Rocky Hill’s new budget was passed last month. On June 9, Library director Michael Murphy shared with the Board of Trustees for the Rocky Hill Library what impacts on library personnel and service we could expect to see from the austere budget.
Like many of the departments that deliver town services, the library faces serious cuts from Town Council members beyond the budget proposed by the town manager. Accounting for increased costs due the growth of salaries and inflation, the library director proposed a budget of $1,104,406. The Town Council approved a library budget of $1,033,896, a relative reduction of $70,510.
What changes were made to the Library budget to meet this new target?
Staff hours reduced
A 35-hour-per-week library technician has moved out of the district and left a position vacant. The library will not fill this position. The decision will reduce spending by $65,510.
This change reverses a hiring decision made by the library. The library posted the job description for the replacement earlier this year, interviewed candidates, and made the decision to move a qualified part-time staff member into the full-time position, starting, at the request of the town, after the end of fiscal year 2025. Since the position has been frozen, the chosen candidate will continue as part time staff.
Book purchasing budget reduced
The library’s book purchasing budget was reduced from a proposed $92,000 to $87,000. The decision will reduce spending by $5,000.
Why does this matter?
The FY 25/26 budget continues a trend in reducing the library’s workforce. The loss of a 35-hour position follows the freezing of a 40-hour-per-week assistant director role left vacant in 2024, when the current library director was promoted.. This 40-hour-per-week position remains frozen. With these two positions, as well as several more flexible part time roles not being rehired, the library is currently operating on nearly a hundred labor hours fewer per week than it was in 2023.
What is the impact on the community?
Embedded within the town’s budget for the library is the expectation that in the coming fiscal year, the library will increase the number of library visits, program participants, and library card users by 2.5% each. While those are not, at face value, unreasonable goals, it is important to consider that increases in library use generally stem from outreach from librarians to members of the community (at schools, senior centers, public events, etc.) Furthermore, library programs, even those conducted by volunteers, require the support of library staff who are not being rehired.
It is not sustainable to expect 2.5% growth in user services if the town does not provide a proportionate investment in library staff.
Though the library continues to provide important and robust services to citizens of the town, Murphy reported to the trustees that the library has likely hit its limit in terms of what budget cuts the staff can absorb without reducing services. Popular programs at the library are already quickly over-subscribed, and the demand for more programming cannot be met without supporting staff. For example, library workers have already had to reduce the number of technology help sessions offered to the community.
Finally, the $5,000 cut to library books represents a 5.4% decrease from last year’s budget. While this cut may not seem out of line with cuts levied against other departments, it is worthwhile to consider the ways in which cuts across departments can compound each other. The 2025-2026 town budget, for example, also cut the summer literacy programs from the education budget. While it might be hoped that the library could help fill the important gap for Rocky Hill students who need extra literacy support, the library’s ability to offer summer support to these students decreases when the town slashes not only its staff, but also its materials budget.
What can I do?
Joining the Friends of the Rocky Hill Library and attending their fundraising events remains one of the best ways to support their library. The Friends of the Rocky Hill Library generate funds through regular donations, used book sales, mini-golf events, and more. They are already responsible for thousands of dollars of funding towards library programming and materials every year. Though their efforts cannot replace sustained public investment, community contributions through the Friends are invaluable, helping to keep the library active and afloat.
Ultimately, the town government needs to hear from its community that the library is a cherished asset. Emails or direct conversation with the folks in charge of the budget, especially during budget season, can have a huge impact. Contact the town manager, the mayor, and/or your Town Council members to urge them to support the library director’s budget next year.
It is not a viable long-term strategy to ask departments to do more with less every year, and our library is too valuable to the community to let it wither away.
Opinion piece: This article reflects the position of the author and not necessarily that of the Democratic Town Committee.
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