January 30th 2026 |
Photo – Bigfoot 99 file photo
The state librarian said independent libraries cannot join the state system.
Recent property tax cuts have affected local governments’ ability to fund essential services, such as law enforcement and road maintenance. Carbon County saw a $947,000 reduction in total property tax revenue this fiscal year. Included in the loss was nearly $500,000 earmarked for outside entities, including senior centers, museums, and libraries.
In fiscal year 2025 through 2026, the Board of Commissioners cut the Carbon County Library System’s allocation by 53 percent. Facing significant cutbacks across all seven branches, Library Board members approached each municipality for additional financial support. Without that help, the under-performing libraries, specifically the Hanna and Medicine Bow branches, are set to close. Thanks to last‑minute donations, the Medicine Bow Library is funded through next March, and the Hanna branch will remain open until May 8th. However, both branches are still set to close unless additional funding is secured.
With closures nearly certain, elected officials in both Medicine Bow and Hanna have begun discussing the possibility of opening their own libraries, separate from the Carbon County library system. The volunteer‑run branches would avoid some of the financial overhead that comes with being part of the county network, including administrative costs and librarian salaries.
To prepare for the anticipated closure of the county-owned library in Medicine Bow, Mayor Justin George proposed using an unneeded computer from Town Hall, along with a personal computer donated by the Medicine Bow Health Center, to establish a small computer lab. Should the library close as planned, Mayor George said the computers will be made available to residents without home internet access.
In the town of Sinclair, which saw its library close in 2024, community members there have taken steps to provide residents with access to free reading materials.
Inspired by the 1994 classic film The Shawshank Redemption, which carries the themes of hope and perseverance, Sinclair Community Events Director Monte Thayer has chosen to transform the former county library in the town, which is used now as a weekly meeting space, back into a full‑service library without county help.
As of January 21st, Thayer said he had received approximately 2,000 donated books and CDs covering a wide range of titles and subjects. However, the community events director said he has no intention of joining the state’s WYLD, or Wyoming Library Database, system at this time.
County libraries pay a consortium fee to participate in the WYLD system, which lets patrons search and request materials from libraries across Wyoming, not just their local branch. Consortium costs include a $1,500 base charge, a $400 annual network fee, and additional cost‑recovery charges based on the size and activity of each library. The Carbon County Library System pays roughly $6,000 annually to be part of the WYLD program.
Bigfoot99 asked State Librarian Abby Beaver if the state system has any provisions to allow independent libraries to join the WYLD program and, if so, would they be expected to pay the same consortium fees as counties. In an email response, State Librarian Beaver wrote, “Unfortunately, the WYLD network does not have a governance structure to allow city or town libraries in addition to a county library system to join the consortium.” In other words, independent municipal libraries such as Sinclair’s cannot participate in the state system at this time. Bigfoot99 then asking if the state is considering allowing independent libraries to join in the future and what changes would be required to make that possible. As of this report, Beaver has not responded to our follow‑up question.
With state lawmakers advancing several new property‑tax proposals this year, including a constitutional amendment to eliminate residential property taxes altogether, the Carbon County Library System’s budget outlook is unlikely to improve. And without changes to how the state library system operates, towns hoping to establish independent libraries will not have access to the state collection.
