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Library director highlights program growth, asks for modest book budget increases
Summary
The county library reported rising program attendance — especially summer offerings and the Book Buddy reading program — and requested modest budget adjustments including increased book funds (including $2,500 for youth/young-adult titles), postage, and supplies to sustain expanding services.
The Library director told the commissioners the library saw substantial growth in summer programming and steady demand for its Book Buddy reading program, which pairs volunteers with children for 30‑minute sessions to support literacy and social connection. "Book Buddies is our most popular event," the Library director said, noting a wait list for the robotics program and that the library circulated 15,292 e‑books last year.
The director asked the court to maintain a line in the budget for library supplies and cards, describing a $3,000 consortium contribution for e‑books and a request to increase the book budget to better serve teens and young adults. She said she had applied for a $2,500 grant for young‑adult books and asked the commissioners to consider a $4,000 increase across lines to purchase more titles over several months, explaining the young‑adult age group (roughly 18–24) is underserviced locally.
Commissioners asked about scheduling and staffing. The director said Book Buddies meets Thursdays at 1 p.m. and that expanded hours would require more volunteers or staff. She also noted an accreditation rule that will require a master of library science on staff in two years, something she said she cannot personally afford to obtain.
On operations, the director explained reduced web‑management expenses after a county IT upgrade moved the software to the IT budget and described postage and periodical arrangements: local papers and magazines are largely paid for by Friends groups while the county had previously budgeted $600 for a larger newspaper but the director recommended reallocating that line to books instead.
The director described volunteer recruitment needs (particularly male volunteers for mentoring boys in Book Buddies), the library's seating and programming improvements, and the Friends group's roughly $3,000 annual contribution for children's books. She closed by thanking the court and asking to be restored as a line item when the court considers the proposed budget.
The commissioners did not take a formal vote at the workshop; they asked follow‑up questions about hours, volunteer recruitment, and the library's priorities and signaled support for exploring options.
