OPINION

Guest Viewpoint: Support C-PP vote on library funding

Sarah Collins

On Oct. 21, the Southeast Steuben County Library is asking residents of the Corning-Painted Post School District to approve a new way to fund our community library.

As many remember, our library closed in 1999, due to a failed public funding vote. It reopened in December 2000 under a new charter and established contracts with the seven local municipalities served by the library.

In 2010, the initial contract expired and a new one was negotiated. The new funding level reduced municipal contributions by 10 percent. One municipality declined to sign a new contract, although the library has continued to serve those residents as mandated by our charter.

We are extremely grateful for the support we have received from these municipalities over the last 14 years. We recognize that municipalities face financial constraints such as mandates they cannot control, rising costs of essential services and the new statewide 2 percent tax cap.

At present, the library receives less funding than it did in 2007. As municipal budgets get tighter, it is unlikely that future contracts will provide an adequate level of funding for basic services. Our current contract expires at the end of 2016. However, if new public funding is secured, existing municipal contracts will end in December 2015.

The library board is asking the public to vote on a funding plan that will remove library support from the budgets of the municipalities we serve. We believe this plan, which is the lowest-cost alternative available, is the best plan for the greatest number of people.

Once passed, no change can be made to the funding amount unless it is voted on again by the residents. The library is also bound by the 2 percent tax cap.

There are some who say libraries are obsolete. Nothing could be further from the truth.

More than 4,000 people a week walk through the doors of our library to take out books, movies or music; to attend an educational or cultural program; to use the public computers to fill out job applications, access news sources or conduct research; to take a class to master their new e-readers or learn a new skill. This does not include the many patrons who access the library electronically from home to download e-books or do research through our extensive databases.

The library tax on a property valued at $85,000 is about $32.30 a year. Borrowing just three e-books provides more value than the tax paid. At a time when everyone wants to get the most for their money, the library is a great deal.

The library supports lifelong learning for all and enriches the quality of life in our communities. It is a vibrant and active place serving the information, education, and entertainment needs of people of all ages. Please come in and see for yourself.

I encourage residents of the Corning-Painted Post School District to support our community library on Oct. 21. Polls are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are not sure where to vote, please contact the district clerk at 936-3704, ext. 1001.

Collins is the president of the Southeast Steuben County Library.
https://www.stargazette.com/story/opinion/2014/10/13/guest-viewpoint-support-c-pp-vote-library-funding/17230275/
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