A beloved neighborhood library in Altamonte Springs may have a future after all, as city leaders are set to vote on the city’s budget and a key amendment to keep it funded for another year.

Katherine Sorsor and her kids are regulars at the Altamonte Springs Library.

“We come here every single day,” Sorsor said. “We’re here today, and we’ll be back tomorrow.”

But the library’s future has been anything but certain.

Two years ago, the library nearly closed before a tax hike kept it running. Now, the city’s latest proposed budget cuts its operational costs, with the city manager recommending a shift to a digital-first model and moving in-person programs to Westmonte Park.

Located on Maitland Avenue, the library has long been described as having a “small, family feel,” where staff know kids by name. Residents young and old have made their voices heard, urging city leaders to keep it open.

“I’ve probably read about 4,000 books in my life, and I want you to see the list of books I’ve read since kindergarten,” one young patron told city leaders during a recent meeting.

District 1 Commissioner Jim Turney stepped up with a proposed amendment to keep the library funded for another year while exploring a transition of ownership to an outside entity.

“It’s a difficult thing to get it, and I don’t expect this is going to be easy,” Turney said.

“I’ve tried in my amendment not to be too restrictive in how it might be looking in the future, because I want people to be creative and probably smarter than me and figure out what it could look like.”

The amendment passed unanimously, and Turney is confident it will make it into the final budget. If it does, the city manager would then create a proposal for the public, after which any interested parties could submit their own vision to the city for review.

It’s the kind of future Sorsor is hoping for.

“Libraries, they should never be out of business,” she said.

Wednesday’s meeting is at 7 p.m.