Nashville Public Library asks Metro Council for staffing, collections and program investments in FY27

Director Luke, director of the Nashville Public Library, presented the library's FY27 funding priorities to the Metro Council, asking for seven targeted investments to shore up staffing, collections, programs and services across 21 branches.

Luke said the library is serving record demand: "NPL has hosted 1.7 million visits so far across all of our 21 locations and we are on track to reach a projected 2.4 million visits by the end of this fiscal year," and urged predictable funding to meet that demand. He told council members the system measures five metrics (visits, card registrations, public-computer/Wi-Fi use, meeting-room use and borrowing) and tracks targets monthly with the mayor's office.

Why it matters: Luke framed the request as preserving essential services that connect residents to jobs, learning and health supports. He warned that digital-material costs and unstable 4% capital receipts make it difficult to maintain and grow the library collection without moving books-and-materials funding into the city's operating budget.

Key requests and context

- Branch staffing: Luke said the Bordeaux branch needs at least 15 full-time equivalents to run optimally and that, after proposed hires, three community branches will still be below the state's recommended minimum staffing level. "This year we asked for the two that would bring us up at the regional branches'...with these two, we'll be three short for next year," he said.

- Systemwide program manager: NPL seeks a full-time manager to lead citywide summer reading and other programming; summer reading participation rose from 79 participants in 2022 to more than 12,000 in 2025, which Luke tied to student success.

- Collection funding: Luke reported more than 7 million checkouts in FY25 and said e-materials are rising sharply: "E-books, audiobooks, and other digital formats alone represent more than 3.2 million checkouts at a cost of more than 2.3 million dollars," with forecasts of 4.3 million e-checkouts and about $2.8 million in cost by the end of the fiscal year. He recommended moving collection funding out of Metro's variable 4% receipts into the operating budget for stability, saying "it takes 4 million annually not to grow, but to simply maintain this collection."

- Main library staffing and shuttle: After a June 10 parking-garage fire forced an emergency closure, NPL requested a funded staff shuttle between employee parking and the main library. Luke said the shuttle was not included in the mayor's proposed budget and the library will try to absorb parking impacts for staff until a permanent solution is available.

- Community health and Be Well at NPL: NPL asked to expand Be Well beyond one staffer; Luke said the program hosted about 1,900 events for 22,000 participants in FY25 and expects to grow reach with additional staff.

- Digital inclusion: The library requested a program specialist to expand services in ZIP codes with limited connectivity (37207, 37208, 37211) and to scale services for seniors; the digital inclusion team served more than 1,400 seniors in FY25.

- Bookmobile positions: NPL seeks two metro-funded Bookmobile positions (outreach coordinator and outreach associate) to replace grant-funded roles; the Bookmobile serves 26 local charter schools without school libraries.

Council questions and responses

Vice Chair Spain asked whether the library tracks benchmarks; Luke said the library tracks targets monthly and reports to the mayor's office. Councilmember Evan Sigafoos recounted long e-book wait lists and noted that e-books now account for roughly 70% of circulation in some categories; he said he encountered being "801st in line" for a popular e-title. In response to a question on why e-books are leased, Luke said "there is no vendor that allows you to buy the ebook. We have to lease them," and described the high per-unit leasing cost compared with print.

On the shuttle, NPL said the mayor's budget did not include the request and the library plans to absorb costs in the short term; staff with mobility issues are harder to accommodate without transportation support. Luke also described temporary parking arrangements (90 minutes for a small fee at nearby garages) and said the library will continue to press for a funded solution.

Budget pressures and operations

Luke said a 1.5% budget-efficiency adjustment will be managed by prioritizing staffing and using vacant positions to meet reductions where possible. He also noted security-guard positions are hard to fill and that pay scales are governed by Metro Civil Service classifications, limiting immediate salary adjustments.

The presentation closed with council thanks; the body did not vote on any FY27 items during the session and the meeting adjourned to resume next week.