The Columbia-Marion County Public Library is asking for a 2 percent to 3 percent increase in what it receives from the city and county for the upcoming year.
Director Ryda Worthy and Technical Services Librarian Mona Swayze recently shared information with the Board of Aldermen.
“I just finished my first year as director,” Worthy said. “I wanted to bring our budget to you and show you what you get for the money. As we look in the budget, note that grants do not pay our operating expenses and they do not pay our payroll.”
Worthy told the board she was working to make “smart choices,” and then asked for a slight increase in her budget to help support the library’s 14 employees, eight full-time and six part-time. Of the 14 employees in the South Mississippi Regional Library, 10 of them are in Columbia. The Columbia-Marion County Public Library receives funding from both the city of Columbia and Marion County. SMRL also receives funding from Jefferson Davis County, Bassfield and Prentiss because of branches there.
“Our employees have not had a cost of living increase in 10 years,” Worthy said.
In 2018, the city allocated $43,500 for the library. Worthy’s budget asks for $44,700. Marion County in 2018 provided $181,500 and the proposed amount is $184,500. This year, due to grant cuts, total revenue for the library has actually gone down from $322,565 to $322,200.
Expenditures, such as salaries are slated to increase from $205,525 to $206,750. Library materials will fall from $32,575 to $31,000.
Swayze presented a few highlights of the library’s past year, which included 26,540 visits with more than 29,816 items checked out.
The library was heavily used as a technology center, with the 17 computers being used 12,886 times.
Nearly 2,000 people connected at more than 250 meetings held at the library. The library also offered 122 programs that were attended by 2,993 people last year.
