Residents urge Isanti County to sustain library funding, describe services beyond books

Residents and volunteers urged the Isanti County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 1 to preserve funding for the county library, describing a range of free services that they said would be lost if cuts proceed.

Cheryl Davidson, introduced as speaking from the City of Isanti, told commissioners that “that library is so much more,” listing a Discovery Room used by homeschool families and supervised-visitation providers, free study and meeting rooms, databases and free tax-preparation help for seniors. “We have a very unique building,” she said, asking the board to consider the library’s broader community role rather than only its apparent cost.

Other speakers backed that view. Karen S. Lee summarized letters from several residents that highlighted library resources from microfilm readers and vehicle databases to programs for seniors and families; volunteer Kyle Clemens said the library is a meeting place for local businesses and families, adding that volunteers cannot replace core funding. “You not funding this is gonna take that ability away from them,” Clemens said.

Madeline Fendrick, a Cambridge parent, described using library programs for story time, summer reading, visiting performers and homeschool meetups and said the library is an accessible place for her family. “It feels okay to bring my 3 year old to the library,” she said, and emphasized the social and educational value derived by families who cannot afford alternatives.

The board acknowledged the speakers. The chair thanked the advocates for their consistent message and said the library director’s budget presentation would be weighed carefully in upcoming budget deliberations.

What happens next: the board will review the director’s formal budget request as part of the county budget process; speakers requested attendance and support at a Friends of the Library fundraiser on Sept. 4.