SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Public Library officials are warning of potential service reductions in 2027 if the city does not provide additional funding to address a significant budget shortfall.
The library is requesting a minimum of $2.3 million in bridge funding from the City of Spokane for 2027. Without this financial commitment by early August, library officials say service cuts could begin as soon as September.
“We’ve absorbed as much as we can. We’ve really faced about $1.3 million in cuts that we’ve had to rely on our savings account to, again, fulfill that promise to the voters,” said Andrew Chanse, executive director of Spokane Public Library.
In 2025, the library experienced a 5% decrease in its city allocation following two years of flat funding. City Council approved temporary funding to address that shortfall, but library officials indicated it was only a short-term solution.
The Spokane Public Library system receives 82% of its funding from the city’s general fund. Library leadership outlined three potential funding scenarios during a special Board of Trustees meeting on July 9.
A Level 1 shortfall of $400,000 to $500,000 would result in Sunday closures at all locations and Monday closures at the Central Library, along with 3.5 staff reductions and $250,000 in collection cuts.
A Level 2 shortfall of $1.5 million would expand closures to include both Sunday and Monday at all locations with hours reduced to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., eliminate 17 total staff positions, and cut $450,000 from collections.
The most severe Level 3 shortfall of $2.5 million to $3 million would close all locations on Sunday and Monday, add Saturday closures at the Central Library, eliminate 23.5 staff positions, and reduce material purchases to $100,000.
“We are scraping the bottom of the barrel. If we do not receive more funds, we are going to have to close days, hours, lay off staff, reduce our collections, reduce programing. The library, as the public knows it will no longer be the same,” Chanse said.
According to library officials, the library has already taken steps to manage its budget, including maintaining vacant positions, restricting travel, and delaying major equipment purchases.
The city says it will not begin its biennial budgeting process until later this fall and cannot promise any funds before then. However, Mayor Lisa Brown has agreed to attend the Library Board of Trustees meeting on July 21st.
“Given the fact that we initiated a lot of these conversations back in March, it is fair to be asking for an answer,” said Shelby Lambdin, chair of the Spokane Public Libraries Board of Trustees.
Over the next two months, the Library Board of Trustees, City Council, and City Administration will evaluate the financial outlook and identify potential service cuts if additional funding is not secured.
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