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Guthrie library board hears 2027 budget guidance and accepts donor support for summer reading
Summary
Director Cameron Smith briefed the board on 2027 budget guidance to keep spending flat, requested modest increases for library materials, and noted the Kiwanis Club will donate $1,000 toward summer reading.
The Guthrie Public Library advisory board discussed the 2027 budget on May 20 after Director Cameron Smith said city administration instructed departments to keep budgets largely flat.
Smith said the library completed several capital items (new tile, new roof, functioning AC) and cited an aging electrical system as the primary outstanding infrastructure concern. For operating budgets, Smith said she will submit a relatively flat request to city staff but proposed modest increases in library materials to offset inflation, listing $11,000 for print and $11,000 for electronic materials as the lines she is considering.
Smith told the board she has asked for limited changes rather than cuts and that most summer reading expenses are covered by grants and Friends of the Library fundraising. She said the Friends helped raise about $13,000 this year for summer reading and that the Kiwanis Club of Guthrie will present the library with a $1,000 check, typically used to support summer programming.
Smith also said she expects to submit staff evaluations and recommendations for pay raises to human resources and that she anticipates staff will receive increases this cycle. She told members she is not requesting significant personnel changes this year but would welcome additional part‑time help if budget circumstances permit.
Board members offered feedback on fee and postage items (interlibrary loan postage) and on the budget presentation; no formal budget amendments were made at the meeting.
