LIBRARY ADVOCATES SAY they expect to ride out the upcoming San Jose budget cycle without any major cuts. But trouble could be on the horizon, with the city projecting an ongoing shortfall over the next few years.
San Jose’s Library and Education Commission learned April 16 of three anticipated public library budget cuts, which include cutting $90,000 from library security, suspending the college and career pathways job position and dropping $500,000 in the city’s agreement with San Jose State University for Martin Luther King Jr. Library, Administrative Officer Fiahna Cabana said.
Anticipated cuts for the library appear to be substantially lower than the $4.59 million suggested by the City Manager’s Office in a Dec. 13, 2024 memo.
A city spokesperson said public library officials don’t have any additional information to share about the 2025-26 budget beyond Mayor Matt Mahan’s March budget message.
“The proposed operating budget is scheduled for release on May 1 that will include the details of all budget proposals,” spokesperson Demetria Machado told San José Spotlight. “However, we remain committed to bringing strategies forward that responsibly balance the budget while also doing everything we can to minimize impacts to vital programs and services our community depends on, at the library and throughout the city, and to our employees.”
Commissioner Jose Abastida said he’s pleased to hear the upcoming year’s cuts are expected to have a minimal service impact.
“We know we still have to go through the June budget discussions and things are not done — but the library and education commission’s main point is that we maintain library safety and infrastructure,” he told San José Spotlight. “That’s where we’ll keep advocating and fighting.”
With a 20% increase in foot traffic and more than 3.6 million annual visitors to all San Jose libraries since the pandemic, Abastida said he wants to continue seeing minimal impacts to the public library’s budget in upcoming years.
“Given the increase in library users, I think it would make for a pretty persuasive argument that our San Jose residents need more library services,” he told San José Spotlight. “In the future, we would likely be advocating for an increase in funding so we can maintain staff and also library hours.”
City officials projected a $60 million 2025-26 budget deficit in December, but after reshuffling funds, the shortfall was reduced to about $46 million, with a $53 million budget shortfall anticipated for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Cabana said the public library’s future investments will receive limited consideration, but is still able to take advantage of prior funding.
“One actual addition we have is a one-time investment of about $500,000 in our general fund to increase funding for materials acquisitions, which is coming from prior years,” she said.
“At a time when information access is under attack, we must take a stand by protecting our libraries — not gutting them.”
Angelica Ramos, vice chair of Library and Education Commission
The city library system has already implemented cost-control measures, including a hiring freeze and limitations on employee promotions. These measures have recently come under fire from labor organizations. Library workers rallied earlier this month to call for an increase in funding for essential city services.
Library and Education Commission Vice Chair Angelica Ramos said libraries are one of the few public spaces where families can gather, learn and grow together. They provide a space for children to learn and prepare before entering school, she added.
“The modern world demands digital literacy, yet in the self-proclaimed tech capital of Silicon Valley, tens of thousands of families lack reliable internet access and/or devices at home. Libraries have stepped in to close this gap,” Ramos told San José Spotlight. “At a time when information access is under attack, we must take a stand by protecting our libraries — not gutting them.”
Contact Vicente Vera at vicente@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @VicenteJVera on X.
This story originally appeared in San José Spotlight.
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