The Library Connection

The Monthly Newsletter of the Eastern Shores Library System
www.esls.lib.wi.us

Volume 29 Number 11   November 2009

Click here for the Fall 2009 Bookmobile Schedule

Mead Library to Meet MOE for 2010 

"Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy night." This quote from the movie All about Eve seems to sum up the experience of the Mead Public Library Board and the City of Sheboygan in meeting the “maintenance of effort” (MOE) requirements for 2009 and 2010. “We are pleased to report that the City of Sheboygan approved Mayor Ryan’s proposal to provide the Library with the required MOE funding for 2010 at the City Council’s meeting on November 30,” said David Weinhold, ESLS director.

Starting in May the City of Sheboygan projected a $22 million deficit for 2010. To deal with the deficit the city developed the STARR program (Sheboygan Transition and Recovery Resolution) directing all specified department heads of the city of Sheboygan to prepare and implement a 1%-3% reduction in their current 2009 operating budgets. At first, the City suggested reducing the Library’s appropriation by $80,000. However, in order to meet the MOE requirement for 2009 the City reduced the Library's appropriation by $20,000.

By the time the 2009 MOE situation had been resolved, the 2010 budget process was underway. Initially, the Mayor had included MOE funding for the Library in the budget submitted to the Council. The Council’s Finance Committee recommended that the Library’s appropriation be reduced by $228,000 to free up funds for four police officer positions that might otherwise go unfilled. According to the Sheboygan Press, a compromise was reached and the Library agreed to transfer $459,233 in reserve funds to the City. In exchange, the City would provide the required MOE appropriation. The $459,233 is the amount in the sick leave and vacation reserve funds that were under authority of the Library Board. When these funds are turned over to the Council, then the liabilities for those reserve funds would be the City's responsibility for the Library’s employees.

According the report of the Mead Public Library Board of Trustees October 22 meeting, the budget proposal for 2010 submitted to the City includes funding at "maintenance of effort," a level that will allow Mead to continue to be a member of the Eastern Shores Library System and receive its state-funded services. The budget assumes there will be five furlough days when staff members must take time off without pay. The budget also decreases the amount of money spent on purchasing books and other materials for the library’s collections.

Board Vacancies Next Year

Two seats will be open next year on the Eastern Shores Library System Board.  Sara Filemyr, a public library board representative, from Lakeview Community Library, has decided to retire from the System Board at the end of her term this year.  The other seat is held by Marilyn Toepel, from Mead Public Library, the Resource Library for the System.  Marilyn has a change in residency and will no longer be able to serve on the Mead Public Library Board of Trustees. 

The vacancies will need to be filled by library board members from Sheboygan County.  A board member from any ESLS member library will full a three year term, January 2010 to December 201.  The other vacancy is for a Board member from the Resource Library, that term will be from January 2010 to December 2011.

Some Board member duties include:

Establishing conditions of employment and providing for the staff's welfare.

Establishing policies (including personnel) to govern the operation and programs of the library system and assign their execution to the librarian and the staff, in compliance with federal, state and local laws.

Establishing policies for the enforcement of public library system membership requirements.

Approving bylaws for the board.

Assisting in the preparation of an annual budget.

Eastern Shores would like to thank and commend the two Board member for their service and wish them well in their upcoming pursuits. 

Children's Librarians Corner

The Value of the Children's Collection

Trixine Tahtinen, Director of the Oostburg Public Library

Recently I was asked what I felt was the current, single most important product our library offers. As librarians, we strive to serve all our patrons in different service areas. I thought over what we offer: adult fiction, bestsellers, reference books, Internet access, audio/visual materials, and programs. I came to the realization that our children’s book collection is the single most important product our library offers. 

Well-developed and well-used children’s collections help foster lifelong learning and lead children to become lifelong readers. When children are a focus of service in a library, the library is not only creating the patrons of the future, it is contributing to the educational development of our future citizens and leaders. No matter what course a person takes in life, they have to be able to read: read that computer screen, read that technical document, read those instructions or read that contract to name a few. The more reading that is done, the more the child will learn. Public library use by children of all ages contributes to having a literate society in our country. A more literate society leads to a society with a higher socio-economic standard.  A well-supported and well-used library adds to the quality of life in a community.

The children’s collection of a library opens the preschool door to learning by offering a wide variety of books in many areas of interest and topics for every age group. This first level of learning is the first step on the way to higher levels of learning and education.  The library gives children a chance to explore various reading levels and interests. By offering a wide selection of materials, we can appeal to many different children of a variety of ages or abilities. 

Without restrictions or limitations, children can find relaxation and entertainment in reading. They have the opportunity to challenge themselves to develop reading skills. They can learn about things they are interested in, supplement their educational studies, and find the answers to what they are experiencing in their lives. They can find solace and comfort in reading about others who have the same worries, concerns and problems they are facing. By offering a wide variety of literature from nonfiction to mysteries to contemporary fiction to explore, the library can strive to be an educational resource for the community and a recreational outlet. My grandmother used to tell me she feels sorry for people who don’t enjoy reading- when you enjoy a book , you can never be bored. When a child comes to the library and starts choosing books to checkout, the excitement of the variety of choices shines in their eyes.  

Parents want to do their best to foster their child’s learning and education. The public library is an integral part of the development of the children in our community. We become a part of the raising of those children. We provide an opportunity for families to come together. When parents check out books to read with their children the library plays a part in the development of the child and in the strengthening of the bonds of the family. When parents model reading behavior, it enhances the educational development of the child.  In their desire to offer every opportunity to their children, parents will quite often visit the library for the first time. As parents explore the library with their children, the library has the opportunity to show parents what they can gain by using the library.  They may check out the adult sections of the library and discover that magazine they always wanted to subscribe to but couldn’t afford. They may learn the library has dozens of gardening books to help them get that backyard space planted. Parents may discover a social network of other parents with children who are also using the library. Informational and educational programs may appeal to the parent. Or, they may learn Internet access is available so they can apply for jobs or find that information they need for that trip, that job or that medical concern.  Many adults may have never crossed the threshold of the library door without a child to lead them to it. Now we have new library users who appreciate the library and the services it offers. The library community has expanded.

The doors of literature, education and library experience are opened from the availability of children’s books in the public library, leading to the growth and support of the library by patrons of all ages. It is for this reason that we as librarians must consider that the children’s book collection is the current most important product our library has to offer.

Study shows that Library System Membership is a benefit to Mead Public Library

Earlier this year,  Mead Public Library Board of Trustees engaged NorthStar Economics, Inc.  to conduct a fiscal flows and funding analysis of the Mead Public Library.  Two goals were set out for this study 1) analyze the funding allocated by the City of Sheboygan to measure the effect of inflation on the library’s funding, and 2) evaluate the value of participation in the Eastern Shores Library System by the City of Sheboygan and Mead Public Library. 

In the report to the Mead Board at its November meeting, David Ward, CEO of NorthStar Economics, Inc., illustrated the value of the Library’s participation in ESLS.  If Mead Public Library would choose or be forced to leave the System, the report shows the costs of replicating and duplicating the library system services only for Mead Public Library.   Ward reported that the Library would need to spend from $300,000 to $943,765 to have the same services that it currently receives through system membership.  The Library would also have to negotiate reciprocal lending agreements with any library that it wants access for the benefit of the Library’s customers.  The Library would lose the benefit of the state tax dollars for libraries and it would have to expend local funds to replace those services that the state library dollars now provide through ESLS.  In addition to the expense, the Library would also assume the risk associated with managing and maintaining these separate services.  It would also lose the benefit of sharing the costs of these services with the 12 other library partners in ESLS. 

The second issue addressed in the report is the effect of inflation on the funding from the City.  Ward pointed out that from 1996 to the present, the annual rate of increase of city funding for the library was .7% as compared to an annual inflation rate of 2.4%.  The report concludes that the Library has lost significant purchasing power over this period, because its funding has not kept up with inflation.  Ward also pointed out that the Library has reduced staff and operating hours while circulation and other measures of library activity have risen.

To view the report go to Mead Public Library's web page or click on this link: Fiscal Flows & Funding Analysis for Mead Public Library. 

After two public hearings on the Plan for County Library Service in Ozaukee and Sheboygan County 2011 - 2015, the Joint County Library Planning Committee put the finishing touches on their Final Report to both County Boards.  The Report is being submitted to Ozaukee County at their December 2 meeting and to Sheboygan County at their December 15 meeting.  The Joint Committee expects the Report to be referred to a county board standing committee for review and discussion before either County Board acts on the Report and adopts a county library service plan.  The Library System and librarians from Ozaukee County’s public libraries will be meeting with both libraried and non-libraried municipal officials on the Report.  

The Plan for County Library Service Plan for Ozaukee and Sheboygan Counties continues the main components of previous county library service plans.  Library service will be provided by public libraries in the library system to non-libraried residents of the library system.  That library service will be funded by a county library tax on the non-libraried residents.  Each County will administer the county library tax on its non-libraried municipalities.  The public libraries will be reimbursed based on the use that non-libraried residents make at the public libraries in the system.  The reimbursement is based on calculating the cost for providing library service to non-libraried residents.  Currently libraries in Sheboygan County are reimbursed at 90% of the cost, and libraries in Ozaukee County are reimbursed at either 70% or 85% of the cost.  The Committee recommends that the reimbursement of the public libraries be increased to 100%, but during this plan, the reimbursement would be increased to 91% in 2013, 92% in 2014, and 93% in 2015.  The Committee believes it is important that the libraries be reimbursed at a level equal to the cost and similar to the amount that the local library resident pays for library service. 

The Plan also continues Bookmobile service to the non-libraried areas of Ozaukee and Sheboygan County.  The Bookmobile makes stops in many of the non-libraried municipalities and serves all ages at these stops.  It also makes stops at places where people are unable to travel to libraries for library services such as preschools, day-cares, local public and parochial schools, assisted living centers, and rural health care centers.  The Committee recommended a method for assigning each county a share of the cost for operation of the bookmobile service, a method to raise funds for a new bookmobile vehicle, and a method to initiate new bookmobile stops in a county.  Based on the bookmobile service referendum in 2008, the Committee accepted the 60% favorable vote to continue the bookmobile service with county library tax funding. 

Budgets, Taxes and MOEs

The budget process for many municipalities starts in July.  A budget according to Webster’s is “the amount of money that is available for, required for, or assigned to a particular purpose”.   A library budget includes but is not limited to: employee wages and benefits, library materials, utility costs and supplies. The MOE and exemption amount  is also a factor when looking at the bottom line. The Director and the Library Board present a budget request to the governing body.  

All department requests are presented to the governing body (City, Village, Town or Joint).  These requests are then incorporated to make up the budget for that area. The governing body reviews each request and has an opportunity to make cuts and changes as it sees fit.  Usually, by the beginning of November a preliminary budget will be posted, later a public hearing will be held and by the first week of December a final budget will be adopted.  This process is necessary to determine your tax bill before the end of the year.  

Article VIII of the State Constitution requires that the taxation of property shall be uniform. Laws regarding exemptions from the general property tax are also exclusively determined by the state legislature.  

There are two basic components in any tax: the base and the rate. By multiplying the base times the rate, the amount of tax is determined. The clerk calculates the rate after the governing body of the town, village, or city determines how much money must be raised from the property tax. 

These are the basic components to determine taxes paid for library services: (For more information go to The 2009 Guide to Property Owners from the Wisconsin Dept. of Revenue) http://www.dor.state.wi.us/pubs/slf/pb060.pdf 

A property owner will either pay to support their local municipal library or they will pay the County Library Tax (we generally refer to this as the non-libraried area).  If a Town or Village has entered into an agreement for a joint library then that Town or Village will support the library based on the joint library agreement (in our system we have Lakeview Community Library,  Frank L. Weyenberg Library and the U.S.S. Liberty Memorial Public which fall into this category). The individual Town or Village amount must be equal to or greater than the County library tax rate or called the exemption amount. 

Taxes may not be easily understood, but they bring us the services we need and desire. 

Other sites you can go to for more information on determining tax rates are : the City of Marshfield , the  Village of Benton  and the City of La Crosse. 

 
Why the Census is Important to Libraries

One of the easiest things you can do as a citizen is to fill out the census.  For one thing it only happens every ten years.  Unlike elections, there are no candidates to study.  Unlike taxes, you don't have to pay anything to fill out the form.  All it will take is some time.  Most of us will have the short form to fill out which should take a few minutes.   The Census Bureau will mail or deliver questionnaires to your house in March 2010.  You can even fill it in in your pajamas.

The census will count all residents, both citizens and non-citizens. The information for each Congressional District will help determine where $400 billion dollars of federal funding is spent each year.  These funds include money for highways to deliver library materials (new and interlibrary loan) and bring customers to our doors.  It may help fund emergency services that help staff or customers if they are in distress.  According to the Institute of Museum and Library Services Institute LSTA fund appropriations, which are used for various purposes, have been determined by population. 

The ALA is a census partner.  You can link up your local library website to the 2010 Census web site and display information concerning the census in your library.  We all count!