Budget Woes Force Changes at Library

Beginning Monday, Crawfordsville District Public Library will have reduced winter hours. The temporary schedule, which runs through March 1, will be Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. The library will be closed on Fridays.

Reducing operating hours is one strategy being considered and employed by the library to shrink the budget to meet lower 2026 revenues. Operating revenues in terms of local income tax and property tax are expected to decrease $268,000, equal to 12.6 percent of expected 2025 revenues.

Along with shorter hours, additional approaches include leaving two open part-time staff positions unfilled, providing no pay increases in 2026, reviewing all vendor services rebidding some of them, and decreasing collection and supply spending. The temporary hours are a way for the library board to determine the feasibility of reducing hours longer term.

Visit the library’s website at crawfordsvillelibrary.in.gov or call (765) 362-2242 to learn more about the library’s services and programs. The library’s digital collections are available 24/7, including Kanopy, Overdrive (Libby), Hoopla, and CDPL’s local history resources.