Needham Library adds OverDrive costs to operating budget, seeks staff for expanded teen team room
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Summary
Library leaders told the Finance Committee the library wants to move a $26,000 OverDrive/Libby Advantage account expense into the operating budget, reported rising foot traffic and program attendance, and proposed two DSR4 personnel requests tied to a planned team-room expansion.
Library officials briefed the Finance Committee on Feb. 5 on fiscal 2026 requests that would add a $26,000 OverDrive Advantage (Libby) license line to the operating budget, fund a new full-time reference/community outreach position and a part-time young-adult specialist to staff an expanded team room if May Town Meeting approves renovation funding.
Library presenters said visitation and circulation are rising: visits increased about 11% in the most recent year, teen program attendance rose about 49% and digital circulation via OverDrive/Libby remains popular. The library reported heavy growth in holds for digital titles (thousands of holds in recent months) and said adding the $26,000 license line to the operating budget would let trustees reallocate state aid or trust funds to other priorities or contingency for the planned multi-year renovation.
Presenters described the planned Phase 1 renovation: converting the current team room into a quiet study space, expanding the adjacent team-room area into four program/learning zones (group study, lounge, cafe/craft area and shelving), and improving sight lines and staff supervision. Library staff said that if funding is approved, the new team room would offer evening and weekend coverage and require dedicated staffing: a part-time young-adult specialist (approx. 98.5 hours/week reported in budget request documents) and a full-time reference librarian/community outreach specialist to expand the library's work beyond the building.
Trustees and staff also proposed adding an annual website maintenance expense ($4,835) to the budget after several years of paying maintenance out of trust or one-time funds; staff said the friends/foundation initially funded the site and that recent payments have come from leftover operating-line dollars.
The Finance Committee asked about staffing levels, the history of DSR4 requests, and the rationale for bringing OverDrive funding into the operating budget instead of continuing to pay it from library state aid; library staff responded that moving the license cost into the operating budget would free state-aid and trust-fund resources for renovation contingencies and new services.
Ending: Library staff will provide the committee with details on library state-aid receipts, trust-fund balances and a calendar-year 2025 plan for trust-fund spending; Phase 1 renovation documents will be presented to support the May Town Meeting article if approved.