Library programs on budget chopping block

POST FALLS — The purpose of the Community Library Network and libraries in general was questioned a few times Monday afternoon as trustees continued to hash out the details of the fiscal year 2024's budget.

The draft budget as of Monday proposes to cut adult programming from $23,000 to $10,000 and reduce youth programming from $43,000 to $23,000.

Across seven public libraries in Athol, Hayden, Harrison, Pinehurst, Post Falls, Rathdrum and Spirit Lake, and a Bookmobile, the library network presently offers free activities that include coffee and coloring, knitting and crocheting, music performances, book clubs and book writing classes and more.

"The library can't be all things to all people, and it shouldn't try to be," Board Chair Rachelle Ottosen said.

She said she attended some children's library programs that took place outside the library last summer and they didn't seem to have anything to do with books.

"The board doesn't determine the programs, but I would like the library to look into getting more volunteers to share the knowledge that they have with their community," she said. "I think that would be a good community-building thing."

Board Vice Chair Tom Hanley noted the revised budget the trustees received Friday includes a severe cut — nearly half — to programming for children and adults. He also said he's hoping the network can find volunteers or unpaid people to facilitate programs expected to be provided by the network.

"I don't really know what the current role of a library is. More specifically, the CLN library," Hanley said. "Obviously, we're supposed to have books."

He said with everything the library offers, he doesn't really know how much of that should be funded or under the umbrella of a library as opposed to other community organizations.

"I'm not saying I'm opposed to them," he said. "I don't know if we're a community center here or a library or a little bit of both."

Trustee Vanessa Robinson responded that when she was a kid, libraries had programs for children and adults.

"It's not a new thing for libraries," she said.

Robinson said she looked at the numbers in the budget and agreed the cost of programming is worth examining as some people get paid more than others. But, she said, overall she thinks programming is important because it brings people into the library.

"It brings them in and gets them more interested in what we have here, the reading material," she said. "And the programming is all having to do with education, which is part of the library's purview."

The Community Library Network's mission is "We empower discovery" with a vision of "Your go-to place for enrichment, engagement and enjoyment." The website states the network has been empowering discovery since 1977.

Robinson said it had been brought up at a recent meeting that the library network is competing with the Kroc Center. She said the majority of the activities at the Kroc require payment.

"The idea of the library is that it's taxpayer-funded," she said. "Nothing's free, but it's free."

Trustee Tim Plass said he doesn't know why the network has what he considers "parks and recreation" events.

"I like stargazing and I have a telescope and I have my kids do it, but why are we hosting events at Farragut State Park for stargazing?" he said. "Why are we having water parties? That's not programs that bring me into the library."

Former chair and longtime Trustee Katie Blank said it's important for the board to take time to better understand the role of libraries.

"Libraries, over the last few decades, have been moving into programming," she said. "I would like to take the programming we have and compare it to what parks and recreation offers because you say we're duplicating, but I doubt we're duplicating. Everything we do in this library is, for children, geared toward literacy. And one thing you have not had the benefit of is hearing our youth services coordinator talk about how each program is helping toward literacy."

Regarding the expansion of adult programming, Blank said that was by and far the largest request from community members during recent surveys for the network's strategic plan.

She said throughout the country, programming has more and more become part of a library's role in its community.

"I am appalled by the amount that's being taken away from taxpayers who walk in the door who are expecting some kind of a different community experience," she said.

She said it's like taking away public parks that add to the value of a community and to people's quality of life.

"Before slashing it, just because everybody's got a feeling that they want to slash it, do we not look at how has it been the role of libraries to expand in this way?" she said.

"We are taking away things from taxpayers," she said. "They will see it very clearly. We are taking away things that we have offered in the past."

Plass said he is not interested in taking away things from people walking through the door.

"I'm interested in taking away programs where you don't walk through the door," he said, adding he doesn't know that events such as stargazing at Farragut help people come to the library more often.

"We've kind of strayed from the mission of libraries as education to be more entertainment, you know, not completely," Ottosen said. "But I think that some of the entertainment portion that's just fluff could be cut."

Other draft budget highlights:

• The board is leaning toward a 0% budget increase with growth, reflecting the desire to lessen the tax burden on residents.

• Salaries may be moved into a recommended minimum pay scale; staff not impacted by this change could be provided a 3% cost of living adjustment. Generally, employees could expect salary raises if this is approved.

• Library collections funding could be reduced from $468,591 to $300,000.

• Funding for the Library of Things, which allows patrons to borrow items such as tools, games, crafts, gadgets and project starters, could be reduced from $5,000 to $2,000.

• Emerging technology funding could be reduced from $4,000 to $2,000.

The Community Library Network is required to have its budget finalized by its Aug. 10 budget hearing.

The budget discussion will continue from 2 to 4 p.m. today at the Post Falls Library, 821 N. Spokane St.

A regular meeting with a 30-minute public comment window will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday at the Post Falls Library.