With an impending move and the effects of COVID-19 still being felt by its membership, the Okotoks Public Library is requesting an increase in funding from the Town.
Pat Coe, chair of the library board and Lara Grunow, director of library services, presented the library’s 2021 budget, which included a six per cent rise in municipal funding, to $701,256 in 2021. The total library budget is about $1.25 million.
“The increase is based on our anticipation that the pandemic will, unfortunately, continue into 2021 plus the expenses related to our expanded library, which will be 72 per cent larger than our current building,” said Coe.
Some of those increased expenditures include doubling the cost of telephone and Internet to service a larger area with two floors of library space, as well as the anticipated cost of maintaining the new library in the Arts and Learning Campus.
Despite recognizing some increase to operational costs, the library curtailed its typical budget to find efficiencies wherever possible as requested by Town council.
Coun. Matt Rockley, who now represents council on the library board, said although a six per cent increase sounds hefty, when looking at the budget line-by-line it’s clear the added expense comes from the anticipated move in 2021.
“They’ve reduced their operational spending when you factor out the move to the new location,” said Rockley. “That additional requisition amount is based on fees, costs, that are anticipated with the move to the new facility.
“It’s actually a very lean and responsible budget.”
Coe said the board and Friends of the Library continue to pursue fundraising efforts, but may have to come before council again in the spring if there are any gaps to fill when it’s time to move.
It’s a difficult year to plan, said Grunow. The budget includes six months in the current facility and six months in the new library building, as well as best guesses as to how the pandemic will play out in 2021.
The greatest challenges faced by the library for the upcoming year are based on membership renewals in 2020, she said. When the library was reopened in July patrons were offered free membership until the end of summer and on Sept. 1 were given a “welcome back” renewal offer to have three months tacked on to their library memberships.
“Lots of these memberships won’t come due until 15 months from now, so that takes us into 2022,” said Grunow.
In addition, with circulation levels down due to COVID, the amount collected from overdue fines is also lower. This typically makes up close to $17,000 but is expected to come in at $14,000 in the new budget.
“It’s certainly getting busier here, but for October our circulation decreased by 25 per cent from October of last year,” said Grunow.
With no programming or room rentals, other sources of revenue for the library have been limited and are estimated at half as much as previous years, she said.
The library requisition will be included in the Town of Okotoks 2021 budget, which will be finalized at its Dec. 14 meeting.
