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Library directors ask county for budget boost; Dolly Parton Imagination Library needs roughly $50,000 to bridge grant timing
Summary
Library directors presented services and asked the county to increase per-capita funding by about 7.6 percent; staff said the Dolly Parton Imagination Library has roughly three months of funding and needs additional local dollars if grant awards are delayed.
Library leaders from Black Hawk County presented Feb. 11 on services across seven municipal libraries and the unincorporated county area and requested a 7.6 percent increase in county funding for fiscal 2026.
David Eckert, director of the Waterloo Public Library speaking for area libraries, described the libraries'role as community hubs offering Wi-Fi, makerspaces, job-search help, passport services and early-childhood programs. He highlighted the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program, reporting about 2,600 children are enrolled of roughly 8,800 eligible (about 30 percent enrollment), and that per-book costs have been kept to approximately $2.60 per mailed book under the program (book plus mailing).
Funding details: Eckert said the Imagination Library has about three months'worth of local funding remaining while the group awaits a grant award (a McElroy Foundation grant and an application to the Northeast Iowa Community Foundation were mentioned). Eckert said the program needs about $50,000 more to get through the current year and estimated roughly $150,000 would be required next year based on enrollment trends.
Why it matters: The libraries provide services used countywide, the presenters said, and the Imagination Library is a visible program that sends one book per month to enrolled children. Board members asked whether a July budget allocation would be timely; library staff said a July 1 allocation would help cover an expected funding gap.
Other highlights: The presentation summarized circulation and program increases at smaller libraries, new shared integrated library software for Cedar Falls and Waterloo, youth and teen space improvements at Waterloo Public Library and a new building for Janesville Public Library.
Ending: Library staff asked the board to consider the 7.6 percent increase in the upcoming budget and said they would provide any requested detailed breakdowns of municipal contributions and per-capita calculations.
