"Slow down, you move too fast..."

The City Council-appointed Capital Facilities Committee has been meeting for a year, working to determine the future of our library facility. It has now been four years since the Library Board asked the City to address the issue. There have been two major studies, funded by the City and the Friends of the Appleton Library, as well as Board recommendations. People often ask me what's happening --and the simple answer is that we're still talking about it.

The Council has endorsed the Committee's recommendation for a single library building -- no branches. By now, there is a lot of agreement that a new downtown library building would be best for Appleton, but the location and configuration are uncertain and the funding is a very big question mark. Given the many unknowns on this project, it seems like a good idea to keep discussing, learn more, see how the economy and other factors affect available funds, and defer any final decision. If a new building is by no means affordable, then we'll need to do the best remodeling and expansion job we can to address service concerns, add needed space, and increase efficiency.

There are many reasons why new would be better than remodeled, including greater impact on downtown development, best design for improved efficiency, a larger percentage of the project done with private funds raised by our Friends group, as well as more flexible space for future growth and changes. But after a year of discussion, there are unanswered questions about how we would be able to fund a new building as well as location and the architectural relationship of potential sites to other City offices. Thus the Capital Facilities Committee has gone on hiatus, but asked two task forces to do further study on building issues and finance issues. There will be no building or site selection funds in next year’s budget, and we assume it will be several years before either an expansion of the current building or a new library could be built.

A wait of a few years is not a fatal problem: we’ve always understood that this would not be a rapid decision or a quick implementation once decided. But in our current situation crowding will get worse, it will be harder to realize efficiencies, and well nigh unto impossible to realize some of the requested service improvements that would make this library better for the community.

As time goes by, with increasing use and flat or decreased staffing, efficiency will become more important. As time goes by, with continued inaction, the library will become less of a nice place to be -- not the destination this city deserves, not the community learning center it needs. Form follows function, but form can also constrain function.

So I’m a bit disappointed that things cannot move more quickly or decisively, but realistically, this is a hard time to commit to any big projects. We need to wait for an improved economy or more funding sources. I appreciate the hard work and difficult deliberations of the Capital Facilities Committee, and trust they will reconvene in the future, with better information, to continue their efforts. In the meantime, we need to keep studying issues and possibilities, while working with our Friends and others to help the community understand the situation.

A Capital Idea!

Our City Council’s Capital Facilities Committee is about to resume deliberations on the future of the library. The committee is slightly reconstituted, with a few new members and under the leadership of new Council President, Alderperson Joe Martin. Having already decided that Appleton will continue to pursue a single downtown facility and not add any branches at this time, the committee will take up the decision about remodeling vs. building new.

The Library Board, in reviewing the studies done in 2008 and 2009, has twice endorsed the concept of a new building as likely being the most cost-effective way to address current concerns and meet future operational needs. I also tend to favor the idea of a new building for two main reasons.

The first is because I think we can more effectively provide service into the future by designing rather than by adapting. While we can effectively adapt current space, we could more effectively design for 21st century services rather than shoe-horning them to fit. We could design spaces for meetings, technology, and reading, as well as areas for people and materials. We could more readily build for an automated materials handling system to save significant staff time. And we could work to create spaces that would serve public needs with minimal staff. Along the same line, by building new we can more effectively make Appleton’s most heavily used public building into a green building as an example demonstrating sustainability.

The second reason is that I believe a new building would more effectively capture the imagination of the community and generate donations to help with the construction. It would provide more opportunities to promote downtown development and create both a civic presence and a clear identity as a “center of community life”, in the words of our mission statement.

Although the world is always changing and information is becoming more electronic, libraries have endured for thousands of years. In fact, libraries are becoming more heavily used as people appreciate that all learning does not happen when someone sits alone at their personal computer. As important as our home and office computers are, not everyone has them, nor expertise, nor specialized resources. Libraries provide computers and media technology labs where people can work together and get instructions, as well as opportunities for many other kinds of learning that do not depend on machinery. Learning happens when people come together, and public libraries are growing in importance as community learning centers, where people of all ages gain life-transforming knowledge and skills.

It’s the vision of community learning and the public statement of the values of this community that I hope would encourage donors to support a new library. We know that while remodeling might be done with tax dollars alone, it could be an expensive band-aid. The library staff is by no means categorically opposed to remodeling, if it could be done to truly meet the community’s long-term library service needs. It’s not really about a building: it’s about meeting community needs and improving the quality of life by lifting up our values of what Appleton is and should be.

CFC: no branch libraries

On Feb. 1, the City Council-appointed Capital Facilities Committee voted 8-0 to continue with a single central library in Appleton, rather than to seek to develop any branches. This decision now goes to the Council's Administrative Services Committee, for action on Feb. 10, and then to the full Common Council on Feb. 17, unless referred back to the CFC.

This is the presentation I gave to the Committee, slightly modified to include some of the discussion that accompanied it. This slideshow summarizes the two facility studies from 2008 & 2009, along with the recommendations from the Library Board & staff.

Capital Facilities Committee 100201rev

Library building: where it's at

Many folks are asking about the status of a potential library building project, as the City Council is close to adopting the budget for next year. In brief (with thanks to Library Board President Liz Witek for supplying some of these ideas & words):

• Some people seem to frame the question as one of space, and the most affordable space. From our point of view, the discussion is not about space – it’s about how to provide efficient 21st library service: well-designed space for current and future needs is one aspect of that.
  
• We'll need to meet rising demands without planning to significantly increase staff, and we recognize that the design concepts of the current building are not ideally suited to current and future concerns. We know that operating costs for the life of any building are substantially more than construction costs, and we need to give the most service at the lowest cost.
  
• Remodeling the current building is still a viable option, though perhaps less than ideal for long-term operational efficiency. From a structural engineering viewpoint, we can only add about 12,000 sq ft to our existing footprint – no third floor; the building footings would not support it.
  
• The Council's Administrative Services Committee has moved Site Selection money set out in the Mayor’s budget from 2010 to 2011.
• We know it's frustrating for library supporters to be on hold after three years of Library Board discussion, a lot of public involvement, two years of Council-approved studies assessing citizens’ library needs and library facility concerns, and getting two nearly identical recommendations…
• …but we recognize the need to be extra cautious in these difficult financial times,
  
• ...and we can use the extra time as a really good opportunity to
• help the Council and the people of Appleton to assess how and why two separate studies recommended what they did, and to
  
• see how library needs fit into the as-yet unpublished Facilities Master Plan for Appleton
  
• so we can all reach the best long-term decision for the City.
• We often hear that potential donors will need a firm commitment from the City before we can mount an effective capital campaign for private funds to supplement public dollars.
• We're often asked how much donors will contribute, and we don't know. Other communities have funded 25% of capital costs from donors, but we may want to do a feasibility study.

If that's "in brief", anyone still reading is probably glad I didn't discuss it at length, but comments are always welcome!

Mayor discusses library future

Today's Post-Crescent published an extensive interview with the Mayor: "Q&A: Mayor Tim Hanna talks about future for Appleton Public Library", including such topics as:

• including the site selection money in the budget
• whether the site selection money means a project is any more likely to happen
• if the city eventually is going to need a bigger library or a new library
• if he has an idea of what the public-private funding split would be
• figuring out a cost estimate
• which has to come first, the public funding or the private funding
• whether the library should remain downtown
• if the decision could eventually go to a referendum

He included some noteworthy points about the wisdom of having the discussion at this time. A number of people in the newspaper's online forums are denigrating the whole discussion. But I accept that construction is years away and agree with the Mayor's statements:

In fact, in an economy like this, now's the time to do the planning.

It's not the capital costs. It's the operating costs. You can plan for the capital costs.

We've got state levy limits. We've got local levy limits. We've got fund balance requirements. We have built a long list of requirements. So should it go to referendum as long as we stay within the framework that we built and we're not busting the bank and we're not asking to raise taxes significantly?

Some of the main opposing arguments seem to be:

• libraries are no longer relevant
• this will require a significant tax increase
• the priority is to save construction dollars, whether by remodeling or setting up branches
  

I disagree. Libraries have become increasingly relevant in the Internet age and are important as community learning centers offering equal opportunities for everyone. And Appleton is very restrictive in spending as the Mayor notes: taxes can only go up within strict constraints, whether or not a library is built.

It might be that remodeling would be a better option -- the jury is out. But we absolutely need to keep operating costs in mind, and design not only an attractive facility but one that creates maximum efficiency and lowest possible operating costs for growing service demands. Neither can we just move into [insert vacant building name here], because it's not about space, it's about library service.

Q&A: Appleton library director discusses building proposal

The Post-Crescent has published a lengthy article based on an interview by Larry Gallup, their Senior Editor for Community Conversation. Larry sat me down with a tape recorder and asked some important and insightful questions.

The Post-Crescent • July 16, 2009

It's a big decision — and it comes with a big price tag. Should Appleton build a new public library, which a consulting firm pegs at $33 million, with up to $7 million more to handle parking, plus the associated costs of a new building?
Advertisement

The Library Board has endorsed the plan in concept — a 140,000-square-foot building, which would be more than 50,000 square feet bigger than the current library and would be better equipped to handle its growing needs. For the plan to advance, the Appleton Common Council would have to approve the next step, which is selecting a site.

Appleton Library Director Terry Dawson has been front-and-center during the analysis and planning process — and will continue to be.

To provide some insight on where the process has been, where it is now and where it's going, we asked him some questions Tuesday. Here are his answers:...

See the full article here. My thanks to the Post-Crescent for giving so many column-inches to a topic that is important to many and will be a difficult public decision.

Board endorses new building

The report on library facility options was presented by Engberg Anderson architects at a Library Board meeting and in a special presentation to the City Council this week. The Library Board has endorsed the report, which calls for a new library building as a better option for Appleton than an expanded building.

The preliminary report, available on the library website, looks at building design options for either an expansion of the present building or new construction. The Post-Crescent did a nice job reporting on the presentation to Council. I encourage anyone interested in the future of our library to read the report.

This takes the discussion into a new phase. The Library Board has asked the Mayor to consider a site selection process for next year. There's a lot of work and discussion that will need to happen before that decision gets made. A few points ...

1. The need is real -- and is not one that comes from the staff or the Board, but from the community, the public's use of library services and comparison with best practices in the state and nation. This was substantiated in the extensive community process we undertook last year, with lots of public participation. But I expect we'll need to keep repeating it and justifying it.
   
   
2. The library is for everyone. It's frustrating to hear some people say that we wouldn't have the need, or the library would be worth supporting, if only we kept "those people" away -- and meaning those who may be different. I'll keep on saying it: the library is for everyone. We'll ask anyone to leave if they misbehave or interfere with other folks' library use.

   But we won't deny service to people because they're poor or mentally ill or disabled or speak a different language. This is a public library in a nation founded on equality and freedom. This is a place where everyone in the community can come on an equal basis to learn, to gather, and to create their own opportunities.
   

3. One building, downtown - we pretty much resolved in last year's process that branch libraries are not yet the solution for Appleton. Additional facilities will always be inherently less efficient, as collections, staff functions and utility costs get multiplied. Appleton is not yet big enough to justify this.

   And a central library as part of a vibrant downtown works on a lot of levels. We're readily accessible by bicycle and bus. We're within walking distance for many residents and convenient for senior housing and downtown workers. We collaborate with other downtown businesses and organizations. One of the busiest buildings in Appleton, we're part of making the downtown cool, and we're glad to be here!
   

4. We want to do the best job for the future of the community. Staff sees heavy use on a daily basis -- not just in the short term, but in the long term. In my 31 years here, I've seen use grow and grow and grow. We need to do it right, not short-sightedly or expediently. Quick fixes tend to just cost more in the long run.


5. We want to be careful in our decision-making. Many people say, "we can't afford this now -- maybe in a few years." But we're not talking about building now, we're talking about planning now so we can build in a few years, if we can afford it. Whether or not we build a library, our City is fiscally conservative, careful about structuring our long term debt and committed to not having big tax increases. That won't change, and we expect that some private dollars will be needed to make this happen. But it will take a decision by the City to proceed before we can effectively begin to raise those private funds.
   

Amid rather reactionary responses in the Post-Crescent's online forum, there was this small gem of wisdom:

payingattention wrote:

Rather than rapid-firing comments that have little basis, people should become involved in the civic process so they understand that what gets printed in the paper only skims the surface of the careful work that's been done. There is much more to running the city, library and schools than most people can imagine. In-depth planning is done years in advance and when need is anticipated, it is weighed and thoughtfully considered.

The library is many things to many people. It doesn't try to be a 'one-stop' shop, but it does have state standards to meet and a mission to carry out. Chances are, if you don't live in Appleton or use the library building, you have probably had benefit of the OWLS library system interlibrary loan of items from the APL, without having to drive there yourself.

Everyone knows this is a difficult time to consider spending money, but potential library construction is not expected until between 2012 and 2014. Please become informed and THEN discuss.

Library Building Program Design Study

He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.

Francis Bacon

We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities.

Pogo (Walt Kelly)

Things change. And in the 30 years since our current library was designed, library service has changed a lot. We're in the second year of studying our facility needs. Both year's studies were funded as part of our City capital budget, but with substantial dollars from our Library Foundation under-writing the cost.

2008
Our building study done in 2008 featured lots of community input: surveys, small groups, interviews with community leaders, and public town hall meetings. Altogether about 1,000 community members provided input. The conclusion was that our library needs more space and better functionality, including:

• More room for materials
• More room for public seating
• More meeting room spaces -- easier to set up and maintain and more readily accessible
  
• Improved security, including a better designed controlled exit and Radio Frequency ID for materials
  
• Technology, including more self-checks and an automated materials handling system to manage workloads
• Explore a drive-up window and cafe.
  
• 21st century services - spaces and connections designed for computers, more computers, shared work spaces, and learning labs
  

The study concluded that library service needs of this community would be best served by an new building or a major expansion of this building. We're proceeding with caution, particularly in the current economic climate, and don't expect that this would occur for years, but we still need to plan.

2009
This year, we're looking at program design. Thinking about the future of our library, this process will help us define the puzzle pieces, look at assembling them into different pictures, and present alternative building layouts to the Mayor, Library Board, and City Council. We can look at the pros & cons, the cost & value of different models.

In this year's process:

• We sent out Request for Proposals to:
  
• Define an architectural program to meet service needs
  
• Develop two conceptual designs: new building, and remodel/expand
• Fourteen proposals were received
• Three architectural firms were interviewed
• Engberg Anderson & George Lawson were hired
• Engberg Anderson library projects include:
• Shorewood
• Two Rivers
• Cudahy
• Beloit
• Brown County – Weyers Hilliard Branch
• 1994 APL study & preliminary design

The timeline for this year's study:

• Tour, identify issues, begin worksheets 4/7
• Complete worksheets 4/8-19
• Staff interviews & data refinement 4/20-22
• Review draft program with Library Board Building Committee 5/8
• Meet with Mayor & City stakeholders 5/11
• Draft concepts workshop 5/18
• Concept approval 6/1
• Present to Library Board & City Council 6/16 &17

And then there are political decisions to be made.

• Library Building Committee and Board will probably make a recommendation
• Mayor decides what to put in the Executive Budget
  
• Budget approval is up to the City Council – they approve long range capital plans, as well as appropriation for next year
• Marketing – sharing the story – will be a job for the whole library staff and supporters
  
• Any political effort to create community discussion will need leadership from our Friends' group
  
• Any project is likely to require significant private dollars. Fundraising through a capital campaign, led by our Library Foundation, will be important – and could start later this year
• A referendum is a possible way for the community to make a decision, though not it would not be my preference, as it would be expensive in its own right

A final thought, as we move (carefully) forward:

The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

Alan Kay

Library issues & the state budget hearing

The Joint Finance Committee of the Wisconsin Legislature is holding one of their regional budget hearings in Appleton today. There was a huge turnout at Lawrence University. I felt I needed to testify in support of public libraries.

Libraries are reasonably well-served in the budget: if we're getting less of what we asked for, we're getting a great deal of what we need. We're feeling the squeeze of significant increases in use and flat or decreasing funding. The Governor has done right to support library systems, which in turn support local libraries. To do this, he has moved more of state funding for library services off the income tax and is funding it via the Universal Service Fund, which comes from a surcharge on phone bills. This plan was attacked by our State Senator, Mike Ellis, so I felt some need to defend it. You can read a copy of Sen. Ellis's critique and my response on the FoxPolitics blog.

Here's my written testimony as submitted to the Committee:

Members of the Joint Finance Committee:

My name is Terry Dawson. I serve as the Director of the Appleton Public Library, and am a member and Past President of the Wisconsin Library Association.

I support the 2009-2011 budget bill, as introduced by the Joint Finance Committee, which provides a Universal Service Fund appropriation to fund specific library services: BadgerLink, Public Library System Aids, the Statewide Resource-Sharing Contracts, and Newsline for the Blind.

The original act that established the Universal Service Fund, 1993 Wisconsin Act 496, states that the fund shall give priority to: "local units of government, educational institutions and libraries". To that end, I served as a public library representative, appointed by Governor Thompson, on the Universal Service Fund Council, advising the PSC on fund disbursement, for two terms, beginning in 1994.

In recent years, library systems have become increasingly focused on and built around telecommunications-based services to local communities; technology has evolved systems into networks. Thus state support coming from the Universal Service Fund, as opposed to income tax, makes good sense, is consistent with the purpose of the Universal Service Fund, and makes it possible to sustain critically important library services.

During these difficult economic times, library use has increased dramatically, and use of telecommunications services provided through libraries has been even more dramatic, as we provide increased support for job seekers and those who have lost access to other resources. At our library alone, users logged 12,899 hours on public computers in the first two months of 2009, a 60% increase from the previous year. These computers access the Internet over connections provided through our library system. Systems are provide open access and communications services -- effectively promoting collaboration to level the playing field, and create opportunities for all Wisconsin residents.

The Appleton Public Library has over 84,000 library card holders, and more than 1,600 people per day come through our doors. Every item checked out, every web page viewed, every database search, every use of the catalog – these are all made possible through services provided by the Outagamie Waupaca Library System, funded through this budget. Vital access to information and materials occurs through BadgerLink, Resource-sharing and Newsline.

I urge you to use this budget, as introduced, to help sustain our library and all of Wisconsin’s public libraries as we work to create equal opportunities for your constituents to learn and enrich their lives.

Thank you.

Wanted: a new Carnegie or new LSCA

Between 1883 and 1929, Andrew Carnegie funded the building of 2,509 libraries. Between 1964 and 1995, the federal Library Services and Construction Act held out the possibility of federal funds to help communities build libraries. Neither of those possibilities exist today.

As Appleton is assessing the need for a new or expanded library building, I'm often asked if there are federal funds or major national grant funds available for library construction. I know of none; there have been a few state programs, though not in Wisconsin. Communities are pretty much on their own for local tax-based or charitable funding of their public libraries. Which brings us to the "stimulus package."

Today I've been on the phone with the offices of both our Senators: Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold. On Wednesday, 28 January 2009, the House of Representatives passed their version of the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" with $819 billion for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, and assistance to the unemployed.

Public libraries are not included.

This is a shame in many respects. Anybody who's been reading or watching the news know that public libraries do a lot in job preservation, education and assistance to the unemployed, and that this has become more significantly more important in the current economic crisis.

According to the American Library Association:

School libraries are already included as a qualifying institution for the K-12 Repair and Modernization funding and academic libraries are also included in the Higher Education Repair and Modernization funding.

So as the U.S. Senate takes up the stimulus package, librarians are asking them to modify their version to allow state governments to allocate some of their funds to public libraries.

Bankers and auto manufacturers seem to be in the game. Schools and academic libraries have a shot. I'd just like us to qualify for consideration: we’d be a great infrastructure investment.

Over 120 years ago, Andrew Carnegie knew that building a library was one of the surest ways to help a community lift itself. Let's hope that idea hasn't been lost.

2009 State Legislative Day

Every Winter, librarians and library supporters from around the state descend on the State Capitol in Madison for an exercise called "Library Legislative Day." Several of us from APL will be there, with appointments to visit members of the Assembly and State Senate. It's an opportunity to get to know out elected state officials and acquaint them with library concerns.

Let's be real: nobody expects significant funding increases in this environment. Our library does not receive direct state funding, though we benefit from lots of programs. But what it comes down to is making sure first that legislators know what we do and why it's important, and then how the state legislatures actions fit into our services.

The following legislative agenda was developed by the Wisconsin Library Associations Library Development & Legislation Committee, and approved by the full association. On Jan. 20, our Board of Trustees endorsed the agenda, with seven votes in favor, one trustee opposed and one abstaining from the vote.

WLA State Legislative Agenda
For the 2009-11 Biennium

The Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), established in 1891, unites and supports people from all types of libraries to develop and advocate for dynamic, responsive Wisconsin libraries. Our 2,000 members, including librarians, libraries, library trustees, and friends from across the state, share this common purpose.

Legislative Priorities for 2009 Legislative Action

• Increase state funding for public library system aids to 13% of local library expenditures, as specified in Wisconsin statutes.
• Support expanded funding for BadgerLink resources.
• Preserve the use of the Universal Service Fund for BadgerLink and other library services.
• Increase funding necessary to support traditional service levels for state contracts:
• Wisconsin Regional Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped
• Cooperative Children's Book Center
• Wisconsin Library Services (WiLS) and
• Milwaukee Public Library/Interlibrary Loan
• Support funding for statewide delivery of library materials.
  
• Support increased funding of the University of Wisconsin System libraries.
• Support funding for the UW Digital Commons Initiative.
• Support the statutory use of the Common School Fund.
• Support the need for libraries to have access to sufficient bandwidth.
• Support public library district enabling legislation.
• Support the Wisconsin State Law Library and the Milwaukee County and Dane County Legal Resource libraries.
• Oppose any proposals that mandate a specific percentage of funding for educational institutions be spent on classroom instruction.
• Support access to government publications/documents.
• Support full funding for the Wisconsin Historical Society Library.
• Support updated standards for school library media centers.
• Support the employment of at least one full-time certified school library media specialist and appropriate support staff in every school; support additional professional staff and support staff in schools of 650 students or more.
• Support the employment of at least one full-time instructional technology professional and appropriate support staff in every school; support additional professional staff and support staff in schools of 650 students or more.
• Continue to promote the importance of publicly-funded free and open access to library materials to all Wisconsin citizens.
• Support continuation of maintenance of effort funding levels by local units of government as a requirement for public library system membership.
  

Legislative Policy Statements

The Wisconsin Library Association affirms:

• That library services address essential informational, educational, cultural, and recreational needs for Wisconsin residents and merit strong legislative support.
• That the state’s libraries, by providing lifelong learning opportunities, make a significant contribution to the quality of life for all Wisconsin residents.
• That the state’s libraries through a statewide knowledge network provide essential information resources for the state’s economic development.
• That the state’s libraries, through multiple cooperative arrangements, serve as models for regional and statewide cooperation.
• That the state’s librarians provide Wisconsin residents with the essential information services they need to succeed at school, at work, and in their personal lives.

The Wisconsin Library Association supports state legislative policy that:

• Ensures that all the people of Wisconsin have the broadest possible access to information resources and materials.
• Preserves the fundamental principle of publicly funded free and open access to library materials and services.
• Ensures privacy in the use of library materials and services.
• Strongly supports the development of collections and resources for libraries of all types.
• Broadens the availability of communications technology for educational and information resources.
• Promotes regional and statewide sharing of library and information resources.
• Supports strong statewide leadership for library development and cooperation.

The Wisconsin Library Association opposes state legislative policy that:

• Restricts access by the state’s residents to information resources and materials.
• Affects local and state taxing options that could have an adverse affect on libraries.
• Intrudes on the privacy of library users.
• Interferes with the right of local public library boards to independently determine local library policy, staffing, and services based on community standards.

Forward

I'm sitting in the City Council's budget session. The Council just voted to leave the next phase of our building study in the 2009 budget. Assuming they don't change their minds later tonight, we'll be working on an RFP for program design next year.

The Mayor, Alderperson Baranowski, and several others were eloquent in their supporting remarks. Even several alderpersons who wanted to take the study out of the budget praised the library's importance, work and staff, only questioning the timing. In the end, 10 of the 16 voted to keep the item in the budget.

addendum: the above was posted three hours ago from my cell-phone, since I can't get wi-fi in the Council chambers. Nothing changed for the library in the meeting, which lasted until about 12:30 AM. Thanks to all the Council members who voted for the library, and to all those in the community who supported us. Thanks, too, to the Post-Crescent, which lent its editorial support and was johnny-on-the-spot with an online article, "Appleton library planning escapes budget cuts", posted by 9:30 PM while the Council still debated golf and trash collection issues.

Speaking up for the library

In a week when it seems the world has been focused on our national political scene, I'm reminded of Tip O'Neill's statement: "All politics is local." Municipal politics are the most direct, visceral and accessible, where you can chat with your elected representatives every day, and where they personally know a substantial number of constituents.

Eight days after the November general election, our Common Council will adapt the 2009 City of Appleton budget. This presidential election may have been historic -- heck, when not wearing my library hat, I was involved in some of the state and national races. And we may do a City budget every year -- but I've been stressing more about our local issue than the state and national ones. Our library has a lot at stake.

The issues are not around our operating budget, but on a couple of capital projects: beginning conversion to RFID security and doing program design work for a expanded or new library. RFID got taken out of the budget by Council committee. The next step on a building project got left in --but there are some alderpersons who want to take it out, feeling the timing isn't right.

Last night was the Council's public hearing on the budget, and six people spoke up on behalf of the Library. Some I expected, and some were pleasant surprises:

• Terry Bergen, Library Board President
• Dennis Hultgren, Appleton Library Foundation President
• Sharrie Robinson, Friends of Appleton Library Board member and library volunteer
• Tim Hoff, banker and President of Appleton Downtown Inc.
• Carolyn Mewhorter, League of Women Voters President
• Michael Potter, member of Appleton Downtown's Economic Development Committee and the City Planning Commission

I'm grateful to them. They all spoke passionately and eloquently on the importance of the library to the community, encouraging public/private partnerships to meet community needs, and the timeliness of our concerns. We hope the voters and their representatives agree.

Our stakes are high: I'm hopeful, but not optimistic, that they might put back RFID, but it will be a long process to implement and we'd like to realize the benefits to our patrons and cost efficiencies sooner. But our building issue is bigger, more long-term, and more time-critical: if the Council takes the building design work out of the budget, it makes it nigh unto impossible to begin fund-raising, and effectively stops the conversation for a year.

Barack Obama on libraries

No matter what any of our personal politics are, Barack Obama will be our next President. And so it's good to re-read what he said about libraries when he addressed the American Library Association conference June 27, 2005.

Among other things, he said:

More than a building that houses books and data, the library has always been a window to a larger world - a place where we've always come to discover big ideas and profound concepts that help move the American story forward.

...libraries remind us that truth isn't about who yells the loudest, but who has the right information.

And so the moment we persuade a child, any child, to cross that threshold into a library, we've changed their lives forever, and for the better. This is an enormous force for good.

Reading this speech might help us understand what the library community might expect from our next President. And it might help remind us of what people expect from us, and why we do this work.

Candidates debate

We had over 100 people attend tonight's State Assembly debate.

The Post-Crescent streamed it live. Thanks to the League of Women Voters for cosponsoring and running the show -- and to our two candidates, Penny Bernard Schaber and Jo Egelhoff.

"Going to the candidates debate"

I know everyone is getting burned out on the election, but we are pleased to be co-sponsoring a debate for assembly candidates at our library. Quoth the Post-Crescent:

57th District candidates will debate Thursday
Appleton Post Crescent - WI, USA

APPLETON — The public is invited to a 57th Assembly District debate from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday.

Hosted by the Appleton League of Women Voters at the Appleton Public Library, the debate features candidates Jo Egelhoff, a Republican, and Penny Bernard Schaber, a Democrat.

Both are from Appleton and are seeking the seat vacated by state Rep. Steve Wieckert, R-Appleton, in Tuesday's election.

The library is located at 225 N. Oneida St.

The Post-Crescent will cover the debate live on www.postcrescent.com.

I'm glad we're doing it, hope we get a good turnout -- and I'm looking forward to seeing how the Post Crescent does live coverage.

Budget 2009: what's happening with a new library building?

We had a facility study earlier this year, which concluded we ought to have a new library building. But a consultant and the Library Board agreeing about what we ought to do is only a beginning, and not even close to resolving the political decisions that will be needed.

Some people have congratulated me that we'll be getting a new library -- thanks, but that's premature. Many people ask about a possible building project:

• when will it be?
• where will it be?
• will we remodel or build new?

But it's too soon to say much; most of these decisions are still years away. We're trying to keep things moving forward, and the next step will be decided in the 2009 City of Appleton budget.

In their 2009 budget request, the Library Board asked for funds to do preliminary design work next year -- the estimated cost would be $75,000, and the Appleton Library Foundation has generously offered to pay $25,000 of that amount. The Mayor's Executive Budget, including this request, was published on Oct. 1 and is now in the hands of the City Council. The Council will hold a public hearing on Nov. 5, and vote on the budget on Nov. 12.

Dealing with building concerns is a long-term project:

• this year we studied service needs and community priorities vs. current space, including focus groups, surveys, interviews and public meetings; the report, accepted by the Library Board in July and available here, concluded
• we need more space (138,000 sq. ft. vs. 86,000 current) and it needs to be better designed for the 21st century
  
• we should have a single building and not add branches
• we should stay in the downtown
• a newly designed structure would be more efficient and best provide for future library service needs
• remodeling and adding to our current building is possible, but we cannot add without substantially increasing our footprint -- the building footings and structure will not permit additional floors
• So what's next? We have a five year capital request before the Council, though we're only looking at funding for next year.
• 2009 -- preliminary designs, drawings and cost projections-- based on space planning and features
• 2010 -- site selection & site cost projections
  
• 2011 -- site acquisition
• 2012 -- final schematic designs & cost projections
• 2013-4 -- construction
• This is not just about space: it's about service delivery & efficiency
• It's too soon to talk about location -- until we understand more about costs, and are ready to commit to a piece of real estate. And you don't pick out real estate until you're ready to commit.
• We will not do anything we can’t afford – we know that Appleton is conservative and careful with regard to debt; major expenses are years away and won’t be approved until we’re ready
• We hope to raise substantial private dollars to help, but we need to demonstrate City commitment to donors.

The other useful component of our budget request is for RFID (Radio Frequency Identification: $107,000 requested for 2009), a short-term building block toward a long-term solution, improving security and circulation systems, offering:

• Better efficiency
• Better security
• Long-term savings will be greatest if we can add a substantial automated materials handling system, preferably in an upgraded facility designed for more efficiency

We're moving forward deliberately -- not quickly -- some of us might wish it were faster, but we need to be fiscally responsible to make this work. We just want to continue moving forward.

You can read our actual five year capital request for the building here and the RFID project here.

Budget 2009: overview & operating budget

The Library, like other City departments, submits a budget request for the following year in the summer. Ours goes through our Library Board, and so already has a level of citizen input and oversight. During July, August and September, the City's Finance Department goes through all the budgets with a fine tooth comb, the Mayor makes tough decisions, and an executive budget is published in early October. The City Council's Administrative Services Committee will hold hearings on departmental requests on Oct. 25, there will be a public hearing on Nov. 5, and the Council's budget adoption is scheduled for Nov. 12.

So the Library's 2009 budget request is now a matter of public consideration. I think we've submitted a pretty frugal budget, but we expect that the Council will take a hard look and ask us tough questions: that's their job. We hope that the Council will agree that we're being frugal and that our library continues to provide a good value; and we hope that the community will support us and let their Council representatives know what they think.

Some (boring but important) numbers & statistics:

• Over 1,600 people a day use the library -- so far this year, an increase of over 13,000 people through our doors compared to 2007
• Over 64,000 more items circulated in 2008 than this time last year (up 7%) -- we circulate more than 4,000 items per day
  
• Holds/reserves filled for our patrons up 13% from last year
  
• More than 26,000 people have attended a library program for adults, children or teens -- up 47% from last year
• Volunteer hours are up 13% from last year (we have almost the equivalent of two full-time staff in volunteer hours)
• Meeting room and studys have been used more than 1,600 times this year -- up 8%
  

And some 2009 budget numbers:

• Library revenue projection up 4.38%
• Total library spending up 1.29% (not including any cost of living salary increases)
• Total library operating budget up 0.59%
• Library materials budget - no change from 2008
  
• Library staff - no change from 2008
  

So our bottom line is that we're doing a lot more work without a lot more City property tax support: a good value for the community. Circulation, always our biggest output number, has increased steadily for years, while the City funded staff has actually decreased a bit. For next year's request, we held the budget line, but managed to put a bit more into our underfunded training account. The Mayor trimmed about $30,000 from the Library Board's request, in materials and equipment, and while it's less than we felt we needed, we're OK with those cuts.

Additional revenues from our Foundation and Friends & the OWLS system, along with technology and volunteers, are keeping us afloat, but we have to keep looking for more long-term solutions to stay efficient and meet service needs. One example of operating efficiencies: we're working with our system staff on a new method of creating the slips we need when routing items that we loan to other libraries or send back to after our patrons have used them. If we can shave one second off each transaction, it will save us hours every month.

For interested citizens, hobbyist accountant or anyone with a lot of time, the City budget is available at our Reference Desk, or you can read the Library's operating budget request here. More information about capital budget request, including the library building -- coming soon to a blog near you.

"Democracy is coming to the U.S.A."

As the election season winds down, many of us are thinking about politics and the electoral process. As in so many things, public libraries have a role in helping people stay informed. This function may never be as popular as John Grisham novels, or the latest popular DVD, but it's one of the most important things we do.

As James Madison said:

A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.

Most of this happens indirectly: people read what they want, and it's our business to have books and periodicals that cover all sides of the issues. But here's a bit of what we're doing directly this year:

• Registering voters: library staff is deputized to do voter registrations, and we've hosted several visits from League of Women Voters registration teams
• An updated set of Quickref page of useful Internet links to election and political information -- our Reference staff has found some of the good stuff out there
  
• A bibliography on the Electoral College
  
• Library programs and community meetings, including
• Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson (pictured), discussing "Impartial Judiciary" and concerns about judicial election campaigns [co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters & the library]
• A candidate forum for Assembly candidates [co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans]
  
• A debate between Wisconsin 57th Assembly district candidates [co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters & the library]
• A presentation and podcast on the Electoral College by Lawrence University Professor Arnold Shober [sponsored by the library]

As Chief Justice Abrahamson noted in her presentation, it's up to us as voters to pay attention and check facts. That's one of the things impartial libraries are good for. We also have good stories, and Justice Abrahamson recommends John Grisham's The Appeal as a good illustration of the problems when politics intrude too far into judicial elections.

Banned Books Week seems early this year...

The annual Banned Books Week is coming up Sept. 27-Oct. 4, but the presidential campaign has created some unusual attention for the issue of book banning in public libraries. The Sept. 4 Wall Street Journal reported:

[Gov. Palin] floated the idea of pulling books she considered offensive from a local library.

Published reports have led to a flurry in the biblioblogosphere and political blog world. The Ongoing War Against Reason has an interesting post about the controversy:

I have been reading some blogs where people are making quite a fuss over some books that Sarah Palin wanted to ban. What I am confused about is why are people getting so upset. I think Ms. Palin is a better judge of such matters than most people are. ...

Hopefully Ms. Palin can implement a nationwide program that will get these books removed from all the nations libraries. There has a to be a clause in the Patriot Act that can give legal precedant for such a move.

While one may or may not enjoy such tongue in cheek humor, there are a couple of unfunny things at play:

1. Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, as Mayor of Wasilla, did pose questions -- perhaps only theoretical or rhetorical, but apparently on more than one occasion -- about removing some books from the public library collection.
2. Hysterical anti-Palin postings to the contrary, there is to date no actual published evidence of any attempt on her part to ban or remove any particular titles. The circulation of bogus lists of titles she supposedly tried to censor does a disservice to Gov. Palin and the truth.
   

In a time of high ideological conflict, such as this presidential election, it's important to stay level-headed, and remember that too often "truth is the first casualty of war." That being the case, I appreciate librarians like Jessamyn West, who have worked to stay even-handed. When someone posted the list on her blog, Jessamyn noted "there appears to be no truth to the claim made by the commenter, and no further documentation or support for this has turned up." Many other commenters noted the lack of a source and the danger of unsubstantiated allegations.

I appreciate neutral sources like snopes.com which give a factual perspective. I do not enjoy reading Michelle Malkin's comment: "This time it's hysterical librarians and their readers on the Internet disseminating a bogus list ... looks like some of these library people failed reading comprehension." Why feed potential criticism that we're hysterical -- even when we're not? To her credit, Malkin credited Jessamyn West for doing the right thing. While I haven't run into hysterical library people, I have noticed people trying to capitalize on the controversy.

Those who feel themselves locked in a culture war may be too willing to sacrifice facts to serve their ideology, but for librarians to do so in any case is to subvert our own professional ethics. Thankfully, I don't find this to be generally true of librarians, but some people may have been too willing to uncritically repeat spurious information that accords with their prejudices. It's like the credulous friends who send you the emails that begin "forward this to everyone you know." We ought to know better, though sometimes our feeling outruns our thinking.

Politics aside, let's remember the real issue for libraries. It's vital that public libraries represent a variety of values and points of view in their collections. Government should neither interfere with the availability of content and viewpoints, nor with parents’ rights to determine what values they teach their children.

Parents can tell their children what they can and can't read, but not my children. Book banning, family values, and reading decisions are for families -- not mayors or governors. Free people need free access to ideas and information, not what "the authorities" deem acceptable. Most libraries will have something to offend everyone. Librarians need to select and deselect things for their quality as library resources, not their ideology, and be mindful of the often subjective nature of offensiveness.

We should welcome the opportunity to responsibly discuss the importance of our freedoms.