Budget Overview
Each year, the City and County of San Francisco approves by Ordinance the budget by department for the upcoming two fiscal years. On July 25, 2023, the San Francisco Public Library’s budget was passed by the Board of Supervisors as part of the Annual Appropriation Ordinance (AAO) for Fiscal Years (FY) 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. Of the City’s $14.6 billion budget for FY24, $199 million is appropriated for the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL). The budget funds our longstanding strategic priorities: our continuing commitment to excellence in our programming, partnerships, services and facilities.
The Library plays an important role as a resource hub and community connector. Through our annual budget process, we developed specific proposals this cycle to keep every neighborhood library open seven days a week and invest in our workforce. Furthermore, our department has worked to identify opportunities for investments that will support the City’s Economic Recovery, including capital investments to boost the local construction industry, stimulate job opportunities, and support the arts & cultural sector. The budget invests in diversifying and expanding access to our Collections including investments in Native American and African American Authors, sustain our book giveaway programs that help our communities build home libraries and get connected to SFPL services, as well as building our own capacity in the DigiCenter to digitize rare collections.
FY24 Budget vs. FY23 Budget
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| FY23 Budget |
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| % of increase FY24 vs. FY23 |
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FY25 Budget vs. FY24 Budget
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| % of Decrease FY25 vs. FY24 |
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Three Year Budget Comparison by Program
Budget Priorities
Premier Urban Library
Fosters a connected community through shared experiences, equitable access to quality resources, an inclusive environment
Literacy & Learning
Provides robust collections, resources, services, and programs that support reading and address the changing literacy and learning needs of the 21st century
Youth Engagement
Enriches youth with early literacy programs, summer learning activities, homework help, outreach to schools, and teen services with emphasis on technology access and media literacy
Digital Strategies
Ensures equitable access to public technology and resources
Partnerships for Excellence
Enables city agencies and community-based organizations to leverage the Library’s resources, strengthens the services and programs offered, and helps reach larger audiences
Facilities & Infrastructure
Ensures the Library’s buildings and systems are high-quality and ready to meet service demands
Strong Library Collections
The Library commits approximately 13 percent of its operating budget each fiscal year from FY21 to FY25 to collections in various formats and multiple languages to support our diverse community. Enhancements are responsive to usage data and community requests. Print books remain the primary material format for patrons.
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