Library director asks county for higher local funding as state aid falls

The Northumberland Public Library told the Board of Supervisors it served tens of thousands of users in 2025 and is seeking a county funding increase to offset falling state aid.

The library presenter said the library served 26,893 visitors in 2025, answered 7,986 reference questions and logged 14,171 in-house computer sessions. The presenter said state aid will decline from $176,846 to $165,929 — a $13,357 reduction — because the county has not met the state library allocation requirement averaged over three years. To move toward the state-recommended 66% local funding level, the presenter requested $300,820 from the county for the 2026–27 budget year (an increase intended to bring local support to roughly 62% of the library's operating budget), a 7% increase over current county contributions.

The presenter emphasized that much of the library's programming and electronic resources support local schools and that losing state-funded electronic resources (about $25,000 currently covered) would directly affect student access to e-books, databases and journals. The presenter also highlighted grant-funded projects, including a $134,000 pocket park and a $12,000 grant that covered park furniture, and stressed staff retention practices.

Board members asked for clarification about parking and encouraged continued partnership; no immediate vote was taken on the library request during the work session.