Library trustees ask Escondido council to boost stagnant collection budget after digital costs rise

Marbel Cruz Reyes, president of the Escondido Library Board of Trustees, told the council the library has been operating as a "fine free" library since measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and that the system now serves about 100,000 registered borrowers. The board reported digital services now represent roughly 20% of usage and rising per-use fees prompted the board, in consultation with the library director, to set a $15,000 annual cap on the Hoopla digital service and reduce monthly checkout limits per patron from five items to three.

Trustees said the policy change was intended to prioritize city resources for verified Escondido residents after staff found non‑resident usage consuming daily caps. John Schwab, a board member, outlined collection budget history and comparative benchmarks, saying the collection budget has been held near $250,000 since 2018 while other operating contract budgets rose. Schwab recommended increasing the collection budget toward the per‑capita median for comparable cities (estimating a target range of $300,000–$350,000) and tying future increases to an annual escalation mechanism.

Council members asked whether removing fines increased visits or checkouts and whether the mall temporary location affected circulation. Trustees said checkouts increased after the mall location opened but that data linking changes to specific causes was limited. Council members expressed support for reviewing collection funding in the upcoming budget process and asked staff to include the trustees' request for consideration.