Tisdale were discussed) but that the grant requires identifying and securing suitable property before a grant agreement can be signed. "We have the potential for a HUD grant, in that $3,000,000 range, but we have to identify the property that we choose or that we're going to go with before we can sign that grant," Williams said.

She gave usage data from the presentation materials: a reported 50% year‑over‑year increase in story‑time attendance since 2023, more than 85,000 physical items and more than 21,000 digital items checked out year‑to‑date, and the audit shows friends‑group giving totaling roughly $42,117. Williams said the system is asking the council to consider how to prioritize reopening branches given limited resources.

Ending: Williams invited further engagement with council members on fundraising and reopening strategies and said she would return with more detailed plans and costs as the library and its partners scope property and project options.