Annual Report and Budget
The 2026 Library Budget and Trustee Vote - Questions and Answers
See the official Annual Report pamphlet as a PDF document.
When will the library vote be held?
The vote will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2025, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the library’s H. Dutcher Community Room. Information about absentee ballots is available from the Library District Clerk, at 518-584-7860, extension 253, or at the library between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. At 7 p.m. on Monday, April 20th, there will be a public hearing on the proposed budget in the H. Dutcher Community Room.
Who can vote?
Any Saratoga Springs City School District resident who is a registered voter is eligible to vote.
What are we voting for?
- Budget: The public will be voting on a proposition to collect $5,552,327 in school district property taxes in Fiscal Year 2026-2027 to operate the Saratoga Springs Public Library. This is a 2% increase over FY2025-26.
- Trustees: There are two candidates for two vacancies on the Library’s Board of Trustees. Carol Daggs, of Saratoga Springs, is running for reelection to an expiring seat, and Nurcan Atalan-Helicke, also of Saratoga Springs, is running to fill a vacancy created by the expiring term of Frank Brady.
What happens if the budget doesn’t pass?
Unlike public school budgets, the law does not allow for any changes if the budget is defeated, and unless the library board decides to hold a second budget vote (highly unlikely), the library would still receive the same amount appropriated in FY 2025-2026. Should the proposed budget not pass, the library board will decide what budget lines and services will be reduced or reallocated.
What will be happening in the coming year?
The Library recently unveiled a new strategic plan continuing our focus on four areas:
- Universal accessibility
- The library as a place
- Community convener
- And a community leader
Efforts in the coming year will focus on improvements to the library building’s aging automated security and building maintenance systems, and ongoing expansion of outreach efforts into remote parts of the library district, which spans from Lake Desolation to Saratoga Lake, and includes the large portions of the Towns of Wilton, Greenfield, and Milton that lie within the Saratoga Springs City School District.
Additionally, the Library is currently conducting an internal study of how spaces within the building are used, with an eye toward solutions that meet current use patterns and planning for the evolution of services. Planning for the long-term preservation of the unique local history collection within the Saratoga Room is also underway.
While our collection continues to expand into less traditional areas, and formats for delivering information and content continue to evolve, we anticipate that the Library will continue to be a hub of community activity, and program attendance will continue to grow.
Saratoga Springs Public Library Proposed FY2026-27 Budget
| Budget Line Item | FY 2025-26 | FY 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Books | $160,000 | $150,000 |
| Magazines and Microfilm | $27,000 | $27,000 |
| Electronic Resources | $170,000 | $180,000 |
| Computer Software | $10,000 | $15,000 |
| Audio and Visual Materials | $40,000 | $30,000 |
| Supplies | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Postage | $11,000 | $12,000 |
| Miscellaneous and Bank Charges | $10,500 | $13,000 |
| Insurance | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Heat | $15,000 | $15,000 |
| Electricity | $125,000 | $120,000 |
| Phone and Internet | $20,000 | $20,000 |
| Sewer Tax | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Repairs and Maintenance | $120,000 | $125,000 |
| Equipment | $80,000 | $70,000 |
| Conferences and Training | $30,000 | $30,000 |
| Professional Services | $80,000 | $70,000 |
| Printing | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Program Expenses | $75,000 | $75,000 |
| Automation | $115,000 | $115,000 |
| Capital Projects | $500,000 | $100,000 |
| Retirement | $450,000 | $500,000 |
| Social Security | $260,000 | $265,000 |
| Health Insurance | $872,850 | $960,135 |
| Disability Insurance | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Salaries | $3,350,000 | $3,467,250 |
| Total Operating Budget | $6,669,350 | $6,512,385 |
| Income Other than School District Levy | $1,225,892 | $960,058 |
| Required from School District Levy | $5,443,458 | $5,552,327 |
More questions? Contact A. Issac Pulver, Library Director, at 518-584-7860.
Annual Report
A Letter From the Director
In 2025, both the Saratoga Springs Public Library and I hit milestone birthdays: the Library’s charter turned 75, and I moved one year closer to the end of a 40-year career in library work. January 2026 marked the 18th anniversary of my tenure as Director, and while much has changed in both the library and the community since 2008, some things remain constant. We are a community that supports our cultural and educational institutions, and we are generous in our support of one another—even, and perhaps especially, in trying times.
More than ever before, we find our Library not only providing access to content that informs and entertains, but also providing access to resources and experiences that are fundamental to the physical and mental health and well-being of our community. From adult literacy resources, to English Language Learning opportunities, to story times for our youngest new readers, to barrier-free access to life-saving recovery materials and food to nurture the mind, body, and soul, the range of resources and opportunities provided at your library, and the breadth and depth of our cooperation with partners to bring these resources to you, are unparalleled in our history.
At our recent ribbon-cutting event for the expansion of Comfort Food Community’s Farm2Library project into our library and additional libraries in Saratoga County, I was reminded of a literacy initiative from my childhood: RIF, or Reading is Fundamental. At its inception, RIF was formed to promote the idea that that children who have access to books at home are more successful readers. To this day, RIF persists, and has, like your library, evolved to provide access to e-books. The spirit of RIF lives on in local organizations and initiatives, like Stories for Success, which provides books and literacy information to new babies and their families in the community, and the Saratoga Literacy League, which preserves and redistributes gently used children’s books, helping to ensure that books are present in homes.
Similarly, our participation in Farm2Library, which provides barrier-free access to food from local producers, is based on the idea that “feeding is fundamental.” No one should go hungry, and food for thought is easier to digest on a full tummy. We are in a moment in our history, both as an institution and as a community, when we are reminded that it is more important than ever that we make room at the table for everyone, and to provide a menu that satisfies a variety of tastes.
For your support in helping us preserve and provide access to our greatest treasures, and to innovate in the scope and delivery of our services, we are grateful.
With gratitude,
A. Issac “Ike” Pulver, Library Director
Trustee Candidate Statements
Nurcan Atalan-Helicke
Nurcan Atalan-Helicke, Ph.D., has been a Saratoga Springs resident for 15 years. A social scientist by training, she is a professor in the Environmental Studies and Sciences Department at Skidmore College, where she teaches a range of courses, including the Politics of Food, and Human Rights and Development. Nurcan has collaborated extensively with the City of Saratoga Springs and civic organizations including Sustainable Saratoga, Pitney Meadows Community Farm, and the Saratoga Immigration Coalition. Her community service includes mentoring for the Saratoga Mentoring Program and volunteering with Lifeworks Community Action and the Regional Food Bank. As a mother and an immigrant, Nurcan values the library as an essential space for all ages. She personally enjoys the library’s science fiction, cookbook, and anime collections, and is dedicated to fostering its growth as a welcoming resource for every member of the community.
Carol Daggs
Carol Daggs is a lifelong Saratoga Springs resident with family roots in the “Spa City” stretching back to the 1800s. Carol’s history with the Saratoga Springs Public Library began in her preschool days at the former Broadway location through the Crib and Crawl program. Currently finishing her first five-year term as an SSPL Board Member, she is seeking a second term beginning later this year. An accomplished educator, artist, and author, Carol’s book, Saratoga Soul: Brandtville Blues, was chosen as the 2021 SaratogaREADS! community selection. When she isn’t teaching or practicing as a New York State Licensed Massage Therapist, Carol enjoys reading, writing, and walking in her historic Brandtville neighborhood.
How did your library serve the community in this recent calendar year?
- Library users borrowed 552,172 items.
- Cardholders downloaded or viewed 105,523 e-books, e-audios, and streaming movies.
- Library staff prepared, presented, and hosted more than 1,423 program sessions for 13,830 participants of all ages, including 908 one-on-one sessions devoted to adult basic education, digital literacy, and English Language Learning.
- 1,357 people attended English Language Learning classes and tutoring sessions with library staff and volunteers.
- Library staff made 510 visits to individual home-bound residents, senior housing sites, and school classrooms, reaching and serving 8,960 people in locations outside of the library.
- 249,911 people visited the library in 2025.
- Librarians answered 40,777 reference questions.
- Users logged 34,472 sessions on library computer and wireless services.
- In 2025, library meeting rooms were booked by non-profit community organizations or used on a walk-in basis 959 times.