In Pennsylvania, public libraries are expanding their community roles even as operating costs rise and funding remains flat due to stagnant public support.
Growing community needs — from social services and health screenings to heating/cooling centers and immigration assistance — are prompting calls for stable, sustainable funding for libraries and stronger partnerships to meet public demand.
Beyond books, libraries offer extensive programming and services — from educational and language classes to social events and digital access — driving higher overhead in salaries, technology, utilities, and licenses.
“Libraries don’t charge people for their services, so they can’t pass along their increasing costs,” said Christi Buker, executive director of the Pennsylvania Library Association, in a statement shared with Spotlight PA. “They just need to figure out ways to spend less.”
Approximately 85% of Pennsylvania libraries operate as independent nonprofits, with others municipally run or county-based. Funding remains uneven due to mixed sources such as municipal contributions, state aid, grants, and fundraising.
Funding for libraries comes from a patchwork of sources, according to PA Local, including local government allocations, fundraising, service fees, and passport revenues. While these sources provide needed revenue, they create year-to-year financial volatility and under-resourced operations in many communities.
State support for libraries increased by $5 million to $75.47 million last year. Due to previous cuts, that increase only brought funding back up to 2001 levels, said Buker.
Meanwhile, the 2026-27 state budget signed into law by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on July 12 provided no increase to library funding.
Local efforts to stabilize funding are underway. They include potential referendums such as a proposed 0.55 mill tax in Lancaster County to reduce reliance on fundraising and episodic grants, according to Spotlight PA.
Corrine Brumbach, director of the Adamstown Area Library in Lancaster County, believes the mill tax would provide the library with more stable funding needed to support operations.
“That would be a game-changer for us because it would remove the human emotion that’s involved with funding a community library and assure we have support that’s adequate and stable,” Brumbach said to Spotlight PA. “We can’t solve our financial problems with a bake sale.”