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Happy New Year: 2026 edition

Jumping Right Into 2026

If you’re new to a NEKLS member library or stepping into a new role, this is a good time to reach out to the office. We’re happy to walk through what’s coming up, answer questions, or help you prioritize what matters most for your library.

You can always find upcoming events listed in the sidebar of our website. Some sessions are in person, many are online, and more details—including registration links—will be shared through our group email lists as they open.

It’s a full start to the year, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. We’re glad to be back at it with you—and ready to move forward together.

January & February Highlights

  • Next User Group Meeting at the NEKLS Office
  • Annual Public Library Survey
  • Summer Reading Program Webinars
  • How to be an ILL Sleuth
  • KOMA Training for Trustees
  • Legislative Day

Perry Lecompton Community Library Becomes a District

An election was held in November 2025 to establish Library District No. 2, Jefferson County (aka Perry Lecompton Community Library) and the ballot measure passed. This is an exciting development for the residents of the new library district! Here are some of the questions we are receiving at the NEKLS office . . . .

Didn’t Perry and Lecompton already have a library?

Yes, the Perry Lecompton Community Library has been operating for years as a volunteer library funded almost entirely though donations. As a legally established district library, the elected board of directors will have the ability to levy taxes in support of library operations.

What are the geographic boundaries of the library district?

The new taxing district largely mirrors that of USD 343 Perry-Lecompton with the exception  of a small portion in the city limits of Lawrence (taxed in support of Lawrence Public Library) and a small portion taxed by the Meriden-Ozawkie Public Library.

Is the Perry Lecompton Community Library a member of NEKLS?

While NEKLS has permitted the library to participate in the Next shared catalog and courier service, the library was never a member of NEKLS. It is expected that the library board will petition for membership in NEKLS.

How will the creation of this new district library impact NEKLS and the other member libraries?

The formation of this district is a positive development. The system will gain a valuable member library and residents of the district will see enhanced services offered by their local library. The formation of this district does mean a loss in taxing area to NEKLS and will result in a permanent loss of revenue (estimated to be between $120,000 and $130,000). It is our intention to mitigate the direct impact of this lost revenue on member libraries.

When will the library officially make the transition from volunteer library to district library?

Next week!  The Jefferson County Clerk’s office has called a special meeting for Thursday, January 22, 2026 for qualified electors of the district to elect the library’s inaugural governing body. As you might imagine, the library will have a lot of “firsts” in 2026 – drafting and approving bylaws, holding the annual meeting in March, preparing the municipal budget workbook, reviewing and setting policy, and all of the other things that go with running a public library. Questions? Contact Mike McDonald at mmcdonald@nekls.org or call the NEKLS office.

Changes to Kansas Administrative Regulations

The State Library Board approved in December 2025 changes to two Administrative Regulations applicable to regional systems of cooperating libraries (e.g. NEKLS).

K.A.R. 54-1-8 addresses provision of free service:

Libraries participating in NEKLS shall permit any citizen of the NEKLS region to borrow materials or receive services without charge, subject to reasonable local library rules.

  • NEKLS shall not restrict the services and funding it provides to a member library based on this provision unless ordered by the State Library Board.
  • If NEKLS believes a member library’s rules are unreasonable or discriminatory, the system may bring the matter to the State Library Board for review.
  • Any action by the State Library Board shall be binding on all parties.

How might this regulation apply in practical terms? Suppose a member public library determines that a disproportionate number of out-of-district borrowers is consuming e-content and straining the library’s budget for this service. The library might choose, for example, to charge a small fee to out-of-district borrowers for access to e-content or perhaps choose to limit the number of monthly e-content e-contents for such borrowers. If NEKLS felt these policies were unreasonable, the system could ask the State Library Board to review the matter.

K.A.R. 54-1-15 pertains to what happens to property purchased with NEKLS funds when a member library petitions the State Library Board for withdrawal from the system. Property may include books, furniture, equipment or other property.

Legislative Update

The Kansas Legislature opened the new session on Monday, January 12, 2026. Access all things Kansas Legislature here: https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/

  • NEKLS will endeavor to keep members apprised of bills that may impact libraries. If a bill gains traction and receives a hearing, you may wish to consider providing written or oral testimony.
  • Kansas Legislative Day for libraries will be Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at the Statehouse.

HB 2410 has been pre-filed and would amend K.S.A. 75-2549. This statute addresses how public libraries withdraw their taxing district from a regional system of cooperating libraries (“system”). As introduced, this bill would:

  • Reduce from two to one the number of years a local library must levy at least 0.25 mills before petitioning the State Library Board to have the system tax removed.
  • Remove the consideration of “manifest harm” to a system when a local public library petitions the State Library Board to remove the system tax.
  • Require the State Library Board to exclude such taxing district from the system if the local library’s taxing district meets statutory requirements.
  • Curiously, the bill amends language about a 0.75 mill cap on a system’s annual ad valorem tax. This provision in K.S.A 75-2551 was removed by the Legislature several years ago, is therefore residual and should be corrected by the Revisor of Statutes.

In practical terms, this bill would apply to the Perry Lecompton district library petitioning to have the NEKLS tax removed from the library’s taxing district.

Government Accountability Office Report

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report in December 2025 to congressional committees regarding public library buildings that found, in part:

  • An estimated 38 percent (about 6,000) of the nation’s public libraries have at least one building system, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), in poor condition, according to GAO’s survey of libraries.
  • An estimated 61 percent (about 9,800 libraries) have at least one building system or feature that poses a potential health or safety concern. Library size and physical accessibility were most frequently cited as potential concerns.
  • An estimated 70 percent (about 11,200 libraries) have a backlog of deferred maintenance and repair, according to GAO’s survey.
  • According to budget forecasts and planned projects, an estimated 70 percent of libraries also expect deferred maintenance to persist or increase in the next 3 years.
  • An estimated 39 percent (about 6,200 libraries) had a deferred maintenance backlog of more than $100,000 each.

I would expect these percentages ring true in Kansas and the NEKLS region. It is an important reminder for libraries and their municipal partners that building maintenance must be considered in the annual budget. Contact a NEKLS consultant to discuss space planning and library facility maintenance.

View the full report HERE.