Take Action

Mayor Todd Gloria recently released his proposed City budget for Fiscal Year 2027, and once again, our San Diego Public Library is being asked to absorb significant budget cuts on top of an already-slashed Library budget.

The San Diego Public Library is facing a $6.3 million cut in the proposed fiscal 2027 budget, which would further reduce hours, programming, and services for patrons.

• In fiscal year 2026, the San Diego Public Library’s budget was cut by $6.8 million, resulting in the closure of all 37 Library locations on Sundays and 20 locations on Mondays. The reduced service hours have also decreased the number of services and programming the Library can provide. 
• As a result of continuing budget cuts, the Library’s materials budget is just $2.8 million for a city of 1.4 million residents — about $2 per person. That spending level is significantly lower than that of comparable public Library systems nationwide. 
• The proposed cuts will also affect the Library’s maintenance budget, limiting its ability to address more than $60 million in deferred maintenance needs.

The San Diego Public Library system is no stranger to funding challenges, having experienced more than $640 million in funding losses over the past 20 years for the more than 6 million patrons* who visit its 37 locations each year. The San Diego Public Library’s budget has lagged behind those of comparable library systems for years. Despite a Library Ordinance approved by the City Council in 2000, which set a goal of allocating 6% of the City’s general fund to the Library department, the Library has never received that level of funding. 

The City’s 37 Library locations cannot deliver the services, programs, and resources San Diegans rely on when they are treated as an afterthought. The San Diego Public Library is a core City service and deserves sustained investment to meet the growing needs of neighborhoods across San Diego.

Tell our elected officials that San Diegans do NOT want the City to balance the budget on the back of the San Diego Public Library AGAIN this year.

City leaders must hear our voices loud and clear: defend our Libraries!

*This patron visit average was calculated when the Library was open seven days a week.