06/15/2026
At the beginning of the year, Dallas Public Library director Manya Shorr presented a regional model plan to the Quality of Life, Arts and Cultural Committee, which would create five flagship libraries that provide extended hours and expanded programming and services. To address a $2.6 million budget reduction requirement for the next fiscal year, Oak Lawn, Skyline, Renner Frankford and Arcadia Park branches were slated to close to provide general fund savings. At the conclusion of the January committee meeting, council members urged Shorr to return with a proposal to keep all branches open.
To address the funding issue for the flagship model, Shorr presented options to help raise revenue in the branches. Proposals included increased room rental costs, incorporating paid parking to the central library and seeking to add passport offices to libraries in areas that could use that service. District 7 Council member Adam Bazaldua suggested additional revenue options, such as sponsorship and naming-rights opportunities or leasing options for coffee shops.
Despite being underfunded, Shorr wants libraries to offer more services to Dallasites, not less. But the City may have to think outside the box to accomplish that goal. She says, “No matter what happens, we will still be exploring creative and innovative ways to offer more library services in the future ... the idea that we have more libraries in retail areas, whether strip malls or malls, that we have more partnership opportunities, that we have smaller footprint libraries that don’t cost as much. That, along with the flagships, is the future of the Dallas Public Library and how we’re going to offer more to people in the future.”
https://oakcliff.advocatemag.com/2026/05/city-of-dallas-will-decide-libraries-future-in-next-budget/
