The New Canaan Library asked the Board of Selectmen Jan. 7 for a one-time adjustment to its town grant to establish a new operational baseline after the first full year of activity in the library istrictuilding.

Library CEO Allen and Library Director Cheryl presented data showing continued, steep increases in building use after the new facility opened. "We've come to see ourselves as really victims of our own success," Allen told the board, noting daily foot traffic of roughly 1,600 people on many days and 355,000 visitors in the previous 12 months.

Why it matters: Usage far outstrips the library's expectations when the new building opened, and the operating budget set during planning does not fully reflect the higher, sustained demand for custodial services, audio-visual support for frequent programs, and expanded digital content and programming.

Key requests and rationale
- One-time baseline reset: The library requested an aggregate increase to the town grant of about $222,000, primarily for salaries and compensation to fund a full-time custodial role and a part-time audio-visual technician. Library leaders said roughly 70 percent of the request is compensation-related.
- Programming and collections: Staff asked to restore and modestly increase funding for adult and children
nd teen programming and to increase the digital/e-book budget by $18,000 to reduce long hold lists for popular e-books and e-audiobooks.
- Facilities and energy: Library officials said commissioning work and full-year solar operation have substantially reduced electricity use compared with the first year of occupancy, but building systems and the larger footprint raise ongoing maintenance needs.

Details and evidence: The presentation compared the libraryavorably with peer libraries on programming while noting it lagged on per-capita municipal support. Staff described a heavy turnover of small meeting spaces and frequent after-hours events that require AV troubleshooting; those demands would be eased by a dedicated AV technician, the presentation said. The library reported it issued about 22,100 new library cards in the period and that program attendance and wait lists remain high. Leaders also said their fundraising remains strong and that the library continues to be the highest fundraising public library in the state by annual receipts.

What the board asked: Selectmen asked for clarity about what was town-funded (operating grant) versus sunk capital and philanthropic support for the building. Board members also asked how the endowment and outstanding building-related obligations (the library reported about $2.4 million remaining on a line of credit) fit into long-term plans. Library leaders said a legacy-building planning committee will begin scoping the long-term future for the prior library building and that the committee will balance historic constraints, code requirements and fundraising options.

Outcome and next steps: The library presentation was informational; the board did not vote on the request at the Jan. 7 meeting. Library leaders said they would continue to refine budget figures and to coordinate with the town on energy and legacy-building planning. Library and board staff agreed to continue conversations about fees for rentals, capital needs and how new revenue streams (for example, expanded rentals) might be used to build reserves.

Ending: Library leaders emphasized that additional operating support aims to preserve services residents now rely on and to avoid cutting hours or programming as usage continues to grow.