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Library reports surge in post‑reopening use and warns after‑school demand strains staffing
Summary
Library staff reported heavy circulation and program use since reopening in the new facility, described staffing constraints that limit expanding hours, and asked council to consider resources for sustained after‑school services and youth programming.
Takoma Park's library director reviewed the FY27 proposed budget and stressed that while the request is a maintenance‑of‑effort proposal, reopening the new facility has driven higher patron activity and created staffing strains during after‑school hours.
Director Jones said the library has seen a sharp uptick in activity since the new building opened, reporting roughly 43,500 items checked out in the roughly six months since a March 25 snapshot; by contrast the full pre‑pandemic year FY19 recorded about 74,000 items. She said the library operates on about 12.76 FTE and that personnel and fringe benefits account for most of the proposed 4.5% departmental spending increase.
Jones described core services: circulation and reference, expanded programming, a computer learning center that supports digital‑literacy needs, and a newly added passport office staffed by Sofia, who brings regionally rare expertise that yields outside revenue. She said volunteers and the Friends of the Takoma Park Library have substantially supplemented programming, and that many events are supported (in whole or part) by the friends organization.
The library highlighted a staffing bottleneck: after‑school hours (roughly 3–5 p.m.) require "all‑hands on deck," Jones said, and without additional FTEs the library cannot sustain meaningful expansion of open hours. She noted the library relies on substitutes and a pool of hourly staff to maintain coverage during peak programs and that the new, larger floor plan increases monitoring needs.
Council questions touched on data and partnerships: members asked for clearer accounting of Friends support, circulation and active card statistics, and whether the library could partner more closely with principals and the county mental‑health clinicians in the building. Jones said staff have begun coordinating with police and recreation staff on behavioral strategies and will provide more detailed metrics (active cards, program attendance) at council request.
What happens next: staff will provide follow‑up documentation on Friends of the Library contributions, active user and circulation trends, and program budgets; the council will weigh staffing tradeoffs as part of budget reconciliation.
