Libraries need sustainable financial approach

Before moving to Boulder 16 years ago, I lived in West Virginia, where I spent several years serving as the president of the Board of Trustees of my local public library. While I was president, we struggled with the financial implications of having our library tied to the budget of our local municipality, even though our service area went far beyond the boundaries of our town. Now I see the same thing happening to the Boulder Public Library.

A library district could significantly increase the financial resources available to the library, and it could provide a way for patrons who live outside Boulder’s city limits to feel more ownership in the library they are already using. Almost one-third of the library’s current cardholders live outside city limits in places like Gunbarrel, Eldorado Springs and in the Foothill communities along the western edge of town. Yet these library patrons are not part of the actual tax base of the library.

The Boulder Public Library meets many of our larger community’s needs — needs that go far beyond access to books. Cultural events, literacy programs like Boulderreads, public space, Internet access, the Makerspace and so many other offerings are essential to the civic health of our area.

I am deeply grateful for the existence of the Boulder Public Library and the excellent services it offers to residents of Boulder and to patrons outside the city limits. However, for the library to continue to offer these services, we must come up with a more sustainable financial approach. Having seen two beloved libraries struggle with municipal funding, I’ll be voting “yes” to create a regional library district in November.

— Linda Tate, Boulder