By Rodd Cayton
Public library advocates Monday went to bat again for their cause, urging the Albuquerque City Council to boost it as the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget takes shape.
Mayor Tim Keller’s proposed budget includes about $16.54 million for libraries, which is down about $49,000 from fiscal year 2025.
Janet Saiers, who sits on the Library Advisory Board, told councilors the local library system is operating on a shoestring.
“It’s like having this wonderful restaurant, and the staffing would be one chef and one waiter,” she said. “That’s about where we’re at.”
She said the library system hasn’t seen a staffing increase since the International District Library opened in 2022, and that understaffing is resulting in reduced hours of operation.
Saiers said funding for the local library system is at $28.54 per capita, which is below most major New Mexico cities and less than half of what Denver and Austin, Texas spend. She said library spending growth has lagged behind growth in the city budget since 2017.
At a budget meeting last week, Saiers and others urged councilors to reject Keller’s proposed cut and add $2.5 million for libraries. She said that money could boost staffing and reinstate a $500,000 recurring line item for library technology that was removed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Council President Brook Bassan acknowledged the concerns of library supporters.
“I’m definitely hearing a lot about the library,” she said. “It is something that’s important to keep our eye on when we go through this budget process.”
The City Council will host a budget meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday. Those wishing to speak during the public comment period must sign up in advance.
Final approval of the fiscal year 2026 budget is expected later this month.
