On July 2, 1981, The Recorder announced that the Highland County Public Library had completed their withdrawal from the regional library system. Instead of the $17,547 that the regional system had asked for, the Board of Supervisors appropriated to the library $12,500 for the 1981-1982 fiscal year. James Bowen asserted that it was not enough and that they would need to raise about $5,000 more. The budget cut would mean that the librarian’s pay would be cut and there would be only $1,000 left for books. Now on their own, Highland County Public Library would keep their location and the books they already had. To replace the bookmobiles, they planned to switch to book deposit locations around the county.
Only five months later, the fledgling independent library was hit with a significant setback. On January 11, 1982, the pipes in the Masonic building burst due to the freezing weather and water rained down on the library bookshelves. Approximately 300 books were water damaged, and they estimated the cost for replacement at $10 a book, for a total of around $3,000. That would equate to roughly $9,808 today. Unfortunately, now that the library was no longer part of the regional library, they were no longer insured. Replacing the insurance had been overlooked. Days later, after repairs, the pipes burst again, but this time there was no damage to the library. However, the library space was damp and cold, and it proved impossible for the librarian to keep working in the cold conditions. The library was closed for the winter.
