Iuka Public Library Hours Cut in Half; Supervisors Weigh In

The Iuka Public Library hours were cut roughly in half on Oct. 1 because of Tishomingo County budget constraints, and the issue went before the Tishomingo County Board of Supervisors on Monday morning, Oct. 5, after a week of public outcry from library patrons.

The library announced on its Facebook page on Monday, Sept. 28, that beginning Thursday, Oct. 1, it would be open only three days a week. The post urged residents who want full hours restored to contact the supervisors and share how much the library means to them.

Iuka Public Library hours under the reduced schedule

Under the schedule the library posted, the branch at 204 North Main Street is now open:

• Tuesday and Thursday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

That is a steep drop from the schedule the library had listed in an earlier post, when it was open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Patrons who cannot make it during open hours can still request an after-hours pickup locker by calling the library at (662) 423-6300 while it is open.

The Iuka Public Library is one of 13 branches in the Northeast Regional Library system. The Friends of the Iuka Public Library noted in its own post that the building and land belong to the City of Iuka and asked residents not to blame the city for the cut, directing concerns instead to the county board and their district supervisors.

Library on the supervisors’ agenda Monday

On Monday morning, the library posted that it had been placed on the agenda for the Board of Supervisors meeting at the courthouse. The library thanked the community for a week of support and noted it had been told the board’s meetings now begin at 8:30 a.m., not the 9:30 a.m. start time still listed in the county’s published information.

A library supporter who attended the meeting wrote on Facebook afterward that supervisors approved funding for one additional day of library service. According to that post, the board had earlier turned down a $50,000 budget increase request for the 2027 fiscal year, and it came out at the meeting that the Northeast Regional Library was running a $63,000 deficit in Tishomingo County. Alcorn News MS has not independently confirmed the board’s action or those figures. The library had not posted an updated schedule as of Monday evening, and official board minutes were not yet available.

What happens next

Until the library announces a change, patrons should plan around the reduced Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday schedule. Residents who want to weigh in can reach the Tishomingo County Board of Supervisors at 1008 Battleground Drive, Iuka, MS 38852, or by phone at (662) 423-7032.

Alcorn News MS will update this story when the library or the county confirms the new hours.

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Source: Iuka Public Library (Facebook)