Rethinking Libraries for the 21st Century

How has the library's budget changed?

The library’s budget has declined since 2000:

Since 2000, City funding for the library, adjusted for inflation, has fallen more than 20%. During this time, fuel and energy costs and health care costs have increased, and demand for computers and electronic resources has increased. Additionally, the City has seen a substantial decrease in state shared revenue. Budget detail pdf

The library has addressed these gaps by:
Improving efficiencies
Reducing energy consumption
Reducing materials budget
Reducing service hours
Reducing staff through layoff and attrition