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Arlington residents press board to restore library funding, warn of impacts to digital collections and programs
Summary
Dozens of Arlington residents urged the County Board to avoid proposed cuts to Arlington Public Library in the FY2026 operating budget, focusing on e‑collections (OverDrive/Libby), Kanopy films, staffing and programming for seniors, immigrants and students.
Dozens of Arlington residents told the Arlington County Board on Tuesday evening that proposed cuts to the Arlington Public Library’s collections and staffing would harm residents who rely on the system’s digital resources, programs and safe public spaces.
Speakers said the library serves a wide range of needs — from job searches and digital databases to story times, maker spaces and programs for older adults — and argued that reducing the collections budget or eliminating positions would increase wait times for e‑books and audiovisual materials and shrink community programming.
Claire Christian, president of the Friends of the Arlington Library, said the library “held over…
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