Monona library director: county funding formula rewards physical circulation, leaving small libraries disadvantaged

Library Director Ryan walked the committee through the library’s 2026 request and the mechanics behind county reimbursement. He said the county formula primarily uses physical circulation (books, CDs, DVDs and circulating kits) and a three‑year rolling average to calculate municipal reimbursements, and that digital checkouts (eaudiobooks/ebooks) are not counted for the reimbursement formula. “The major component is the circulation,” Ryan said, noting Monona’s physical circulation increased by 6.4% this past year.

Ryan described ongoing work among Dane County library directors to examine the formula and possible fixes, including ideas such as a floor for distributions or adding programming metrics to the base calculation. He warned those changes take time and that, because the county method is a multi‑year average, recent circulation improvements may not produce immediate reimbursement increases. Ryan also gave practical steps he’s using locally to increase circulation, including outreach, a mobile “library bike” and targeted youth services kits.

Council members pressed on details: which items count in the formula (Ryan clarified that physical audiobooks count but Libby eaudiobooks do not), whether a central door count would help measurement, and whether a county‑level programming tax could be considered; Ryan said these options are under discussion but not approved and offered to share committee materials and comparative data (for example, Verona’s high per‑capita circulation). The committee asked Ryan to provide additional written comparisons for members before the next budget step.

Ryan’s comments were largely informational; no council action on library appropriations occurred at the meeting.