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Library director proposes moving collections funding into operating budget, asks for $5M
Summary
NPL director proposed shifting materials/collections funding from the 4% capital allocation to the operating budget and requested $5 million to stabilize collections amid rising e-book costs; trustees debated risks and a potential $2M short-term foundation bridge.
The Nashville Public Library director told trustees she will ask Metro for $5 million in the operating budget to fund library collections and proposed moving materials funding out of the capital 4% allocation and into the operating budget.
Director argued that relying on 4% capital allocations has left the library unable to plan predictably for collections, especially as e-book usage has climbed to about 70% of circulation and licensing costs have increased sharply. “For a system our size, we should really have $7,000,000 a year,” the director said, citing a review of comparable systems by the collections manager.
Board members expressed mixed views. Several trustees praised the rationale but cautioned that moving collections funding into operating creates exposure to annual operating budget cuts; one trustee recounted a past period when operating cuts forced branches to reduce hours. Collections staff and the director said the foundation is exploring a limited, transitional contribution (the foundation representative described a possible $2 million commitment over a short period) to bridge the gap while Metro considers increasing operating support.
Staff recommended hedging the risk by proposing the collections funding in both the capital plan and operating budget during the budget submission process so Council may consider either package. The director said she plans to discuss the approach with the mayor in an upcoming quarterly meeting and will report back to trustees.
What happens next: staff will discuss the proposal with the mayor’s office and Metro Finance, include the request in budget submissions and report progress at the next board meeting.
