Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Library Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Library leaders tell selectmen fundraising, not imminent closure, is the priority after media report
Summary
Library board president and director told the Board of Selectmen that a recent article overstated risks and that the EC Scranton Memorial Library is pursuing fundraising and partnerships to address a $462,000 supplemental goal while continuing day-to-day operations and programs.
J. Keith Luckenbach, president of the EC Scranton Memorial Library Board of Trustees, told the Madison Board of Selectmen on Oct. 28 that a story suggesting the library might imminently close over a reported $462,000 shortfall was misleading and risked causing “undue alarm.” He said the amount represents a fundraising goal to supplement the library’s operating budget and does not mean the institution must close if donations fall short.
Alison Murphy, the library director, said the library’s usage and program numbers remain strong. “In fiscal year 23–24 we had over 106,000 visits to the library, circulated over 194,000 items, and held roughly 1,100 events attended by about 24,000 patrons,” Murphy said. She added that rooms in the building were reserved more than 2,600 times and that more than 10,000 patrons used meeting and study rooms, underscoring continuing demand for services.
Luckenbach said the library conducts ongoing fundraising—events, donor outreach and partnerships—and that leadership believes the goal can be met without resorting to closure. “The implication that the library will imminently close its doors if this goal isn’t immediately met misrepresents the situation,” he told the board.
The presentation was framed as both a clarification for the public and an early entry into next year’s budget discussions. Board members thanked the library representatives and emphasized that detailed budget questions would be addressed during the municipal budget process.
The board did not take any formal budget action at the Oct. 28 meeting; Murphy and the trustees said they will participate in standard budget briefings and continue fundraising and community outreach in the meantime.
The library’s statements at the meeting and the usage figures above were provided directly by the library president and director during the Oct. 28 Board of Selectmen meeting.
