Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Libraries topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Story County library leaders ask for 5% county funding increase as officials hear examples of libraries’ community role
Summary
Library directors representing Story County’s 11 libraries asked county officials on Feb. 5 for a 5% increase in county funding and described services — from partner-led health programs to safe spaces for children — while the board said it would consider the request during ongoing budget deliberations.
On Feb. 5, library representatives met with Story County officials at a 3 p.m. work session to request a 5% increase in county funding for the county’s 11 libraries and outline how libraries serve as community hubs.
Cathy Van Moden of Huxley Public Library and Laurie Hazel of Cambridge Memorial Library told the board they had earlier submitted a letter (in October) outlining the request and said they were representing all 11 libraries. "Story County has a lot of small towns," Van Moden said, explaining the challenge of spreading limited funds across many small-community branches and the importance of maintaining core services.
The presenters highlighted recent partnerships and programming. They said organizations including Mary Greeley and the American Heart Association have begun offering programs and grants through libraries, and that materials and sign-ups have quickly reached residents through library outreach. Van Moden described a recent incident in which a third- or fourth-grade child who missed a bus sought help at the library; staff contacted the child’s parent and later received an email of thanks, which the presenters used to illustrate libraries’ role as safe, trusted community spaces. "We are a safe place," Van Moden said.
Speakers also described family-focused offerings: a library 'library of things' for borrowing educational materials and an emerging homeschooling cohort that community members can use for planning and shared activities. Representatives said those services grew out of programming developed during the COVID-19 period and continue to be important to rural and small-town residents.
County staff and supervisors present expressed appreciation for the libraries’ work and said they would consider the funding request during the county’s ongoing budget deliberations. No formal vote or commitment was made at the work session.
The meeting closed with an invitation from library representatives for county supervisors and legislators to visit branch libraries across Story County so elected officials could see programs and community needs in person. The board thanked the library representatives for their time; deliberations on the county budget were ongoing.
