Goodhue County libraries report rising visits and program attendance but warn of funding and staffing pressures

Goodhue County library directors told the county committee of the whole that library visits, program offerings and in‑library computer use rose in 2024, even as directors urged the county for more funding to address personnel and material‑cost pressures.

The year‑end report, delivered by Michelle Adi, director at Kenyon, and other local directors, said the county recorded 246,720 patron visits in 2024 — about a 5% increase from 2023 — and offered roughly 200 more programs than the prior year (an increase the presenters characterized as about 13%). Total program attendance for 2024 was 28,553. Adi also reported total items circulated across the county of 445,740, which the presenters said included approximately 50,000 digital circulations.

Why it matters: directors said libraries are increasingly serving as community hubs for digital access, job and benefits assistance, and basic transactions — services that are often unavailable elsewhere in smaller towns. "Libraries are community space," Adi said. "This possibly might be the only public space accessible for certain services or organizations, and I know that for sure in a small town."

Directors highlighted growing demand for in‑library computers (19,673 computer sessions reported, a nearly 12% increase) even as Wi‑Fi sessions were reported slightly lower (19,791). Presenters attributed the computer demand to households that rely on phones for internet access but need computers for tasks such as printing, legal forms, test proctoring and job applications.

Funding and costs: multiple directors warned that operating budgets are strained. One director said libraries would benefit from an approximate 15% increase in county support to meet personnel and program needs. Speakers described rising personnel costs driven by pay‑equity adjustments tied to local union contracts and noted that more than half of many libraries' budgets go to staff. Rising book and supply costs were described as another mounting pressure: one director said their book budget was roughly $4,000 lower than in 2021 after absorbing price increases and supply changes, and noted reliance on more expensive retailers when preferred vendor discounts are unavailable.

State and regional funding changes: Krista Ross Selko, identified in the meeting as an executive director participating online, said a state funding adjustment increased the funding base distributed across regions and allowed SELCO to move many technology fees into state funding. As a result, she said, fees as a portion of SELCO revenue fell substantially in the most recent fiscal year and libraries saw a reduction in fees charged through SELCO.

Clarifying the funding flow: committee members and presenters clarified that county levy dollars collected for libraries go directly to local libraries and are not retained by SELCO; SELCO serves as a facilitator that distributes or administers services. A presenter also noted that state law requires counties to be parties to SELCO agreements, which is why counties participate in the regional structure.

Operational issues: presenters discussed the recent migration to a new shared library database after more than two decades on the prior system. Directors and board members said such migrations typically take six months to a year to resolve data and workflow issues, especially across a federated system of 36 libraries that vary in policies, size and technical needs.

Next steps: directors thanked the county for support and asked that officials consider funding pressures during upcoming budget deliberations; no formal motions or votes were recorded in the session. The committee planned to begin its board meeting at 9 a.m. after a short break.

Sources and attribution: direct quotes and figures above are from the county committee presentation and Q&A with Michelle Adi (director at Kenyon), James Hill (director, Zambrano Public Library), Rachel Gray (Pine Island), Nicole Miller (Campbells) and Krista Ross Selko (executive director), as recorded in the committee transcript.