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Library director outlines FY27 budget and reports rising circulation, expanded programs
Summary
Director Amanda Dickman briefed the board on staffing, a FY27 departmental budget with $6.456 million for personnel and nearly $8 million in operating funds, increases to maintain state aid match, and year-to-year circulation growth to about 921,120 items.
Beaufort County Library Director Amanda Dickman presented the library’s fiscal and operational update, including personnel plans, program participation and year-to-year circulation gains as the system moves into fiscal year 2027.
Dickman told the board the departmental budget submitted to the county administrator and later presented to county council remained unchanged from what left the library; county council approved the budget. She said the FY27 personnel budget is $6,455,781 — about a 3.2% increase — to account for state retirement contributions and merit pay, and the operating budget increases include a $600,000 materials line to sustain the 15% local funding requirement that qualifies the system for state aid.
“Our overall circulation year to year is higher,” Dickman said, reporting a 12-month data set showing 8,547 new users, 602,699 physical items borrowed and 318,421 digital items borrowed for a total of 921,120 items circulated.
On equipment rentals, the board asked why that line ran higher than anticipated; Dickman explained those costs are primarily copier lease charges managed by the county IT department and outside the library’s direct control, and the FY27 budget increases that line to account for the trend.
The director also reported personnel updates: four advertised vacancies, two internal promotions in preboarding, and four paid summer interns funded by Beaufort County human resources working up to 15 weeks at $15 per hour. Staff described recent facilities improvements at the Beaufort branch (carpet, paint and additional shelving) funded in part by county funds with up to $35,000 in new shelving committed by the Friends of the Beaufort Library.
Board members and staff discussed communications and rollout of the strategic plan and cautioned against over-surveying the public; the consultant and director said major community surveys should be used prudently and supplemented by lighter touch feedback.
