Library board asks Coventry council to restore funds for staff raises, Monday hours and repairs

At a March 9 special meeting, Booth and Dimock Memorial Library Director Margaret Kahn and Library Board President Joseph Jankowski told the Coventry Town Council the library’s proposed FY26/27 budget is larger than the Town Manager’s recommendation and asked the council to restore funding to support staff pay, expanded hours and building repairs.

Kahn said the library’s proposal would allow a baseline 2.5% cost-of-living increase for employees (with a 3.5% baseline for minimum-wage shelvers) and fund expanded Monday hours that the board estimates would add roughly 18% more weekly staff hours. The board requested adding $15,000 to the Town Manager’s recommended bottom line to secure the 2.5% increase and an additional $5,000 for programs.

The request, the presenters said, comes as usage of library services rises: total circulation is at a six-year high, the library issued 932 new cards over the last two years, and as of June 2025 there were 3,404 Coventry residents with active library cards. Kahn cited a library value-calculator finding that "for every $1 spent, $8.12 was returned back to the community." She also told councilors that materials and program spending have not kept pace with rising costs and that the library’s proposed per-capita expense in the budget is $2.84, below a state-indicated baseline of $4 per capita.

Councilors asked detailed questions about line items. Councilor Julie Blanchard questioned the number and cost of telephone lines; Kahn said the library is on the town contract and maintains additional lines for fax and security. Finance Director Cherie Trahan explained that some grants and contributions are recorded quarterly and will be reflected on monthly expenditure summaries once associated expenditures are posted. Councilor Mark Wheaton confirmed the Monday schedule change would be reflected in the salaries and wages line.

Jankowski said the library recently received paperwork from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and that a SHPO condition assessment produced a prioritized list of repairs. He said joist repairs must be closed out before the library can apply for another grant to address a portico affected by water infiltration. Town Manager James Drumm told the council the town budget includes $39,500 for historic library repairs in FY26/27, which he said represents 50% of estimated project costs for the prioritized work. Chair Lisa Thomas and Kahn discussed whether that allocation could be reallocated to cover staff raises if some repairs can be deferred.

Thomas asked for clarification of staffing qualifications; Kahn described entry-level L1 positions as requiring a high-school diploma and public-service experience, and L2 positions as typically requiring a college degree and stronger library skills. Kahn said the membership fundraising drive raised about $13,000 this year and that the library reported $14,800 in revenue from grants, fees and interest.

The presentation closed with board members urging the council to consider the library’s increasing usage and the long-term impacts of cuts to both the library and schools on children in town. The meeting moved on to the Board of Education budget presentation after the library concluded.

The council did not take a final funding vote on the library at the March 9 meeting; budget deliberations were ongoing.