Budget Oversight Hearing on DC Public Library – April 22, 2026

The Committee on Human Services, chaired by Ward 3 Councilmember Matt Freuman, held a budget oversight hearing on the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, from 9:08 a.m. to 11:37 a.m. in Room 120 of the John A. Wilson Building and via Zoom. The hearing occurred during National Library Week and examined the Mayor’s proposed FY27 budget, which includes a $1.5 million cut to the operating budget (from $85 million to $83.5 million) and a $12.5 million increase in capital funding (to $47.5 million). Over a dozen public witnesses testified, followed by questions to DCPL Executive Director Richard Reyes Gavallan and his team.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Charles Austin Inko Taraya (self-published author, poet): described his unsuccessful efforts since 2021 to have his books carried by DCPL, despite being available in 16 other countries; urged the council to intervene.
• Rebecca Lemos Sotero (Executive Director, Humanities DC): testified in strong support of the DC Oral History Collaborative, requesting restoration of $200,000 in funding cut last year; noted that demand for oral history programs far exceeds capacity (51 applications but only 14 funded for interview grants; 104 applications for heritage grants, only 13 funded).
• Jasper Collier (Program Manager, DC Oral History Collaborative): described the collaborative’s impact and the loss of training, educator seminars, and public programming due to the funding cut; emphasized the value of democratized archiving in a time of uncertainty.
• Yona Bromer Gaber (President, AFSCME Local 1808, representing DCPL employees): highlighted union priorities including a $500,000 career ladder investment, $250,000 for a library-specific employee assistance program, $36,000 for tuition reimbursement, restoration of $900,000 to the collections budget, and 16 additional FTEs for jail, mental health, and digital literacy services. Also stressed the need for funding to support pay raises for workers.
• Zachary Israel (Ward 4 resident): for the eighth or ninth time, urged funding for a library on Kennedy Street NW; noted that DCPL has a “community commons pilot” concept but no budget allocation, and that previous council allocations went unspent.
• Mark Patison (President, Friends of the Juanita E. Thornton/Shepard Park Library): raised concerns about the $1 million cut to the collections budget, the high cost of ebooks (three times physical books), and the continuing omission of a Kennedy Street library from capital plans; called for a “right to reread” movement.
• Robert Oliver (President, Friends of Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Library): described the impact of the $2.6 million non-personnel cut on equipment, supplies, programming, and maintenance; warned of worn furniture, stained floors, and reduced branch capacity.
• Amari Kerrigan (library staff member at Anacostia Library): testified about the need for trauma support for staff, citing repeated gunfire striking the Anacostia Library (eight times between 2022 and 2023) and inadequate mental health response; also supported career ladders, additional FTEs, collections restoration, and tuition assistance.
• Brandon Scott (ANC Commissioner, Ward 7C08): shared personal story of how libraries shaped his life, and how the Center for Accessibility helped his visually impaired son; urged continued investment in the Center for Accessibility, housing assistance for library employees to live in DC, and funding for braille and literacy programs for the visually impaired.
• Will Augustin (recent immigrant): described how library programs (basic computer skills, job seeker workshops, English conversation circles) helped him build skills and confidence; expressed gratitude.
• Travis Balle (Ward 7 resident): asked the council to protect the new Deanwood Library project ($20,000 SF replacement), maintain neighborhood library services, ensure reliable jail video visitation, and restore funding for the DC Oral History Collaborative.
• Tripty Patel (ANC2A Commissioner): raised concerns about reduced after-hours access to the West End Library for ANC meetings due to staffing and overtime limits (meetings can no longer extend past 10:30 p.m.); requested budgeting for at least one monthly meeting until 11:30 p.m., and a report on ANC access to library meeting spaces citywide.

Discussion Items

Councilmember Freuman questioned DCPL Executive Director Richard Reyes Gavallan and his management team on the following topics:

• Staffing: The library has hired 52 new staff since the start of FY26 and promoted 10, but still has about 100 vacancies (roughly 74 are fillable). No cuts to hours or branches are expected from the $1.2 million reduction in neighborhood library services, but the cut will degrade the in-library experience (fewer supplies, programs, furniture replacements). Hiring is slow due to limited recruiters and applicant pool issues; a June hiring fair targets recent college graduates.
• Collections: The $1 million cut to the collections budget will result in approximately 53,000 fewer items and an estimated half million fewer checkouts. DCPL’s collection budget ($4.5–4.7 million) is low compared to peer systems (Denver, Columbus: $6–8 million). Ebook wait times average 31–35 days; print book waits are similar.
• Downtown Activation: The elimination of $450,000 in downtown activation funds will severely impact popular programs at MLK Library (e.g., Art All Night, signature author talks, heritage month celebrations). The library will rely more on the DCPL Foundation (raises ~$2 million/year).
• Youth Services: A $106,000 cut may jeopardize the Beanstack reading tracking subscription, back-to-school bashes, and professional development for school media specialists.
• Southeast Library: Slated to open late summer 2026, but $527,000 in operating impact of capital (for custodial, security, technology) is not included in the budget and would need to be stretched from existing contracts.
• Oral History Collaborative: The $200,000 cut limits expansion of the collection; DCPL can still process existing histories but cannot actively collect new ones. The Executive Director noted the difficult trade-off between this program and collections.
• Capital Improvements: The $9.5 million increase in general improvements will fund full elevator replacements at Northeast and Tenley-Friendship libraries, concrete slab repair at MLK, and other deferred maintenance. However, a full renovation of Tenley Library is not funded, and the priority list exceeds available dollars.
• Eckington/Edgewood Library: $9 million added to negotiate a long-term lease; negotiations will begin after budget passage. The total project budget ($24 million) may be insufficient for a full-service library in today’s dollars.
• Congress Heights Library: Construction expected to start later summer, dependent on completion of the 13th Street Connector project by DDOT/DGS. Delays could increase costs.
• Adult Learning Services: A $1.2 million cut from federal grants is expected to be restored subject to a council vote to authorize expenditure of the grant funds.
• IT Modernization: Over $1 million for network switches and power equipment at MLK and Southwest libraries.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken; the hearing was for information gathering.
• Councilmember Freuman expressed intent to work toward restoring funding for the DC Oral History Collaborative ($200,000), the collections budget ($1 million), and to include budget language authorizing the use of restored federal grant funds for adult learning.
• The committee will follow up with DCPL regarding the Kennedy Street library and explore a dedicated fund for after-hours community use of library meeting spaces, while ensuring staff are compensated.
• The committee will also raise the 13th Street Connector project timeline at the upcoming DDOT/DGS oversight hearing.
• Written testimony for the record must be submitted by April 29, 2026, at 5 p.m.