06/30/2026
๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐
๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐?
No, the Biloxi libraries are part of the Harrison County Library System, which is a stand-alone, political subdivision governed by a board of trustees whose members are appointed by the Board of Supervisors.
๐บ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐?
No, the Harrison County Library System is separate from the county as well. Laws governing the formation, governance, and funding of public libraries can be found under title 39-3-1 through 39-3-25 available on the Secretary of Stateโs website.
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๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐?
The current service contract was signed in 1994 by the county, the cities (Long Beach is not part of the system currently), and the library board of trustees.
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?
The Biloxi libraries receive funds from the city, the county, the state, and small amounts from grants. The 1994 contract sets out a funding mechanism employing whatโs called millage to fund the library. The simplest analogy is that the library was to have received an assigned piece of the revenue โpie.โ Not every entity is allowed to receive millage, but the state code permits counties and cities to fund libraries through an assigned percentage. However, this was not put in place.
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๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐?
Due to not having an assigned portion and not being a city or county department, the library is grouped in budget sections such as โdonationsโ in some municipalities or โnon-departmentalโ spending, along with museums, CTA, donations to non-profits, the Boom Boom Committee, social groups, and other groups awarded discretionary spending.
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๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐?
Libraries are a city/county service. Lumping them in a miscellaneous category deprioritizes them. Millage funding was established by the state as a way to give libraries a more stable source of funds that grows or shrinks naturally with the prosperity (or lack thereof) of the city or county. For more than a decade library funding remained stagnant. We are grateful for recent growth, but the FY 25-26 is the first year the funding returned to 2004 levels since Katrina.
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๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐? ๐ฐ๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐?
Libraries are much more than book warehouses, though we do check out tens of thousands of books each year. We have digital materials for free, while online options often arenโt, and not everyone has access to those resources. More importantly, patrons use library wi-fi or computers and spaces to study, to go online to do work or school, to apply for jobs, and many more tasks. Libraries also hold over 2,000 programs in Harrison County each year. Topics include reading programs for families and children, science presentations, crafts, history programs, and much more. We also go out into the community to provide services to people who canโt get to branches through our mobile outreach vehicle, LUMO. Libraries had over a quarter million visitors in Harrison County last year and checked out over 450,000 items. For most taxpayers, one book checkout gives you a 100% return on your investment.
