SEVEN FIELDS — As costs increase and budgets tighten, some local libraries are fighting an uphill battle to refrain from scaling back services.

Officials from the Cranberry Public Library during a Seven Fields Borough Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 8, made their pitch for an increase in annual funding from the borough ahead of upcoming budget discussions in the fall.

Although contributions aren’t required by the state, Seven Fields has consistently provided $5 per resident since 2012. The borough’s funding to the library was $14,545 in 2024.

Board of Trustees president Robyn Gross addressed council, noting that the borough’s costs have remained flat despite rising costs.

“We’ve operated on a deficit for the last few years, and if it continues we’ll have to reduce services to our patrons, which I don’t think any of us want to see,” she said.

She pointed out that Seven Fields residents make up about 5% of the patrons at the library, but only 2% of costs are funded by the borough.

Seven Fields manager Tom Smith said budget work has already begun and that decisions about funding other entities like the library is part of the process.

“We’ll probably present something to council in October with final passage in November,” he said about the borough’s budget.

Cranberry Public Library is one of nine institutions in the Butler County Federated Library System that receive state funding through a tier-based system of aid.