BEMIDJI — The Bemidji Public Library's open house to send off some of its staff brought in a variety of patrons of all ages to wish them well.
Friday, March 27, marked the last day for Children’s Librarian Michael Lyons and Adult Programming and Outreach Coordinator Kate Egelhof, as the Bemidji Public Library is adjusting its budget and cutting staff to reflect a significant reduction in funding.
Lyons was surrounded by some of the library’s youngest patrons as he read stories and played puppets with them, while all were offered cookies and lemonade.
“I'm especially going to miss these kids,” Lyons said. “It has been just a joy and almost effortless.”
Children’s story time programming will be suspended through April as the library plans its next steps.
“I felt way better about leaving yesterday before all this outpouring of love,” Lyons said. “It's really going to be hard to leave now that I've seen so much appreciation for what we've done here.”
The library is making the adjustment after the Beltrami County Board voted to reduce its funding to the Kitchigami Regional Library — which operates the libraries in both Blackduck and Bemidji — by around 40%, which translates to about $185,000 less than it allocated to the library in 2025.
The Board’s vote also reduced its funding by $7,500 to the Beltrami County Historical Center, which received a private donation to cover the difference, and to Paul Bunyan Transit, which had not applied for its allocated funds in several years.
The budget reductions were motivated by anticipated cost shifts from state and federal sources, where counties will be expected to cover more of the costs to administer programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
Egelhof said while she is looking forward to a brief stint out of the workforce, she felt overwhelmed with the outpouring of support.
“People I don't even recognize are coming up and going, ‘Oh, you're my favorite librarian.' I'm getting all misty-eyed because you do a job and you figure, ‘Oh, I'm just doing my job adequately,’” she said. “It turns out people really care and love the library.”
She also encouraged the Beltrami County commissioners who voted to cut the library's funding to pay a visit.
“Maybe spend an hour and actually talk to their constituents who use the library and see precisely what effects it's going to have and what the community would like instead," she said.
Bemidji Public Library’s new hours will be 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, beginning Tuesday. The library will no longer be open on Saturday or Monday with the change.
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