Make your voice heard!
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 the spring of 2025, 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.
We need your help urging our elected officials to make the Library a top priority when setting the City of San Diego budget.
Attend Q&A
Attend a Q&A session on the proposed cuts and the City’s budget process with our CEO.
Attend.
Send an email
Use our automated form to email your elected officials to fund our Libraries!
Send email.
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.
Use these talking points, or create your own: Letter to the City Council or Union Tribune Op-Ed.
Check out San Diego Public Library usage by Council District:
*This patron visit average was calculated when the Library was open seven days a week.