The San Diego Library Foundation says proposed budget cuts to the city’s 36-branch library system would be crippling and worsen a history of chronic underfunding.
Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget for the new fiscal year would not close any branches or reduce service hours, but it would reduce funds for events, technology, employee training and matching donations.
Cuts to event and technology funding would hit branches in low-income areas particularly hard, said Patrick Stewart, the foundation’s chief executive officer.
“He proposes crippling cuts that decimate programs at every library, extend the system’s already unreasonable wait times, and hinder access to technology in communities of concern,” Stewart said.
The City Council is expected to begin debating the mayor’s proposed budget early next month, which he released Friday. The council is expected to approve a final version in mid-June.
Funding for library events and programs would decrease by $400,000 to $150,000 under the mayor’s proposal, putting many of the 5,000 to 6,000 events and activities typically held each year at risk.
Stewart said about 60 percent of these events are aimed at young people.
Additional funding for events and programming comes from funds the city has available to match philanthropic donations. Available funds would increase from $1.2 million to $900,000.
In a budget summary, library staff said the loss of event programming would make it more difficult to fund responsive and relevant events in every community, posing a barrier to improving equity in the entire system.
Gloria is also proposing to cut $670,000 from a program called SD Access 4 All that lets customers borrow laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots for free.
The budget savings would concern the Department of Information Technology, where several digital navigator positions would be eliminated.
But Stewart said the reduction would also affect libraries, as browsers help people use laptops and hotspots. However, branches would not lose any of the 173 laptops and 1,600 hotspots they already have.
These laptops and hotspots are typically more important for people living in low-income areas who can’t afford high-speed home Internet service. “This is crucial for residents in many areas south of Interstate 8,” Stewart said.
Funding for new books and other materials would remain steady at $1.8 million, but Stewart said that amount is woefully low and results in wait times of three to six months for many items.
He noted that San Diego spends far less per person than other large California library systems on books and materials.
Based on 2022 data, San Diego spends $2.47 per person, while Los Angeles spends $4.98, Oakland spends $6.38, and San Francisco spends $20.61.
Other library cuts in the mayor’s proposed budget would reduce worker training, replacement of aging computers and window cleaning at the nine-story downtown branch.
Stewart, whose group raised more than $900,000 last year, said he was optimistic about his ability to secure donations to fill some of the gaps Gloria’s proposed budget would create.
“We will find a way to make this work, but this budget assumes these donations are easy to get,” Stewart said. “This budget relies on private philanthropy.”
Gloria did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday, but he said last week that his budget used a lot of one-time money to avoid deeper cuts to crucial services like libraries. The mayor was facing a $220 million deficit in the city’s annual general fund budget, or $2.2 billion.
Stewart said the city needs to think about libraries more broadly.
“Libraries are more than just a place to get books,” he said. “They help communities connect, people find resources, and give each of us access to the things that make us feel alive, find jobs, start businesses, and grow.” »
The mayor’s proposed budget would actually increase the city’s annual spending on libraries from $73.2 million to $77.6 million. But cuts are still needed, as planned pay raises for library workers will cost about $5 million.
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