The State budget signed into law on July 17 reduces the percentage of tax revenues going into the Public Library Fund from 2.22% to 1.97%. While this is estimated to be $84.3 million over the State biennium, the amount could either increase or decrease depending on actual State revenues. This latest cut is an 11% further reduction in Library funding and while very difficult, is less than the 30% cut proposed by the governor. We thank you, our users, for contacting our legislators with thousands of emails and phone calls. These messages did make a difference. We deeply appreciate your actions in voicing support for public libraries.

For more information on Library funding click here

For the fourth consecutive time our Library has been ranked among the 10 best public libraries among those serving a population of more than 500,000. The Hennen American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR) are compiled by Thomas J. Hennen, Jr., Director of the Waukesha County Federated Library System in Wisconsin. Our ranking for 2009 is 10th in our size category. Hennen lists 10 libraries in each of 10 population categories and our Library is one of 83 libraries nationally serving a population of over 500,000. These 100 public libraries are widely considered to be the best libraries in the country. Hennen’s ratings are based on fiscal year 2006 data for most of the participating libraries and compares data reported by more than 9,000 libraries across the country.

Listen to beautiful music from Shakespeare's time with Catacoustic Consort's "Music from the Renaissance" concert series. Catacoustic's Artistic Director Annalisa Pappano and Instrumentalist James Lambert will enchant audiences with the melodies of the viola da gamba, one of the predominant instruments of the Renaissance and Baroque periods in Western Europe. The concerts are free and open to the public.

Click here for a schedule of concerts

To save money and become more environmentally green, the Library will no longer be publishing a printed monthly calendar of programs offered throughout the system. Easy access to the entire monthly schedule of the Library’s free programs for children, teens, and adults is available online. You can search here by date, location, type of program, or by age category on the Library’s website. Click here to search these great programs!