Harford County Public Library

County Executive Town Hall Meeting

County Executive Bob Cassilly invites citizens to participate in opportunities during January to provide input on Harford County's budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Make your voice heard in advocating for full funding of the Harford County Public Library, including staff raises and support for the Bel Air Branch renovation project in the Capital Budget. Share your opinions with County Executive Cassilly and his team.

A town hall meeting for in-person comments is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, January 23, at Darlington Hall, room 202, on the campus of Harford Community College in Bel Air. The meeting will feature in-person testimonies, a public reading of selected emails received before and during the event, and an opportunity for citizens to call in comments through a dedicated phone line. The town hall will be broadcast on HarfordTV and streamed live on the county website.

To submit comments:

Email: iGovHarford@harfordcountymd.gov
Harford County Executive: Bob Cassilly
Address: 220 S. Main St., Bel Air, Md. 21014
Phone: 443-412-2700 (activated only during the live event)

Additionally, on January 23, at 6 p.m., citizens can watch the live event on the county website at Link to Budget Town Hall.

County Council Budget Hearings

Each spring, the County Executive proposes a budget to fund county operations and capital programs for the upcoming fiscal year that begins on July 1. The County Executive’s recommended budget is based on revenue projections and must be approved by the Harford County Council. Typically, both the County Executive and County Council host budget hearings for citizens to provide input on the next county budget prior to voting on its approval.

County Council Public Hearings on the FY25 Budget are scheduled as follows:

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 7:00PM in the Council Chambers
Monday, May 13, 2024 at 7:00PM in the Council Chambers
Meetings will be live streamed with Video/Audio and archived on the County Council website. For more information, visit
https://www.harfordcountymd.gov/155/County-Council

How much value does the library provide you?

Tell your story about the Harford County Public Library! Leave a comment on Facebook, Twitter, or via e-mail. We want to hear what your library means to you.

FY 2023 Value of Select Library Services*

Quantity	Library Services	Retail Value	Value of Services
820,220	Adult Books Borrowed	$30.00	$24,606,600
1,024,490	Children’s Books Borrowed	$20.25	$20,745,923
745,238	Digital Materials Borrowed	$20.00	$14,904,760
200,097	DVD’s Borrowed	$19.99	$3,999,939
30,280	Music CDs Borrowed	$15.00	$454,200
36,524	Audiobooks on CD Borrowed	$40.00	$1,460,960
12,404	Playaways Borrowed	$65.00	$806,260
1,242	Little Leaper Kits Borrowed	$189.00	$234,738
1,668	LEAP Science Kits Borrowed	$110.00	$183,480
741	LEAP Music Kits Borrowed	$250.00	$185,250
1,729	WiFi Hotspots Borrowed	$50.00	$86,450
6,882	LSC Kits Borrowed	$150.00	$1,032,300
16,432	LSC Toys Borrowed	$25.00	$410,800
1,281	American Girl Dolls Borrowed	$147.00	$188,307
566	Superhero Kits Borrowed	$50.00	$28,300
19,598	Magazines Borrowed	$4.50	$88,191
38,835	Interlibrary Loans	$25.00	$970,875
214	Meeting Room Use	$100.00	$21,400
401,626	Program Attendees	$15.78	$6,337,658
71,448	Online Class Attendees	$144.00	$10,288,512
77,387	Hours of Computer Use	$12.60	$975,076
379,664	Database Searches	$10.00	$3,796,640
368,659	Customer Queries Answered	$7.00	$2,580,613
196	Light Therapy Lamps	$20.00	$3,920

Total Value			$94,391,152

*The values above are based on the estimated retail value of the materials or services

Interactive Library Use Value Calculator

What is your library worth to you? How much would you pay out-of-pocket for your library services?

Enter the average number of times per month you or your family use each service.
Click "Calculate" to find the estimated retail value of your library use!

Monthly Use	Library Services	Estimated Retail Value
	Books Borrowed	$
	eBooks or Audiobooks Downloaded	$
	DVDs Borrowed	$
	Music CDs Borrowed	$
	Audiobooks on CD Borrowed	$
	Playaways Borrowed	$
	LEAP Science Kits Borrowed	$
	LSC Kits Borrowed	$
	Storytime Pals Borrowed	$
	Magazines Borrowed	$
	Magazine/Newspaper Use in Library	$
	Interlibrary Loan	$
	Adult Programs Attended	$
	Children’s Programs Attended	$
	Hours of Computer Use (i.e. Internet, word processing, etc.)	$
	Database Searches	$
	Information Questions Asked	$
	Little Leapers	$
	American Girl Dolls	$
	Light Therapy Lamps	$

Total		$

Note: The values used above are based on the estimated retail value of the materials or services, with research from the Maine and Massachusetts State Libraries and HCPL staff.

Some Harford County Public Library Facts (FY23)

Harford County Public Library operates 11 branches located throughout Harford County offering access to ideas that inform, entertain and inspire. Last year the library interacted with its residents more than 12 million times – borrowing free materials, visiting branches and the website, using free WiFi, and attending classes and events. In 2021 Harford County Public Library was named a Star Library by Library Journal.

Harford County Public Library offers customers an array of free resources including books, eBooks, audiobooks, DVDs, CDs, computer use, author presentations and programs for all ages. People searching for jobs are using the Library to complete job applications, fax resumes, submit applications online, create email accounts, and search health information.