Vancouver Island Regional Library’s board of trustees has balanced its books for 2019.
The board passed the library’s 2019-2023 financial plan at its Sept. 22 meeting, adopting a balanced budget of over $38 million for 2019. According to a press release, $23 million of municipal and rural levies will go toward the budget, equating to an average increase of 4.74 per cent or an increase of $1.48 per capita.
“By adopting this budget, the board supports VIRL’s transition to a library of the 21st century,” said Joel Adams, VIRL’s director of finance, in the release. “We look forward to innovating through programming that meets and exceeds the diverse needs of customers, continuing to invest in our digital collections and technology, and updating our facilities to serve our customers well for years to come.”
Comparing last year’s financial plan with this one, VIRL libraries saw 2.6 million visitors in 2017, the same as the year before. Materials circulated, both physical and digital, nudged down to 5.1 million items in 2017 from 5.2 million items in 2016.
“VIRL continues to respond proactively to the push for the latest technologies and advancements, ensuring that our branches are well-positioned with the spaces, resources, and expertise to guide our customers now and into the future,” said Barry Avis, chairman of VIRL’s board of trustees, in the press release. “At the same time, this budget is responsive to the pull from our communities to maintain core traditional services that libraries have always provided.”
For more information on the budget, www.virl.bc.ca/about-us/reports-and-plans.