At the July 16 meeting, Mabel C. Fry Public Library Director Shauna Deeds told the board she is reviewing the library’s budget to respond to rising demand for digital materials and to the loss of a full-time position.
Deeds said digital checkouts through Libby are roughly 40% of the library’s physical circulation and that demand for ebooks and downloadable audiobooks has grown sharply. "Those numbers are roughly 40% of what we circulate physically in house," she said. "I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of the year, we close in on 50/50 with digital resources versus physical resources."
She told the board that digital items are generally more expensive than physical items and that the library’s historical allocations have favored the physical collection. To respond, Deeds said she is evaluating past spending, considering shifting funds from low-circulating collections to digital purchases and exploring other revenue sources.
The director also said the library is "still down 1 full time position from previous years, as it was not included in this year's fiscal budget." She said she would discuss staffing needs with the city administration and the city council but did not report any commitment to restoring the position this fiscal year.
Deeds said she is working on a budgeting system and the library’s state report; she did not yet know how the prior-year staff reduction will affect eligibility for state aid. "I'm currently working on the state report, so I don't have an update yet, as to how the reduction in staff last year will affect our status for state aid," she told the board. The finance director has offered to help with budget planning, and Deeds said she participates in a public library director’s council for peer advice.
No budget appropriations, transfers or formal fiscal decisions were taken during the meeting. Deeds told the board she will return with budget details and a clearer assessment of state-aid implications at a future meeting.