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Program Description

  Library Services to the Public

MCPL consists of 23 library sites including the Noyes Library for Young Children, the Montgomery County Correctional Facility Library, and the Collection Management Center.

Library services are available to all County residents, Maryland residents, and those working or attending school in Montgomery County, free of charge. Library customers use MCPL services including information services for children and adults delivered in person, over the telephone, and outside the walls; a Public Access Catalog for access to indices and full text materials; downloadable content and streaming services; automated renewal, online catalog, and customer account access (24 hours, 7 days a week); programming for children, teens, seniors, and adults; technologies such as Launchpads, wireless hotspots, and in-house laptops; and meeting rooms and collaboration spaces for public use. MCPL is a fine free library system.

The Collection Development Unit provides for the selection, acquisition, cataloging, processing, and delivery of library content and materials, including electronic resources, ebooks, eaudiobooks, and streaming services. It is responsible for planning and inclusion of new formats and the evaluation of collections in relation to community information needs. Collections are purchased for English learners, as well as collections in world languages.

The materials delivery service delivers new materials, customer requested items, and returned materials among MCPL branches.

The Cataloging and Processing Unit prepares all library materials for use in the branches.

The inter-library loan service provides opportunities for Montgomery County cardholders to use materials from public library systems throughout Maryland, from out-of-state public libraries, and from academic and special libraries throughout the world.

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Program Contacts

Contact Steve Kapani of the Department of Public Libraries at 240-777-0045 or Deborah Lambert of the Office of Management and Budget at 240-777-2794 for more information regarding this department's operating budget.

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Program Performance Measures

Program Performance MeasuresActual FY24Actual FY25Estimated FY26Target FY27Target FY28
Total library collection use 112,560,353 12,606,306 12,687,932 12,036,607 10,916,794
Library electronic database usage 4,592,166 5,055,047 5,939,1766,475,9016,929,697
Number of library visits 23,542,0473,680,840 3,741,316 3,798,625 3,845,450
Number of public computer sessions 195,142 340,048357,206370,865382,414
Attendance at library programs 3270,850 328,898 360,521 393,508 421,398
Active library users 4135,887 133,532 146,826 151,847 156,092
Number of participants in early literacy programming 5 59,376 64,039 74,473 79,912 84,511
1  This performance measure includes the number of physical items checked out from the library, plus the items used in-house by customers, and the checkouts of ebooks, eaudiobooks, and similar electronic materials.
2  “Library visits” represent customer branch access to services and resources inside the facility.
3  Numbers represent onsite and virtual program attendees.
4  “Active user” is a registered MCPL borrower who has used their library card at least once within the 12-month period from current date of data search. These users are associated with a Montgomery County zip code.
5  “Early Literacy Programming” comprises the number of attendees at Storytimes.
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Program Budget Changes

FY27 Recommended ChangesExpendituresFTEs
FY26 Approved52105883359.31
Enhance: Noyes Library Operating Budget Impact2755000.00
Enhance: Security Guard Services at Five Branches That Already Have Security Guards2076900.00
Increase Cost: Contract Escalators230180.00
Add: Funding for Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to Comply with House Bill 593194920.00
Decrease Cost: Abolish One Part-Time Library Assistant I and Convert One Part-Time Library Assistant I to Full-Time at Little Falls Library-174160.00
Decrease Cost: Abolish One Part-Time Library Assistant I and Convert One Part-Time Librarian I to Full-Time Librarian I at Quince Orchard Library-180490.00
Decrease Cost: Reduce Operating Expense to Align with Anticipated Grant Award-209800.00
Reduce: Staff Development and Training Program-250000.00
Reduce: Workforce and Business Development Contractual Costs-370000.00
Reduce: Collection Materials Budget to Discontinue Database Subscriptions with a High Cost per Use-630890.00
Reduce: Abolish Information Technology Technician III-112108-1.00
Reduce: Abolish Librarian I (eResources Librarian)-120158-1.00
Shift: Repurpose Position from Public Libraries to Community Engagement Cluster for Urban Districts Chief of Operations-134595-1.00
Reduce: Abolish Six Part-Time Library Assistant Is and Four Part-Time Librarian Is Due to Elimination of Sunday Service Hours at Ten Branches Leaving Nine Open Branches-624864-5.00
Multi-program adjustments, including negotiated compensation changes, employee benefit changes, changes due to staff turnover, reorganizations, and other budget changes affecting multiple programs.16701821.00
FY27 Recommended53128506352.31