Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Proposed Budget 2025 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Library director presents proposed 2025 budget; requests larger collections fund and marketing vendor
Summary
The library presented a proposed 2025 budget that includes a proposed $1,000,000 collections allocation to boost digital and e‑materials, $50,000 for a marketing vendor, technology upgrades at branches, and a $3.5M transfer to capital for a building bond. Staff said digital circulation continues to grow and physical CD use has declined.
The Davis County Library director presented the proposed 2025 budget on Oct. 10, outlining priorities for collections, staffing, branch repairs and marketing as library use shifts toward digital formats.
Josh Johnson, the library director, told the board the system received roughly 5,300 survey responses that informed the budget priorities and that downloadable and streaming audiobooks are increasing in use. “Digital circulation is increasing; physical collections and circulation are not necessarily decreasing, which gives us a money problem because we have to buy things in multiple formats,” Johnson said.
Key budget proposals Johnson highlighted included:
- A proposed collections allocation of $1,000,000 to restore the collections spending percentage to prior levels and meet demand for digital materials on platforms such as Libby and Hoopla. - $50,000 budgeted for a marketing vendor to expand outreach to county residents who are not current patrons. - Technology upgrades and audiovisual equipment planned for Centerville and Layton branches and expanded 3‑D printing access at additional locations. - Personnel adjustments including a ‘librarian 2’ career ladder to provide internal advancement opportunities and reduce turnover. - A $3.5 million transfer from operations to capital to cover part of a building project; staff said the county will work with auditors and the clerk to structure bond/loan financing and terms.
Johnson said the system is two‑thirds staffed by part‑time employees and that staffing budget pressures and rising costs are constraining choices. He projected the system would still have a healthy fund balance next year and described an intended modest spend‑down (about $50,000) if adopted. The director said pay‑adjustment items such as COLA remain subject to countywide decisions during the budget process.
Board members asked about turnover savings, market competitiveness for pay and the tradeoffs between disc‑based collections and digital materials. Johnson said staff would continue to refine the budget and that the proposal presented is flexible: the board and the county commission can adjust items as the county budget process continues.
Next steps: the proposed budget will proceed through the county budget process; staff said they will return to the board with any material updates or specific procurement requests tied to the capital project.
