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Acton libraries expand programs, flag rising digital content costs; preservation assessment planned
Summary
Library director Maria Palacio reported more programs and stable staffing; trustees won a $25,100 cultural council grant for a Holi event, and the libraries will seek a preservation assessment and track digital subscription costs amid rising prices for streaming and databases.
Maria Palacio, director of Acton Libraries, and assistant director Carrie Darcy presented the libraries’ FY26 budget narrative and described programming and collection priorities.
Palacio said the libraries doubled programs from FY22 to FY24, adding study rooms and community programming such as the Holi celebration; the libraries received a $25,100 Massachusetts Cultural Council grant to support the 2025 Holi celebration. She said circulation remains near pre‑pandemic levels but that physical visits lag behind — a pattern library staff attributed to growth in ebook and streaming use through services such as Hoopla and other databases.
The directors asked the Select Board and Finance Committee to note rising digital content and streaming costs. The budget narrative breaks the collection into categories (periodicals, streaming databases, AV, museum passes and a “library of things”) so librarians can track these expenses and meet state reporting requirements. The library also plans to seek a CPC preservation assessment to evaluate archival collections and guide a preservation plan; staff noted archives and digitization needs and said storage and preservation are ongoing concerns.
Palacio described a modest personnel increase that reflects filling prior vacancies and reorganizing part‑time positions to increase service hours; she said the FY26 proposed staffing level reflects a more stable, fully staffed configuration.
Ending: Library staff will pursue the preservation assessment and continue to monitor digital subscription costs while maintaining programs and community gathering services.
