Dallas libraries see layoffs ahead of budget season with ‘no sacred cows’

Editor’s Note, 8/7/2026, 4:36 p.m.: This article has been updated to include a statement from the city of Dallas, provided after the article’s publication.

An unknown number of Dallas public library employees were laid off on Friday, hours ahead of the expected release of a draft budget for the upcoming fiscal year that will likely include significant funding cuts. 

A library programs staff member who spoke with the Observer on the condition of anonymity confirmed that they had been told told their position at a city library branch had been eliminated, but that they will remain employed through Sept. 30. The employee said they believe a majority of the library cuts center on adult learning programs like GED classes and English-language programming, and that more information would be made available in the coming days.

“This is pretty disheartening to me, but it’s even more so that this is such a huge impact on the community,” the staff member said. “We had those classes full every single day that we would have them.”

According to the Dallas public library’s website, 9,830 residents have participated in adult learning classes through the first two quarters of 2026. The majority, 5,270, participated in the second quarter.

A message provided by the employee appears to indicate that at least one other staff member at her branch was laid off as part of the reduction in force. Based on a separation packet received early Friday, the staffer told the Observer that employees will be reimbursed for unused vacation time and that the city plans to hold job fairs for affected employees.

The Dallas public library employs roughly 400 employees, according to prior reporting by The Dallas Morning News. It is operating on a $43.5 million budget in the current fiscal year, and was projected to accrue roughly $380,000 in revenue when the budget was adopted last fall.

Dallas Library Director Manya Shorr did not respond to a voicemail left by the Observer. City of Dallas spokesperson Rick Ericson confirmed to the Observer that employee layoffs had taken place. According to Ericson, the decision was made after hearing “clearly from residents” that closing library branches was not “an acceptable option.” Ericson said the library’s adult learning services will be offered in partnership with “anchor institutions that already have expertise in adult learning programming.”

“We have also had to make difficult personnel decisions, including eliminating some positions across the library system, some of which are currently vacant,” Ericson said. “This decision followed a careful review of operations and part of a broader financial adjustment and modernized staffing model.”

The staffing cuts come amid an uncertain budget season and a tumultuous time for the library system. Earlier this year, city officials floated the idea of shuttering four library branches and eliminating 32 staff positions as a cost-saving measure, saying the reductions would help expand services, including GED courses, citizenship classes, and English-language learning programs, at the remaining branches. 

During a Jan. 20 meeting of the city council’s Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee, Shorr warned that if branches did not close, she would have to cut staff, and by extension, “reduce hours and days for every library in this city, which is what we have done eight times over the last 15 years.” Still, the city council ultimately rejected the plan and directed Shorr to find a way to keep all four branches open. 

In 2025, the city shuttered the Skillman Southwestern Branch Library, citing budget constraints. No staff members were laid off at the time, with employees moving to other vacant positions in the department. 

City leaders have warned that an especially tough budget season is on the horizon. A $51 million gap is expected for fiscal year 2027, and a shortfall in the current budget has led to a hiring freeze of non-uniformed positions within general fund departments and bans on non-essential travel and non-uniform overtime. Earlier this summer, the city announced three furlough days to help address the shortfall. 

At the time of the announcement, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert suggested that the furloughs would “enable us to reduce expenses, protect jobs and employee health benefits and continue delivering services to our residents.” The library employee said it was because of those furloughs that she was especially shocked to be laid off. 

“All we knew about what was going on was that there was a big budget issue,” she said. 

Denise McGovern, executive director of the Friends of the Dallas Public Library, said the temporary closures highlighted the everyday importance of libraries.

“The libraries were closed, and that really showed off the impact on people’s daily lives in a way that was so concrete and so detailed and so vast,” McGovern said. “That to me shows the importance of investing in the libraries and not continuing to cut back on the services that (they give), because we saw it happen. … It wasn’t 4000 people saying, ‘I love my library so much. Don’t close my library. I love it so much.’ It was this day of closed doors, and what that meant across the city.”

In a survey conducted by the friends’ group earlier this year, around 97% of residents surveyed said they support maintaining or increasing the library system’s budget, which has remained largely unchanged since pre-2008 funding levels, McGovern told the Observer in March.

In an unlisted video posted to the city of Dallas YouTube channel on Friday titled “City Manager’s Internal FY 2026 Budget Update,” Tolbert appeared to address city employees ahead of the budget’s release.

In the video, Tolbert said that the proposed budget reflects the “reality” of an economy in “upheaval,” and confirmed that employee layoffs are outlined in the budget. Rising costs paired with declining property and sales tax revenues have strained the city’s general fund, she said. That gap has had “a direct impact on the rest of our fixed costs such as salaries, pension obligations and employee health benefits.” She added that advancements in technology have further encouraged city leaders to rethink how services are best provided to city residents. 

“Regretably, despite the efforts, this budget does impact our workforce. I understand that this news brings uncertainty, and what I want you to hear from me is that I care deeply about each of you,” Tolbert said in the video. “These decisions are challenging because it’s not about positions; it’s about people. I know that behind every line item is a person, it’s a family, and it’s years of dedication to this organization. Please know that we are committed to treating every impacted employee with dignity, compassion and respect.” 

Tolbert said that she will begin hosting budget town halls for city employees on Aug. 10. 

“We will get through this together,” she said. “We have faced challenges before, and each time, we have emerged stronger as a team.”