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State library capital grants meet FY26 mandate but demand far outpaces funds, agency says
Summary
The Maryland State Library Agency’s FY26 capital program meets the statutory minimum but county requests already exceed anticipated funding; the agency urged continued support and flagged aging facilities and major needs in Baltimore City.
Natalia Andrade of DLS told the subcommittee that the FY26 capital allowance meets the statutory $7.5 million allocation for library projects and that nine projects across nine jurisdictions are proposed for funding. DLS noted the program’s competitive pipeline and warned future requests could consume most planned FY27–29 funding if the counties’ submitted requests proceed.
State Librarian Morgan L. Miller told the committee the program catalyzes local investment and highlighted that with FY26 funding Maryland will have supported projects in all 24 counties since the program’s creation. Miller said a recent statewide facility assessment found 123 of 192 public library buildings are over 25 years old and identified urgent capital needs — new roofs, ADA alterations, HVAC replacements, technology upgrades, and renovations — with long‑term replacement costs far exceeding the current annual mandate.
“Since this program's creation, the state's $101 million investment has generated more than $380 million in local matching funds and supported 21 new libraries in Maryland,” Miller said. She asked the committee to consider the program’s competitive review and, in the longer term, to evaluate raising the state mandate to match demand and address deferred maintenance and replacement needs across the library system.
