St. Paul library board adopts spending amendment as staff warns proposed cuts would shrink collections and raise wait times

The St. Paul Public Library Board voted unanimously to amend the library agency’s 2025 financing and spending plans to allow the city to encumber additional Friends funds, and library staff warned that a proposed reduction in the collections budget would shrink purchasing power and raise wait times for materials.

Director Hartman told the board, “The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library have additional funds to transfer to the library before the end of the year in support of transforming libraries and youth and family services programs. This resolution increases our special funds of spending authority to allow us to encumber and spend those funds.”

Library staff said the city’s proposed budget includes a $65,079 reduction to the materials budget — about 6.3% — and that the Friends have agreed to lead a special fundraising effort to raise $40,000 to offset the cut, which staff estimated would reduce the effective cut to about 2.4%.

Josh Schafer, identified in the meeting as a library staff presenter, gave an overview of the collections budget and funding sources. He said levy revenue for collections is about $857,000, the library applies annually for a competitive Cultural STAR grant of $175,000, and special-fund and general-fund…