Saskatoon library asking city council for budget bump to cover new hires

Saskatoon Public Library CEO Carol Cooley asked councillors for a 3.49 per cent budget increase to cover the cost of three new positions. (Keenan Sorokan / CTV News)

The Saskatoon Public Library (SPL) is expected to ask the city for a 3.49 per cent increase when councillors start mulling the coming budget next month.

Library representatives were at the city's governance and priorities committee Wednesday to present SPL’s budget over than a month earlier than usual, as the city grapples with a financial shortfall for 2024 and 2025.

SPL's 2023 overall budget was $31,387,100. As part of its request, the library wants to add three full-time positions.

"Changing community issues are putting pressures on SPL's operations," CEO Carol Cooley said to councillors.

"As a public library, we are not equipped to meet the complex social, mental health, wellness and addiction issues we're presented with,” she said.

"We continue to need more security resources than we currently are able to support."

To help with rising issues at the Dr. Freda Ahenakew Library on Avenue K South, SPL wants to hire a security manager for weekends and evenings.

As part of accommodating the city's request to cutback on the budget, the library says it's withholding its request for bathroom attendants.

"Our washrooms are definitely what we consider a hotspot of activity," Cooley said.

The library is also seeing increases in people being suspended from accessing its branches because of physical and verbal aggression, racial slurs, consuming drugs or alcohol and disturbing other patrons.

In 2021, SPL issued 63 suspensions. That number nearly doubled to 118 in 2022, and as of September, 141 suspensions have been issued in 2023.

Outreach workers have connected more than 1,100 people to community resources, and Cooley said they’re hoping to hire one more, as those services are also in high demand at the Dr. Freda Ahenakew Branch.

The public library says its outgrowing its current spaces based on the growth of the city and demand, citing 51 per cent of all residents are members of SPL.

Board chair Jim Siemens says not only are the current spaces becoming insufficient for users, but they're also aging out.

The central Frances Morrison Library isn't equipped with sprinklers, one example of how the building is non-compliant with modern building codes.

Last month, SPL announced construction of the new downtown library — which was expected to begin this fall — has been delayed after bids for the project came in over its $134 million budget.

The planned library will be funded through SPL's own reserve funds, land sale proceeds, donations and $67.5 million in borrowing, according to SPL.

Siemens says the plan is to open the new library in 2027. A potential issue with the timeline is the France Morrison building has already been sold with the new buyer set to take possession in December 2026.

A library spokesperson told CTV News SPL is negotiating with the new buyer to remain in the building beyond the original possession date, if necessary, but the library is expecting to offer its services in the downtown, whether that be at a temporary facility or its current building.

None of the roughly 209 employees of SPL will be laid off, the spokesperson said.

A request for proposals is open for construction to help with design changes to get construction costs under budget.

The library says it will request to hire six more full-time positions once the new downtown library is ready to open.

For 2025, SPL has approved a request to increase its budget by 3.54 per cent.