On April 23, the Mayor released his proposed FY27 budget. You can find the full details here (see page 130 for the library’s budget) as well as his press release. Below is a brief overview of what this proposal means for our libraries and how community voices can help shape what comes next.
Key Takeaways & Action Needed
To maintain current service levels and continue recent progress, funding for books, materials, and staffing will be important in the year ahead. This includes:
- Maintaining the Mayor’s proposed FY27 investment for books, materials, and staffing, and
- Securing an additional $1.5 million to replace one-time public and private funds for books and materials, while ensuring no reductions to staffing.
ACTION: Want to keep wait times moving in the right direction? How you can help.
We encourage community members to share their perspectives with Councilmembers about the importance of maintaining staffing and increasing funding for books and materials by at least $1.5 million.
Our Two Key Priorities (FY27 Platform):
1) $2 Million for Books & Materials
Last year’s public-private partnership (the Metro Million Dollar Match) demonstrated what’s possible when Louisville invests at levels comparable to peer cities:
- The Library Foundation, Library Advisory Commission, and Friends of the Library proposed a public-private match to demonstrate how an increase in the books and materials budget would positively impact the community and our library system.
- The final FY26 budget approved by Council included a $1 million match from the Mayor, which we accepted.
- The community responded with strong support, including the generosity of more than 100 donors, helping advance funding for books and materials and expand access for readers.
The impact is real:
- Circulation is rising (up 3.4% in March year-over-year).
- Maximum wait times have been cut nearly in half:
- Print: 15 → 9 weeks
- Ebooks: 30 → 16 weeks
- Average wait times are now:
- 15 days (print)
- 26 days (ebooks)
However, even with this progress, patrons are still waiting weeks—and without sustained funding, wait times will increase again as demand outpaces supply and digital licensing costs continue to rise.
The current proposed budget sustains only $500,000 of last year’s increases in public funding, which means we are $1.5 million from reaching our goal of a permanent $2 million increase.
2) Staffing & System Growth
Louisville has made significant investments in expanding the library system:
- Parkland and Portland reopened in 2025 (adding 20,000 sq ft)
- Upcoming Main renovation and Fern Creek will add 74,000+ sq ft
- In November 2025, system-wide hours increased by 32 hours per week
The proposed budget:
- Eliminates 14 mostly part-time roles
- Results in a net gain of 16 full-time equivalent positions
We are grateful to see net growth, especially in a year when the city overall reduced staffing. Even with this progress, capacity still lags behind peer systems. This gap affects both core services and LFPL’s ability to expand programming and partnerships.
What’s Next
Your voice is critical in the weeks ahead:
- Contact your Councilmember by email, online form, or phone to express support for the staffing budget and to request a $1.5 million increase for books and materials funding to the proposed budget.
- Write a public comment on the budget using this form.
Join us June 1 at 5:00 PM in Council Chambers to support LFPL’s public budget testimony to Council’s budget committee
