Fall Storytime to Begin

The Girard Public Library will be offering a Fall Story Time Beginning on September 12th. There will be three different classes. Please note that due to staff changes the Wee Read will be on Friday afternoons at 1:30pm. Kool Kids Time, which includes the grades of Kindergarten through 2nd grade will be on Tuesday's at 3:30pm and Kids Korner which includes 3rd grade through 5th grade will be on Thursday's at 3:30pm. For more information call 724-4317 and ask for Kayla after 1:00pm.

Your Library Needs You

Due to the importance of the upcoming Girard City Council Meeting this Monday I am writing to provide additional facts about the city budget and the library budget. I also want to clarify some misinformation that has been stated.

The library had reduced the budget this year $4,162.60 (3 %). The city's budget was increased .645%. All city council transfers from the electric department totaled $249,000 with $235,000 for the city's 8.5 departments at $27,647 each and $14,000 for the library which the three city council members cut, now our budget has been reduced 12% or a total of $18,162.60.

Three of city council members had some concerns about the library and expressed them to the board. Wanting to comply with the city council, we went to work and met every concern they presented, yet those efforts were not honored.

1. Reduced our staff by one full time person
2. Reduced our Health Ins. coverage to match the cities
3. Invested our funds in an endowment for better return

At this week’s city budget hearing Sandra Hallacy stated that the city had laid off two employees with families and that the library needed to let even more people go. Currently we have lost two full-time employees from the library and they have families too. Yet, the employees of the library seem to be of no importance to her. Now, even her most recent demand of another employee gone, is met.

There have also been comments concerning continuing education or contact hours that have been earned at the library. I worked for 18 years to achieve the 606 hours of Library Employee Education Program (LEEP) credit that I have. Gene Leigh a trustee stated in the Girard Press that there are two other full time employees and why not let them get some of those credits. First of all, there are currently three other full time employees and two part-time. I am proud to state that all library staff, whether full or part-time attend workshops and conferences and have amassed a total of 1,184 (LEEP) contact hours among them. Most workshops are offered at no cost. We are blessed to have a dedicated staff who work hard and want to better themselves at their jobs. Also the staff and myself attend several meetings in which (LEEP) credit is not given, but we feel they are important to our jobs and the library.

I must address the buzzwords “checks and balances”. I do not fully understand the extreme concern from the three council members about the library finances. Each month the seven library board members see every invoice along with the corresponding check and a detailed transaction report. As for the two or three checks kept in the office for middle of the month expenses the same procedure is followed and every check is accounted for. Randall Phillips, who is also the City’s auditor, is a very qualified auditor and is good to explain what we need to do to be financially competent and secure. In all of the 18 years I have been at the library the audits have been fine and there has never been an impropriety. That is not to say that I haven’t made any honest mistakes and had to correct them.

Lastly, I must state that the majority of the library board members are wonderful, qualified and capable people who volunteer their time for something that they believe in. They care about the library staff, programs, and materials. They take their responsibilities seriously and research the facts. Why three city council members would think that they have the professional knowledge or time needed to run a library is beyond my comprehension. Not a one of them has ever come to the library for a visit with me, let me show them around and how or why things are done as they are. Instead of all of the bickering over unsubstantiated matters why aren’t the three council members proud of the seven Library Board members, the library staff, and the programs. This method of governance has worked well for Girard for over 107 years and works for other city libraries across the state. It is very nearsighted to assume that city council members of the future would agree with such a drastic move. There has been no attempt from the council to work through these differences, or sit down together and discuss their concerns.

Our future services and programs may be very limited in the near future with such personnel and budget constraints, but as always we will rise to the occasion to provide the best possible programs and service we can. Please call your council person and plan to attend Monday’s (August 7, 2006) city meeting at 6:30pm in support of your library board.

Save The Library Board

I want to share this with you because I believe it to be very informative. It was published in the Morning Sun and Girard Press. The library needs your help, we have been in operation for 107 years and currently function as the legislature set Kansas Libraries up to run, with a 7 member board of trustees. The majority of these volunteers are honest, trustworthy individuals willing to donate their time because they fully support the library and the staff. They believe in our programs and in the future of the library and they want to make sure that all operations are handled correctly. They do this to the benefit of the patrons and of the city of Girard. We must keep them in place.
Thank You,
Terri Harley,
Director

Dear Editor:

In the Wednesday, July 28 issue of the Pittsburg Morning Sun it read: "The Girard City Council approved a motion . . . to eliminate the library board and to assign full responsibility of library functions to be under the direction of the city council." Upon reading this I was shocked. To my knowledge there is no library in the state of Kansas, city, county or regional that does not have a library board. Why does the Girard city council think that Girard should be the exception? If the system works for all other libraries in Kansas why do they want to change it in Girard? Do the citizens of Girard really want the city council to take over their library?

Why would Councilwoman Sandra Hallacy propose, Richard Cussamanio second and Sharon Matson vote for dissolving the Girard Library Board? Doesn't the city council have better things to worry about such as their own budget problems and efficiently running the city? Do they really need to take on even more responsibilities? With recent city layoffs due to past budget shortsightedness, loss of population and businesses in Girard, dwindling utility funds, needed street maintenance, police and fire department needs, maintaining the city parks, cemetery, pool and golf course and so forth, you would think the council would have more pressing items on their agenda.

Over the past few years the director and the library board have taken the Girard Public Library forward in leaps and bounds. The library is considered a model library in the State of Kansas and in the United States. It has wonderful programs for children and adults. It is a clean, efficient, well-equipped, modern, and well-maintained building with an experienced, well-trained staff. Girard is blessed to have such a wonderful facility yet the Girard city council wants to jeopardize what Girard has and punish the board and the director for all they have accomplished over the years? This is not logical and it is definitely not beneficial for the community.

The Kansas Legislature established library boards so the budgets would be separate, as school budgets are, from the city getting to control the money - tax money voted specifically for libraries by city residents. By the council taking over the library the public and patrons will ultimately suffer the consequences of such control. Will the council transfer specified public library funds to pay for the golf course debts? Will they use library money for their other shortfalls while allowing the new library building to deteriorate? Will they hire cheap, inexperienced labor and offer poor services? Will they want to charge for programs or new items in the collection? Will they cut hours or close the library to bolster their budget?

It should be up to YOU the people of Girard to decide if dissolving the library board is what you want. What Gene Leigh and the three members of the Girard council are trying to do should concern all library boards and patrons in the state because the council is trying to establish a precedent, which could ultimately affect every public library in Kansas. Dissolving the library board is not the answer, working together, as other cities do, is.

In the Aug. 1 issue of the Morning Sun, Councilman Cussimanio is said to feel that the library is merely a "luxury" item in the city budget.

Access to reading materials, facts, knowledge and the Internet; the library, a place that promotes life-long learning, is a "luxury" item? Do Girard residents really want someone who makes this kind of a statement to have "full responsibly of library functions?"

We are in the Information Age when well-run libraries and free access to information is extremely vital to a community's reputation, growth and success. Therefore, local library boards are even more important and greatly needed because, unlike city councils, the library boards' soul purpose is to be an advocate for a good libraries and library programs. If you do not have such advocates the library is doomed to deteriorate and the community and the future community will suffer the consequences.

Is this what Girard wants? If not, then I encourage each of you to call your council representatives and encourage them to not dissolve the library board and/or attend the next meeting of the Girard City Council on the evening of Monday, Aug. 7.

Debra Sims

Former Interim Director of the Girard Public Library

Olathe