How Recent Beltrami Co. Funding Cuts Could Affect Bemidji, Blackduck Libraries

Counties across Minnesota are expecting significant cost increases to their future budgets in the coming years, due in part to state coffers and the Trump Administration’s Big, Beautiful Bill. Last month, the Beltrami County Board voted to cut more than 40% of the county’s previously allocated funding to the Bemidji Public Library and Blackduck Public Library, both a part of the Kitchigami Regional Library System.

The cuts bring the county’s contribution down to the state minimum of $265,000, the level required for libraries to participate a state Regional Library System.

“Those numbers were set by the [Legislature] in 2011, and those numbers are actually based on the budget from 2009,” explained Sherilyn Warren, Bemidji Public Library’s Branch Manager.

The Blackduck Public Library, currently open 21 hours a week, is required to stay open at least 20 hours a week to maintain state funding. To keep Blackduck’s doors open, the Bemidji Public Library may have to take a larger hit and is already looking at a minimum of one layoff and a major loss of operating hours.

“There’s only nine of us at work here, so we’re very close,” said Warren. “I’m laying awake at night trying to think how I can make this as minimal as possible without affecting their lives, but it’s just not—it’s just not possible. People’s lives are going to be affected by this. And it’s heartbreaking to me; I’m making some really difficult decisions.”

Warren says the Bemidji Public Library could potentially lose up to 21 operating hours a week from these funding cuts.

“We can look at cutting our materials budget, the money that we spend on buying books and materials,” she elaborated. “But even if we committed to cutting all of our materials budget and not buying any new materials next year, we’d still have to cut over $101,000 from the budget. So regardless of how you look at it, we are looking at a reduction in the workforce and a reduction in operating hours.”

Warren believes the cuts not only affect those who work at the library, but those who utilize it as well.

“There’s going to be a decrease in programing that we’re offering, and maybe our Storytimes will be cut,” Warren said. “The number of performers that we get in for different things will be cut. We’ll have less staff, so—I mean, everything will be impacted by that. There’s just no getting around it.”

The Bemidji Public Library is hoping to start a fundraiser in the future to help offset the funding cuts.