Committee backs Executive library budget increases for world languages and digital collections

The Education and Culture Committee on April 30 accepted the County Executive’s FY26 operating recommendation for Montgomery County Public Libraries, endorsing targeted increases aimed at strengthening non‑English collections and digital access.

The county recommended a $2,101,138 (3.98%) increase in the library operating budget, with $153,000 added for world-language materials and $121,000 to expand the digital collection, Ambinder, the county staff presenter, told the committee.

Why it matters: Library staff said decades-old and uneven world-language holdings limit access for growing multilingual communities. Darcel Graham, Director of Libraries, introduced Felicity Brown, the collection manager, who said the system already maintains Spanish collections at 12 branches, Chinese at 10, Vietnamese at five and smaller collections in Korean, Amharic, French, Bengali, Farsi and Russian. Brown said the $153,000 allocation would target every listed language, with Spanish receiving the largest share (more than $50,000) and smaller languages allocated as little as about $3,500 to rebuild neglected collections.

Digital access: Committee members also pressed on rising demand for digital materials. Brown said digital usage now accounts for roughly 65% of checkouts; staff reported nearly 2,000 new Hoopla users per month and continuing demand for OverDrive/Libby. Brown and other library staff told the committee that maintaining the recommended funding would preserve a 5‑item monthly digital checkout limit per account. “If you hit that 5, you’re done and you have to go seek a different resource,” Brown said, describing accessibility concerns for patrons who cannot visit branches.

CIP amendments: Council staff described two library CIP amendments: a $20,000 net increase over six years for Clarksburg Library tied to added state aid, and a $1,155,000 net reduction over six years to the 21st‑century library enhancements project driven in part by underutilization and a shift of some funding to operating. Maddie Shellhart, digital transformation manager, urged the committee to preserve automated‑materials‑handler funding where possible, noting the expected multi‑hundred‑thousand dollar price tag and potential efficiency gains.

What’s next: The committee’s acceptance moves the operating recommendation forward to the full council as part of the FY26 budget process; CIP changes and any restorations (for example, restoring $200,000 in FY26 for the automated materials handler) would be placed on the reconciliation list for council consideration if members choose to pursue them.

Sources and context: Committee exchange and library staff presentations, April 30; librarians’ account of branch language coverage and digital checkout data were provided in the committee packet and discussed in session.

Ending: Committee members signaled ongoing interest in tracking digital‑vs‑print access and equity impacts as the council finalizes FY26 funding decisions.