The Linn Library League welcomes the opportunity to address the thoughtful questions posed by Mr. Shadle in the Dec 12 issue of the D-H. Several of them have short, definite answers, while other answers are still to be negotiated.

Let’s start with ownership and maintenance of the building and grounds. As the district is proposed, the cities would retain ownership of their buildings and would be responsible for major maintenance — a new roof would be considered major maintenance. The district will be responsible for routine maintenance and cleaning of the buildings. Care of the grounds is still being discussed. Intergovernmental Agreements are currently being constructed that will describe the details of these arrangements. Because each city will naturally have its own concerns about the building and grounds, a one-size-fits-all agreement isn’t desirable. The aim is to have a good working relationship with each city government as the district moves ahead.

The district is proposing to provide human resources and financial management services for all of the libraries in the district. With approximately 40 staff as district employees, this is necessary. Exactly how those services will be provided, e.g. on-site or by contract with another agency, will be determined by the District Library Board, which will be elected at the same time that the district is formed.

Concerning the cost to folks who live in Sweet Home, Lebanon, Albany, or Scio and who currently are paying to support their city libraries, their taxes to support the district will increase very little or not at all; for some, taxes will actually decrease. City councils will be asked to sign a memorandum of understanding declaring that for a stated period of time they will not collect the amount of taxes that have been used to support their libraries. The amount of this underlevy will vary depending upon how much of the city budget is currently being used to support their library. In Albany, it is approximately the same amount that the district will be collecting.

To appreciate the efficiency of the district governance it must be viewed across all of the libraries. Primarily, it will consolidate functions such as hiring and payroll, book and materials ordering and cataloging, computer operation and maintenance, technical support, programming for adults, youth, and children, and outreach. Instead of each library having a director, there will be one district director and managers at each library. Instead of six libraries ordering one copy of a bestseller, the district will order six copies at the same time with a greater discount.

A single, combined cataloging and circulation system will be more efficient and more economical than several separate ones. The cost per library for electronic reference databases will also be much lower when the databases are shared district-wide. Interlibrary loan costs will be greatly reduced, since the libraries will share books and other materials through their own courier service.

Open hours at the Albany library are proposed to increase from 53 per week to 65 per week, which will finally meet Oregon Libraries Standards. Open hours at all other libraries will also increase.

When the district is formed, employees will be given the opportunity to form a union or join an existing union. The district is required by law to retain all current employees and to offer the same, equivalent, or better benefits to employees.

Finally, you are correct in saying that the activities of the League, including operating the bookmobile in rural areas of Linn County, are funded almost entirely by private and state grants. However, even before the district is formed, this funding will run out. All grant money will be expended by spring of 2008.

The district will operate on revenue generated by taxes paid by residents who live within the library district. If the district board deemed it advisable, the district could apply for grants or other funding to finance specific efforts such as the purchase of a new bookmobile.

In fact, most of the city libraries currently receive state and/or federal monies each year, and these monies have very few strings attached. Grant funds would never be used for basic operation of the library district. For 85 years, off and on, the people of Linn County have been trying to create a unified library system. We need that system now more than ever.

A Linn Library District would deepen our students’ learning, provide information that businesses and workers need to thrive, and enrich all of our lives through an array of materials from the latest and best fiction to cutting-edge medical databases to beautiful picture books that thrill our children. The district would do all this efficiently, at a reasonable and equitable cost.

For more information about the library district plan, please visit the League’s website at www.linnlibraryleague.org.

May Garland of Scio is with the Linn Library League. Ed Gallagher is the Albany library director.