Blue Ridge Regional Library asks Patrick County for increased funding to cover wage pressures

Library officials presented circulation and program statistics and asked the board to consider increased local funding to offset staff-wage compression caused by a state minimum-wage increase.

Rick Ward, director of the Blue Ridge Regional Library, introduced Gary Clifton, the Patrick County branch manager, who summarized last year’s activity: the Patrick County branch and bookmobile combined circulated nearly 57,000 items and recorded about 43,000 visits; the branch delivered 29 children’s and teen programs during the summer-reading season with 434 youth participants and had several adult program offerings. Clifton said the bookmobile visits every elementary school in the county and reached remote patrons via outreach events.

Ward said rising minimum-wage costs have tightened the library’s payroll budget and that the system needs a 5% increase on this year’s county contribution to manage salary compression and maintain service levels. He said the library’s operating model includes free Wi‑Fi (extended into the parking lot), public‑access computers, e‑resources such as Hoopla and Ancestry (free to patrons), and community events such as youth art month and the annual “castle party.”

Supervisors asked clarifying questions; Ward and Clifton offered to meet with county staff on a formal budget request. Ward said he had submitted the formal request to the county administrator and clerk. No formal appropriation vote occurred at the meeting; the item was presented as a budget request for the upcoming fiscal process.

Library staff encouraged residents to visit the branch or bookmobile and noted the role of library services in preventing summer academic “slide” among children.