Residents urge Princeton Council to fully fund public library budget request

Residents concerned about reduced hours, note rising demand due to new housing developments

At the Princeton Council meeting Monday night, residents urged the Princeton Council to fully fund the Princeton Public Library’s budget request, warning that reduced hours and growing demand tied to housing growth are placing increasing pressure on one of the community’s most widely used public institutions.

The library asked for a $149,000 increase in the budget this year to cover health insurance increases for employees and other rising costs.

Speaking during public comment, Prospect Avenue resident Melanie Stein said she was concerned about the library’s reduced hours because of budget constraints.

“I would like the council to fully fund the library to the extent of the ask in the budget,” Stein said. “I am concerned about the decreasing library hours, as they’ve had to cut some hours because they didn’t have funding.”

In January, the library cut its hours. The council has proposed keeping library funding flat in the budget this year. The municipality funds about 75% of the library’s expenses, while donors fund the remaining 25%.

Flat funding would leave the library unable to absorb rising costs such as health insurance without making cuts elsewhere. As a municipal library, it participates in the same state health insurance plan as the municipality, where state-mandated staff insurance premiums are set to rise 36.5% in 2026.

Stein described the library as “a resource for everybody, for all age groups, for all community members,” noting that many students use the building after school and that demand is strong.

She said that when she recently returned to the library after being away for a period of time, she was struck by how crowded it was. It is often hard to find a seat because it is so packed.

“I actually went to get some books and to do some work about two months ago and was astounded to see that so many seats were filled,” Stein said. “I had to go around to find a place where I could sit without being interrupted.”

Stein also linked the library’s needs to Princeton’s ongoing housing growth, arguing that additional residential development will increase demand for public services.

“Of course, that increases substantially the pressure on all of our institutions, including the public library,” she said. “So I see this as a need to actually increase the budget, because we’re going to have a lot more people and a lot more foot traffic.”

Rather than scaling back services, Stein said the town should plan for the expansion of the library instead.

“Rather than having decreasing services with a decreased budget, we need to think about how we can expand and increase the budget, expand the hours, because we’re going to be having a lot more people in this community, and that is a resource that serves all,” she said.

Resident Catherine Millet of John Street called the library one of most valuable resources in Princeton and the state of New Jersey.

“It’s not just books. It’s so much more than books,” she said. “It’s our community living room.”

She pointed to the library’s programming, technology offerings, and staff as essential community assets.

“We have programming that, when I tell people what we have here in our library, they are amazed,” Millet said. “Our technology room, our staff, they are incredible.”

Council members did not respond to the comments or discuss the library budget at the meeting.

The council has raised concerns about the sustainability of rising library costs, with one member suggesting that Princeton residents do not need a “Cadillac” level library and should instead receive a “Chevy” level of service.