Marin libraries face uncertainty amid state and federal cuts

Sediki Thompson, 29, of Marin City sits at a computer designing C-clamps to fabricate with a nearby 3D printer and install in his 1966 Chevelle.

Stan Minasian, 77, of Larkspur stands in front of another printer and removes excess plastic from a fishing buoy he designed.

Both were working at the Marin County Free Library’s “makerspace studio” at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Marin City.

“I just went on the internet and said, who in Marin does 3D printing? And up came the library,” he said. “So I called and they said it’s free.”

The Marin City lab is among many prized programs offered by Marin County libraries. But federal and state spending cuts have created uncertainty for libraries that want to maintain services and programs.

Marin County’s library directors know fiscal austerity is looming. But they said it is too early in their next budget cycle to know the impact, and emphasized that their funding comes more from local taxes than from state and federal grants.

Compared to other counties and states, Marin’s libraries are well-positioned.

“There will be impacts, but it is a watch-and-wait for us,” said Lana Adlawan, director of Marin County Free Library, which has 10 branches. “Our budget, right now, at this time, is stable. We are not implementing any cuts to programs or staffing.”

The county has 20 libraries, a mix of city, county, college and mobile sites. These institutions are all members of the MARINet consortium, which shares content and costs such as internet access and subscriptions for research and learning materials. MARINet has 144,000 active cardholders. Nearly 27,000 are 18 or younger, and nearly 32,000 are 65 or older.

The libraries rely on a mix of local taxes, state and federal grants and charitable contributions for staff, services and programs. While property tax revenues have risen and fallen over the years, the Trump administration roiled the status quo in March by shutting the federal agency supporting libraries and freezing its funds. California and 20 other states have sued in response.

The California State Library, which manages federal and state grants to local libraries, did not receive the final $4 million from a $15.7 million federal grant for its current budget. That annual subsidy is not expected to continue, said Crystal Duran, the Belvedere Tiburon Library director and MARINet board chair.

California budget officials also have told the state library to reduce spending by 7.8% for the fiscal year starting in July, she said. And the U.S. Supreme Court will rule this spring if a private-sector subsidy that helps pay for online access costs for schools and libraries is constitutional. The subsidy saved MARINet $91,000 this year. A related $35,000 grant came from the state.

“We don’t know yet what the state library is going to fund or not be able to fund,” Duran said. “Our goal is to mitigate the impact of those federal and state library cuts to the greatest extent possible so that our community doesn’t necessarily feel the impacts, and we can do that because we have some reserves.”

Some cities — Belvedere and Tiburon, Larkspur, Mill Valley, San Anselmo, San Rafael and Sausalito — run their own libraries. Some of their directors have told city leaders that they are worried about the emerging fiscal environment and national attacks on programs that offer diverse information and perspectives.

“I expect the year ahead to be far more challenging because of the uncertainty and chaos that surrounds us,” Mill Valley Library Director Anji Brenner told the City Council last month.

“This is a fraught time for our library and libraries across the country,” said Bill Sawyers, a Mill Valley Library trustee. “We’re all at risk from threats to intellectual freedom and access to real information.”

Every member of the council replied by praising the library and pledging support as the fiscal impacts unfold.

While some budget effects remain to be seen, others are clearer. Some grant-based costs appear imperiled, mostly concerning internet access and content licensing.

MARINet likely needs to find $135,000 to replace the federal and state grants that pay for high-speed internet access and the digital backbone linking all the libraries. Duran said the consortium “did not plan” on these subsidies ending, and its board will discuss its options at its meeting this month.

“We have to figure out what that’s going to look like,” she said.

Lauren Snell, Fairfax’s research librarian, said books won’t be affected. But she is concerned about the trove of teaching materials and research sources on her – and every county library’s – computer terminals.

Beyond surfing the web and printing, the public can access the New York Times, the Washington Post and California newspapers, various encyclopedias and cultural histories, language tutorials, scientific databases, technical training, performing arts showcases and more. There is additional content for people with disabilities. The New York Times’ cost, for example, is $17,000 annually.

The libraries also have other grant-funded programs. Cardholders can get a book directly from Amazon if it is not in the system’s collection of 2.6 million books. There are hiking daypacks with county park passes, maps and wildlife guides that can be borrowed for a week. There are stargazing kits. These services and storytelling programs are subsidized by a mix of state and federal grants, and, importantly, by local friends-of-the-library chapters.

“It’s totally free,” Snell said. “There are not very many places in the world where you can actually do this or have this kind of access.”