Friday, April 3, 2009 11:49 PM CDT
Charleston library district expansion referendum
By the JG/T-C
editorial@jg-tc.com
Editors Note: Residents in Charleston and in the Charleston school district will vote on the question of creating a new library district. A majority of both in-town and out-of-town residents must decide that question on Tuesday. If approved, the library’s service area would be expanded from the city limits of Charleston to encompass the boundaries of the Charleston school district. Residents in Ashmore, Lerna, Hutton, Bushton, Fairgrange, Rardin and the rural areas in between would then have unlimited access to all Charleston library services without needing to buy an out-of-town library card. Property owners in the outlying areas of the new library district would pay the same regular library tax rate as Charleston city property owners. The owner of an $80,000 home, for example, would pay $51.56 per year under the library’s 2007 tax rate. Charleston Library Director Sheryl Snyder answers frequently-asked questions on the public vote, compiled by Rob Stroud Staff Writer.
Why propose a new library district that extends the existing service area?
It is important to revisit periodically the possibility of becoming a district library. The purchase of library nonresident cards has doubled within the last year. With the increase of nonresident cards and the new services and a new building, the board felt this was a good time to ask the question about becoming a district.
The benefits of becoming a district library are extensive for the library: increased service area; less reliance on a municipal body; a stable tax/levy base; and increased eligibility for grants and other funding opportunities.
Are you concerned that a library district outside of Coles County might “annex” unserved areas within Coles County?
Yes, there is always a possibility that another library district could annex Coles County. Arcola Library District has already annexed part of Mattoon’s school district.
If the referendum is approved, what tax rate would be applied to the out-of-town areas?
The 2008 tax information is not available. The 2007 tax rate was .0019334 . With a wider tax base the rate for the entire district may decrease from the 2007 level.
Would the library expansion bond rate that in-town residents pay be applied to out-of-town residents?
No.
How much more property tax revenue would be brought in if the library district was created and how would this revenue be used by the library?
Without the current tax figures that revenue is not available. The revenue would take care of general maintenance, programming, staff, purchase of library materials all the budgeted line items we have currently.
What do you say to people who are concerned about placing a library tax at a time when the economy is hurting?
What service does the library provide for which the return on investment (ROI) can be calculated? More than you might think. It’s not just books. Ask yourself, if the library did not exist, how would a person obtain all the benefits of the library from other sources, and what would it cost?
Below are some of the library’s collection and services (estimated to have a $1.6 million total value) that you can include in calculating the ROI. You can visit the library’s web site www.charlestonlibrary.org and figure your own family’s library value by inputting how you use the library, weekly, monthly or yearly.
Services include library materials of all types (books, audio tapes, DVDs, music CDs, magazine subscriptions, etc.); materials in electronic formats (e-books, e-audio); access to online databases; library programs; Internet access; meeting rooms; and a safe place for children.
How do out-of-town residents currently check out books and other items at the library?
The current cost of an out-of-town card is approximately $45. The cost comes from a state mathematical formula.
It will look something like this: $171,793,810 (the equalized assessed valuation of taxable property in the city limits) multiplied by .0019334 (the library’s tax rate) equals $332,146 (library income), divided by 21,039 (Charleston’s population) equals $15.79 (amount per person), multiplied by 2.91 (people per household figures from Census) equals $45.94.
Out-of-town students have access to their school library, but what rules govern their access to the public library?
Students must have a Charleston Carnegie Public Library Card to check-out.
What is the size of your collection, annual circulation and number of out-of-town cards issued?
We have around 400 nonresident cards. Collection size is 59,870 items. The annual circulation is was 154,058 last year.
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