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Josephine Community Library presents FY 2024-25 annual report highlighting Illinois Valley renovation, digital programs and financial reserves
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Summary
The library district provided its FY 2024-25 annual report (Exhibit 1), noting 294,458 physical checkouts, growth in digital loans, the Illinois Valley renovation and reopening, a $1.5 million CDBG for renovation, and year-end reserves totaling $1,273,750.
The Josephine Community Library District's FY 2024-25 annual report was filed with the Board as Exhibit 1 during the April 8 meeting and documents facility improvements, program growth, and financial results.
The district reported 294,458 physical checkouts for FY 2024-25 (a modest decline from the previous year, attributed mainly to the temporary July–October 2024 closure of the Illinois Valley branch). Electronic loans rose to 61,978. Active library cards reached 25,910 and the systemwide turnover rate for physical items was 1.99.
Capital accomplishments included reopening the renovated Illinois Valley branch in November 2024 with an 80-person meeting room, a community teaching kitchen, ADA-compliant entrances and restrooms, and sustainable landscaping; the Illinois Valley reopening drew more than 300 community members and recorded roughly 18,000 circulations since reopening. The report cites a $1.5 million Community Development Block Grant administered through the City of Cave Junction as instrumental in funding the Illinois Valley renovation.
The report also highlights the Computer Basics digital-literacy initiative (supported by a $50,000 LSTA grant and a $20,000 Oregon Community Foundation grant), which delivered bilingual six-week courses, issued refurbished laptops to graduates, provided 2,903 one-on-one tech-help sessions and secured another year of LSTA funding for expansion.
Governance and finance details list a staff of 19 (12.5 FTE), revenues of $1,952,000, operating expenses of $1,740,000, and a year-end General Fund carryover of $1,273,750 with transfers to reserves ($150,000 to Operations Reserve; $122,800 to Capital Reserve). The report names Library Director Kate Lasky and board members and records recognition awards given to the director.
The report includes patron testimonials such as a youth patron who said, "Graphic novels help me read. The words don't jump around. I feel like a reader — just like the rest of my family," and a Computer Basics graduate who described the program as "life-changing." These remarks are cited in the district's annual report and attributed to patrons in the report text.
What happens next: The district will continue facility planning for a new downtown Grants Pass library, pursue funding and lease/relocation discussions, and implement year-two expansions of digital-literacy programming as noted in the report.