Humboldt County librarians outline services, ask supervisors to repeat prior-year funding

Julie Larson, director for the Humboldt County Libraries, briefed the Board of Supervisors on library programming, usage and funding needs and said the libraries are requesting the same county support as in the prior year.

Larson told supervisors the system is “very busy,” describing summer reading programs that serve infants through adults, large-attendance special events like ISU’s bug zoo, technology-help sessions for older residents, and seed- and gardening-related workshops. She said the library system recently added Hoopla, a streaming and digital content service, available to Humboldt County residents with a Humboldt library card.

Larson raised rising costs for utilities, technology upgrades and staff wages, saying those expenses are beyond local control and are included in the libraries’ budgets. She told supervisors she submitted a budget to her city and reorganized internal line items rather than asking for a larger increase; she said, however, that costs have grown and staff pay pressure exists.

Larson also voiced concern about proposed state-level changes to property tax and mental-health programs discussed at the Iowa legislative leadership meeting in Des Moines; she urged local advocacy to preserve local control and warned that statewide changes may not fit rural needs. A supervisor who attended the Iowa Community Action legislative meeting summarized concerns expressed there about wind-project impacts on county roads and drainage, eminent-domain issues and potential fiscal impacts to counties.

When a supervisor asked whether the request amount was the same as last year, Larson confirmed the request was the same; the dollar amount was not specified in the recorded transcript. Supervisors thanked the library representatives and asked for follow-up material.