The Leach Library Board of Trustees opened its January 2025 meeting with public comment and with the budget season well underway, resident Richard Bielinski had several questions about one particular item.
“I did a scan of the budget book that’s given out to all departments when you’re working on a new budget, and I found something that’s a little disturbing. Your line item for books and periodicals is not even close to what you’re budgeting,” said Bielinski. “In 2022 you went over the appropriation by, I believe it was 66 percent. For 2023 year-end it was 100 percent. In 2024 it was 60 percent, So those three years average 75 percent over what you appropriated and asked for in that line. The current year you’re in; you’re at like 96 percent already with six months to go.”
He conceded that it was common for some numbers to be off when budgeting, but he also expressed his concern that projected numbers were too far off for too many years in a row and wondered what other line items were not being budgeted.
“That’s something you need to look at,” said Bielinski.
Donna Plante, Head of Reference and Technical Services, was aware of the problem and stated that the library was trying to fix it.
“With the book line item, there’s been a challenge every year with the budget committee to get anything added to it. Whenever we try to add any money to it, it’s red-flagged, even though there’s a long history of us overspending that line,” said Plante. “The reason why we’re almost at 100 percent this year is because we always ask for that money in halves.”
According to her, the first half of that line item was near its end, hence the high spending percentage in the budget so far.
Senior Resources Committee Chair, Jim Green, was at the meeting to emphasize how critical the library and its programs are for the town’s older residents.
“One thing that stuck out in my mind is that 20% of the seniors in this town are alone. That’s 800 people in town who are alone and the library is one of the only institutions that regularly reaches out to them with services,” said Green. “The museum passes, the library of things, they’re programs for everybody. I hope you know how valuable this resource is and seniors appreciate it.”
The Trustees thanked Green for his input and hoped a conceptual program in which the library would send books to homebound residents would move forward.
Briefly stepping back from her position as Trustee Treasurer, Jan McLaughlin, wanted to say a few words as a member of the public.
“The library is such a peaceful place when you come here, that it would be nice if we carried that into the community,” she said. “There’s so many things stirring around.”
The Leach Library Board of Trustees is set to meet Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. in the Leach Library Meeting Room.