<\/p>\n
People work at the computer station in the Martin Luther King Jr. Branch Library, on Thursday, March 5, 2026 in Dallas.<\/p>\n
Shafkat Anowar\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n
Dallas is dismantling its library-run adult learning program<\/a> before it has finalized what will replace it.<\/p>\n Seven employees have been notified that their jobs will be eliminated, even as library officials continue negotiating with Dallas College and Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas over how and where GED and English instruction could continue this fall.\u00a0<\/p>\n And if those partnerships move forward, they may not provide the same low-barrier access as the library\u2019s current program.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The city is still working out details with the two organizations, Dallas Public Library director Manya Shorr said. She said participants in some partner programs would be required to provide identification showing they have the right to work in the United States, a requirement the library\u2019s current program doesn\u2019t have.<\/p>\n Related: Dallas to keep open all branches, reduce staff<\/a><\/p>\n That difference is raising concerns among employees and volunteers who say some residents currently taking the classes may no longer have the same access \u2014\u00a0particularly undocumented immigrants and others reluctant or unable to provide identification.<\/p>\n The changes are part of City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert\u2019s $5.6 billion proposed budget, which would cut library funding to $41.6 million<\/a>, eliminate 72 positions, reduce branch hours and expand the use of part-time employees.\u00a0<\/p>\n City funding for the system has fallen roughly $6.3 million over recent fiscal years<\/a>, according to Friends of the Dallas Public Library.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n For over a decade, the program has received private support from Atmos Energy<\/a> to help cover curriculum, testing vouchers and scholarships, but what happens to that support if the department disappears remains unsettled.<\/p>\n Shorr said the city manager asked departments to identify services also offered by nonprofits, colleges and other organizations.<\/p>\n In a joint statement, Dallas College and Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas said they are working with the city on a transition plan to bring adult education and workforce services<\/a> to some library locations. The organizations said program details are still being finalized and that services will follow existing eligibility requirements.<\/p>\n Outside providers may not \u201ccompletely fill the gap,\u201d Shorr said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Denise McGovern, executive director of the Friends<\/a>, said the proposed programs could \u201csoften the blow,\u201d but some residents may still lose access because of eligibility requirements.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A different level of access<\/p>\n People can attend the learning programs at the library without presenting identification, a library card or documentation of their immigration status.\u00a0<\/p>\n That would change under some programs being considered as replacements.<\/p>\n Residents who cannot meet partner eligibility requirements may instead be directed to nonprofits offering lower-barrier classes, Shorr said.\u00a0<\/p>\n That distinction is at the center of concerns from workers and volunteers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Accessibility was deliberately built into the library program, said Sarah Simmons, a public service specialist who coordinates volunteers. Simmons was among the employees whose jobs were eliminated.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the wonderful things about our program is by design to be as low-barrier to access as possible,\u201d Simmons said. \u201cSo we do not ask for ID. We\u2019re not concerned about anyone\u2019s status.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: How librarians have adapted to meet the needs of Dallas Public Library users<\/a><\/p>\n Simmons left a corporate copy-editing career to work for the library because she wanted a job she found more fulfilling. She took about a $7,000 pay cut to earn $57,000 a year.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really heartbreaking. I really believe in this department. My volunteers believe in this department,\u201d Simmons said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Katherine Wooten, a former teacher who volunteered to teach ESL at the Hampton-Illinois Branch Library this summer, said some of her students are undocumented and others may be reluctant to provide identifying information because of fears surrounding immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n She said continuous enrollment also made the classes easier to attend for adults balancing jobs and family responsibilities<\/p>\n Employees were notified Aug. 7 and 8. Shorr said reduction-in-force rules required advance notice before the fiscal year ends.<\/p>\n About 40 volunteers had been teaching adult learning classes. Wooten said eliminating coordinating positions also means losing hundreds of hours of volunteer instruction.<\/p>\n A screenshot of the Dallas Public Library\u2019s website shows a notice that its GED and English Language Learning classes will be discontinued. The page also lists organizations offering similar adult learning resources and notes that the library\u2019s online GED Academy remains available for registration.<\/p>\n Dallas Public Library<\/p>\n She had expected to return to Hampton-Illinois for another semester. Instead, she said students learned the classes would no longer be offered through the library.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Future in limbo<\/p>\n Library officials say the decision followed a review showing low enrollment at some locations after the pandemic, while Prairie Creek, Pleasant Grove and Hampton-Illinois had greater demand. Wooten and Simmons said fear of immigration enforcement has contributed to the decline.<\/p>\n Officials are considering concentrating partner-provided classes at flagship libraries, but the number of classes, locations and schedules remain unresolved.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n