A number of Washington, Missouri Library Board members were present at the City Council meeting on Monday night to respond to the letter that Mayor Stratman presented at the previous Council meeting on July 7th.  During that previous meeting, the Mayor presented a letter in which he discussed his views regarding the Washington Public Library and the relationship between the library and Scenic Regional Library.

 

The Mayor's letter may be read here:  Mayor Presents Letter on City of Washington Public Library

 

Mike Hopkins, president of the Library Board, (shown speaking at right) spoke briefly about the relationship and the progress that has, and is, being made.  Hopkins also provided the City Council a written response to the Mayor's letter.  Other members of the Library Board can be seen seated in the front row.  The Board's written response is included below.

 

 

July 15, 2008

 

The Washington Public Library Board has a Different Point of View:
A Response to the Mayor’s White Paper on the Library District Issue.

 

The Washington Public Library (“WPL”) is committed to providing comprehensive programs  and services to the Washington community. Working cooperatively with the Scenic Regional  Library (“Scenic”), the two systems have worked to expand and enhance these services, with the common goal of providing comprehensive library services to the entire region. Both libraries are committed to this goal and have identified specific strategies for accomplishing it. However, the  mayor’s stated desire to eliminate City funding of the WPL would not only prevent the expansion of services, but would lead to a reduction in the services now provided. The Board believes this is a grave mistake. We agree that fairness and efficiency in taxation are important, but cutting the library budget to zero will not fix the legal and fiduciary responsibilities of each entity.  If the City funding to the library is eliminated, the WPL will be severely harmed. There will be no effect on the Scenic system.

 

No money is paid by the Washington School District to Scenic.  Inserting the Washington School District into the issue is a distraction—a red herring. The real issue at hand is whether the Washington City Council wishes to continue investing a small amount of its General Fund toward the operation of first rate library for its citizens’ use.

 

Let’s put some perspective on the amount of City funding provided from the General Fund. Assuming the City would maintain the building regardless of its use as a library, the current annual General Fund contribution by the City is (based on the Mayor’s numbers) around $130,000. Using an estimated City population of 15,000 residents, this is $8.67 per resident. This compares favorably with the pool ($13 per resident) or the airport ($8 per resident).  The library, the pool, and the airport all contribute to Washington’s quality of life and are important factors in attracting new business.

 

On November 28, 2007, the WPL and Scenic Boards met. At that time, both boards acknowledged a common desire to continue working together. We recognize that we have different strengths to bring to the table in this regard. Scenic has 7 libraries plus a bookmobile with a collection of over 250,000 books compared to Washington’s 48,000 books. On the other hand, Washington’s library, due to Washington’s central location and desirable shopping areas and medical facilities, is an attractive stopping point for many patrons in both library districts.
 
We believe we can capitalize on these strengths by expanding our joint venture to include combining our catalogs, and arranging for easy access to Scenic’s collection by Washington library users. Scenic would provide “in-kind” services in the form of daily delivery service from Scenic to the WPL, access to their online databases and e-audiobooks. There would be 24/7 Web access and resources could be reserved at any time.  These changes will take time, but progress has been made and is continuing.  This joint venture is the highest priority for our new librarian, Nell Redhage.

 

Under our current reciprocal borrowing agreement, all Washington residents are entitled to obtain and use a Scenic library card and Scenic patrons a WPL card.  Many of our Washington residents, both inside and outside the WPL district, use both libraries. As part of this agreement, Scenic paid the WPL over $25,000 this year, representing 100,000 books checked out from the WPL in excess of those provided by Scenic to Washington Library District residents.  In addition to the payment by Scenic, those Scenic customers patronize local businesses, contributing to General Fund sales tax revenues (which represent about 40% of the City’s General Fund  revenue), as well as boosting the local economy.

 

The approach already undertaken by the two libraries is a wonderful example of intergovernmental cooperation. This work, which should be seen as a model for others to follow,  is threatened by the move to eliminate City funding for the WPL. We do not believe that is the  desire of the residents of Washington.

 

We ask for the Mayor’s and the Council’s support of the efforts our Board is making to improve library service. This means continuing to fund the library’s needs as you have traditionally done.
 
The cost for this access to the City is $8.67 per person--less than the cost of one good paperback book.

 

Respectfully,

 

Mike Hopkins, President
Jon Bauer
Linda Bartle
Maria Brady-Smith
John “Butch” Droege
Cynthia Hoffman
Marsha Riggs
Linda Sellmeyer
Frank Suda