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Emma Mishke urges Beltrami County to restore library funding after cuts
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Summary
Emma Mishke, a Bemidji social worker, told the Beltrami County Board that 2026 budget cuts have reduced library hours and staffing, harming vulnerable residents who rely on the library for internet access, job help and children's programs and urged the board to reconsider the reductions.
Emma Mishke, a master's-level social worker and lifelong Bemidji resident, told the Beltrami County Board during public comment that reductions in the county budget have led to library hour and staffing cuts that are harming vulnerable residents.
"The library system truly serves, and is a lifeline for thousands of our county residents," Mishke said, urging the board to "reflect upon whether the long term costs associated with the social ills that occur when folks can't access basic resources outweigh initial investment in library services." She described libraries as gateways to academic databases, printers, meeting spaces, children's programming and other supports that help people find jobs and meet legal or administrative requirements.
Mishke said she has seen clients who rely on libraries for basic connections and services and asked commissioners to weigh the long-term social and economic consequences of disinvestment. "As a result of the funding cuts, folks are gonna experience undue challenges in accessing employment or technology," she said.
The comment was part of the meeting's public-comment period; the board did not take immediate action on library funding during the session. After the public comment the board proceeded to routine agenda and consent items.
Why it matters: County libraries provide free or reduced-cost services that community members use for job searches, legal forms, children's education and social support. Commissioners and staff will decide budget allocations in upcoming steps; public comments like Mishke's are part of the record and public input the board can consider before final budget decisions.
