Despite the fact that the Lafayette County and Oxford Public Library continues to grow in the number of people using the library, the library’s proposed budget for the 2018 fiscal year has not.

On Monday, Head Librarian Laura Beth Walker presented the library’s annual report to the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors and announced the library is not seeking an increase in its budget for 2018.

“We are requesting $399,000, which is what we received last year,” she said. “We thank you for helping to keep the library updated. I know it can get expensive.”

Major repairs and renovations to the building are covered under the county’s Building and Grounds budget and don’t come out of the library’s budget.

In the brief report, it was noted that library employees answered 38,307 reference questions in the last 12 months and helped with 20,938 job searches and technology questions. Users checked out 154,535 items. The library saw an average of 2,450 people visit the library each week and 398 programs were held at the library with 13,446 attending.

Supervisor and Board President Jeff Busby said the board is in the middle of working through the fiscal year 2018 budget and will consider the library’s budget request during that process.

The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.