County library seeks seasonal staff, supplies and computer upgrades as summer demand rises

A library staff member told the commissioners court Friday the county library needs part-time and seasonal help, higher office-supply and toner budgets and equipment upgrades to handle a surge in summer programs and public Wi‑Fi use.

The library presenter said summer reading programs have drawn large crowds — one performer drew about 170 attendees — and weekly programs now average 35–40 children. “We’re really busy in the library at this particular time,” the library staff member said.

To support programming and public services, the presenter asked for a part-time seasonal employee at roughly $13–$14 an hour, increased funding for toner and copier supplies (she listed $87–$100 for common cartridge models and about $400 for a multi-cartridge set), three rolls of postage ahead of an anticipated July rate increase, and funds to update public computers and licensing software. The petitioner said library Wi‑Fi sees more than 1,000 unique connections a month during summer and that many residents rely on the library for online services such as Social Security and Medicare account access.

The presenter also said the library had to buy an extra 250 library cards to keep up with demand and asked commissioners to allow purchase of additional book-covering and story-time craft supplies because story-time attendance has risen.

Discussion only: Commissioners asked about copier lease coverage for toner and whether software licensing could be obtained through the library’s existing procurement arrangements. The library presenter said some software and update costs may be handled through library-specific contracts and that she would follow up with county technology staff and the Friends of the Library.