The Library Connection

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

Volume 30 Number 11   November 2010

Click here for the Fall 2010 Bookmobile Schedule

System Membership Requirements

David Weinhold, Director of Eastern Shores Library System

During the past few months, the City of Sheboygan budget process has focused on the maintenance of effort (MOE) funding for the Mead Public Library.  In the articles covering the budget, people expressed concern about the Library’s membership in the Eastern Shores Library System and the services provided by the library system.   

The maintenance of effort funding is one of the statutory requirements that libraries must meet to be members of the library system.  Membership in a library system is voluntary for the municipality and its library.  Statutes are very clear that the municipality must authorize its library to be a member of the system, and the library board must decide to become a library system member.  Libraries that are members of a library system receive the services of the library system and its patrons benefit from the cooperation and collaboration among the member libraries in the system.   

Maintenance of effort funding is only one of the membership requirements that a library must comply with to be a member of the library system.  In Wis.  Stat.  43.15, the following requirements are listed:

(c) A municipal, county or joint public library may participate in a public library system if it meets all of the following requirements:

1.   Is established under this chapter.

2.   Is located in a county that participates in a public library system.

3.   Is authorized by its municipal governing body or county board to participate in the public library system.

4.   Enters into a written agreement with the public library system board to participate in the system and its activities, to participate in interlibrary loan of materials with other system libraries and to provide, to any resident of the system area, the same library services, on the same terms, that are provided to the residents of the municipality or county that established the member library. This subdivision does not prohibit a municipal, county or joint public library from giving preference to its residents in library group programs held for children or adults if the library limits the number of persons who may participate in the group program, or from providing remote access to a library’s electronic database only to its residents.

5.   The total amount of funding received from its governing body or, for a joint public library, its governing bodies, is not less than the average of such funding received for the previous 3 years. The following are not included as funding for purposes of computing the 3 year average:

a.   Funding received from a state, federal or private source that has been designated as funding for library services.

b.   Unspent funding appropriated by a municipality or county for library services for a prior year.

c.   For a municipal or joint public library, funding received from a county.

6.   Employs a head librarian who is certified as a public librarian by the department and whose employment requires that he or she be present in the library for at least 10 hours of each week that the library is open to the public, less leave time.

7.   Beginning in 2008, annually is open to the public an average of at least 20 hours each week except that for a library in existence on June 3, 2006, annually is open to the public an average of at least 20 hours or the number of hours each week that the library was open to the public in 2005, whichever is fewer.

8.   Beginning in 2008, annually spends at least $2,500 on library materials. 

Why these requirements and for what reasons are they required for a library?

      1.  Is established under this chapter. - If a municipality decides to provide public library service it must establish the library, organize the library, and maintain the library based on the statutes governing public libraries in Chapter 43 of the Wisconsin Statutes.

      2.  Is located in a county that participates in a public library system. - The statutes allows for the county to make the initial decision about participation in a library system or forming a library system.  The county’s decision to participate is dependent upon its agreement to reimburse public libraries for serving the non-libraried residents of the county.

      3.  Is authorized by its municipal governing body . . . to participate in the public library system. - After a county makes its decision to participate then libraried municipalities must decide on whether to allow its library to participate in the library system.

      4.  Enters into a written agreement with the public library system to participate in the system and its activities . . . or from providing remote access to a library’s electronic database only to its residents.  - After the municipality agrees that the library may participate, then the library board if it desires, concludes an agreement based on this section.  As a condition of system membership the library agrees to loan its materials to other member libraries for use by the other libraries’ patrons and provide all residents of the system with the same services it provides local residents, although it may restrict library program participation to residents if it limits the number of people attending a program, and it can restrict remote access to the library’s electronic databases to its residents. 

      5.  The total amount of funding received from its governing body . . . is not less than the average of such funding received for the previous 3 years.  Also what funds are not included in this funding requirement - This is the maintenance of effort funding requirement.  It is meant to ensure that a libraried municipality that is a member of a library system provides a level of funding that will meet the needs of its residents and not take undue advantage of the other libraries cooperating in the library system.

      6.  Employs a head librarian who is certified as a public librarian . . . present in the library for at least 10 hours each week . . .  - This requirement ensures that the library is operated by a knowledgeable person and that person provides library services on a regular basis.

      7.  Beginning in 2008, annually is open to the public an average of at least 20 hours each week . . .  - This requirement ensures that the library provides a level of service that meets the needs of its residents and not take undue advantage of the other libraries in the system.

      8.  Beginning in 2008, annually spends at least $2,500 on library materials. -  This requirement also ensures that the library provides a level of service that meets the needs of its residents and not take undue advantage of the other libraries in the system. 

If a libraried municipality or a library believes that it cannot meet these requirements it can choose not to participate in the library system and not receive any of the services or benefits of system membership.  But if the library does decide that it desires those services and benefits and gets the permission of its municipality to participate then the library and the municipality must meet the conditions of that membership.

What happens if a participating library or municipality does not meet these requirements after it is a member?  The statements in the articles referenced above  about losing system membership and losing system services are examples of the consequences.  Wisconsin Statutes 43.18 provides authority for the library system to “reduce aids or services to a municipality . . . that fails to meet the requirements of 43.15(4).”  This same statute provides the authority to expel a municipality and its library from the library system if it fails to meet these requirements.  Although the library system must provide opportunities for the municipality or the library to comply with the requirement, it is able to impose sanctions if that compliance is not forthcoming.

Mead Public Library's MOE for 2011

The City of Sheboygan needed to increase funding in 2011 to Mead Public Library by $2,845 over the 2010 budget to meet the Maintenance of Effort requirement. On Monday night, November 22,  the Sheboygan Common Council heard from many speakers in favor of reinstating full funding of the library and they were presented with a petition signed by 1,400 citizens supporting the maintenance of effort membership requirement.  A proposed $300,000 budget cut to the library was amended late Monday, when aldermen voted, 9-4, to endorse a 6-cent increase in the tax rate to provide $140,500 for Mead Public Library to make up nearly half of the $300,000 needed for the MOE.  

The Sheboygan City budget was approved on Wednesday, November 24 with the $140,500 reinstated but leaving Mead Public Library short of the MOE for 2011. Check the Mead Public Library Budget Information page for full information.     Other links of interest concerning library funding are the Library Director's Budget Analysis and the Tax Support Per Capita Comparison Chart  which are found at the Mead Public Library web site. 

County Library Service Funding Approved

The Ozaukee County Board and the Sheboygan County Board approved the county library service funding for 2011 at their meetings in early November.  No changes were made to the original requests.  The amount in the adjacent county column includes reimbursement that ESLS libraries provided to the residents of Manitowoc, Washington, Calumet, Fond du Lac and Waukesha Counties.

In addition to the reimbursement that the libraries of Eastern Shores receive from the two counties additional funds from the counties are used for bookmobile service, bookmobile vehicle replacement fund, shared library automation, and payment to other counties for reimbursement of library service in those areas to residents of ESLS.  Those counties include: Manitowoc, 

Children's Librarians Corner

Saying "Yes."

Katie Kiekhaefer, Cedarburg Public Library

By and large, librarians are an agreeable group of people.  And yet, we frequently say “no” to many requests for our time.  Sure, in many cases, it’s not possible. There’s not enough money, there’s not enough staff, there’s not enough space.  These are all good reasons.  But sometimes, when you say “yes,” great things can happen.  As of late, I’ve been saying “yes” more often at the library and the results have been unexpected and positive.

Our story times have always been popular with the community; we require registration and it always fills up quickly, which means we frequently have to turn away interested parents.  And yet, whenever anyone ever asked if we did walk-in story times, I always said “No,” believing that we did enough or that the walk-in would be too much work.  This year, however, I said “maybe” which turned into “yes.”  We started small, trying a few Fridays throughout the fall.  I read stories from our regular story times and put out coloring sheets.  The effort on my part was minimal and the response has been encouraging, so much so that we’re planning to make them a regular feature in the New Year.

And the fantastic thing about this increase in “yes” is that it’s not just me. My fellow library staff members have supported me with their own responses of “yes!”  When one of the local schools in town called this spring to schedule a visit, I wanted to say “yes.”  But, it was last minute, we were overbooked with other programs and visits, and my director and my coworkers would need to help me with the visit.  They could have easily said “no.”  But Mary, Carol and Gail both agreed that it was important and we hosted 26 middle school students for a library tour and instruction about our various databases, all while establishing a relationship with a classroom of students and their teacher.

This fall, I also embarked upon a new project to put reading level stickers on all of our easy readers. I knew this was a large project that would take a lot of time but I felt it was worth the effort.  I also expected that I was going to be the one to start and complete this project.  And yet, my coworker, Nancy, took time out of her already busy work schedule to help me.  She said “yes” to me and in turn, said “yes” to the importance of the project.  We’re halfway done and the response thus far has been astoundingly positive.  Finally, parents can easily find easy readers that match up with their child’s reading level.

I know that we all do so much already, with so little.  It’s easy and understandable to say “no” and you certainly don’t want to overextend yourself or your staff.  However, sometimes, when you say “yes,” amazing things can happen for you and your patrons.

Second Computer Lab Available

Libraries in ESLS will be able to reserve and utilize a second computer lab in 2011 for helping to train and educate the unemployed and underemployed.  The LSTA grant, Improving Employment Skills in ESLS, part of the Job Search & Employment Support Category provided for one portable lab of five laptop computers and a projector.  As the grant was initially written to provide a subscription to the LearningExpress Library database and it is now part of Badgerlink,  the ESLS grant is now providing a second computer lab. 

Additional funds were also used for increasing publicity, including flyers and brochures, about LearningExpress.  Statistics show that usage has increased:

Until July, 2011 ESLS, as part of the LSTA grant, also has two additional modules of Learning Express available to it’s residents: the Writing Improvement and Computer Skills tutorials.

Libraries may reserve both labs (10 laptops) or just one (5 laptops) however, as the second computer lab has just been made available it is to be used only for helping to train and educate the unemployed and underemployed for the next year. 

Plan ahead and reserve either of the computer labs with Special Needs Librarians Connie Meyer or Sue Potter at bkmref@esls.lib.wi.us or phone 920-208-4900 ext 315. 

Operation: Military Kids Donation

Plymouth Public Library has received more titles to help local families deal with the deployment and service of family members. Libraries within the State were chosen because of the high percentage of military families in their area. The books help explain deployment to children and can be used to initiate a conversation about the stresses caused when a loved one is serving our country.    

Wisconsin's Operation Military Kids (OMK) is an organization that supports military families.  At the end of 2009, OMK, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and public library systems partnered with the University of Wisconsin Extension Service to provide twenty deployment related books to the Plymouth Public Library and seventeen other libraries within the State.  

The new titles in this collection include the picture books:  Night Catch by Brenda Ehrmantraut; The Wishing Tree by Mary Redman; I Miss You Every Day by Simms Taback;  When I Feel Good About Myself by Cornelia Maude Spelman; How to Bake an American Pie by Karma Wilson and Coming on Home Soon by Jacqueline Woodson.

The chapter books are:  Dove Song by Kristine Franklin; Jack Adrift: Fourth Grade without a Clue by Jack Gantos ; 100 Days and 99 Nights by Alan Madison; Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen; Annie's War by Jacqueline Levering Sullivan; Almost Forever by Maria Testa and Bat 6 by Virginia Euwer Wolff.  Two books for teens are: Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers and Out of the Blue by S. L. Rottman. 

For more information on Operation Military Kids check out their site at: www.uwex.edu/ces/4h/omk

Interesting Items

* Five libraries in ESLS registered for National Gaming Day and received a free copy of the game Wits & Wagers Family. This is a trivia game for 5 people or 5 teams. The participating libraries were:  Frank L Weyenberg Library of Mequon-Thiensville, the U.S.S. Liberty Memorial Library of Grafton, Kohler Public Library, Lakeview Community Library of Random Lake, and Mead Public Library of Sheboygan.

* Don't forget Chilifresh.  Paul Onufrak, the Automation Librarian, has noticed a definite dip in the reviews being entered. You can also write reviews for DVD's and CD's.  To review an item first find it in EasiCat and then click on the Write a review or # of reviews on the left hand side of the screen and follow the simple directions to write your own.

* 67% of Wisconsin fourth graders scored below proficient reading level in 2009, this according to a new report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.   To find out more visit the Kids Count Data Center and read Early Warning: Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters.

www.esls.lib.wi.us