

A small group of concerned citizens outraged over the discarding of 2,500 books has prompted the Winter Haven Library to change its policies on the disposal of books being removed from the library's collection.

WINTER HAVEN | A small group of concerned citizens outraged over the discarding of 2,500 books has prompted the Winter Haven Library to change its policies on the disposal of books being removed from the library's collection.

Until now, the city's policy when removing books from circulation, often referred to as "weeding," was to first give removed books to a local organization, and if they didn't want them, to an international organization. If there were no takers at that point, the books were thrown in the trash.

And even though their policies barely differed from many libraries in Polk County, the city will now add extra steps to ensure every book that can have a home gets one and that no book ends up in a dumpster in the future.

"(The experience) challenged me, I know that," said City Librarian Jennifer Kovac. "It challenged our current practices and policies and it is always good to do that. It provided a better opportunity for us to educate the public with what happens to books once they are weeded."

Discarding books is a necessary evil because they sometimes get damaged beyond repair, their information becomes outdated, or the books go unused and no one else wants them, Kovac said.

When Winter Haven identified a large number of books to be removed from circulation during a maintenance weekend in early December, they first asked the Winter Haven Friends of the Library if they wanted the books.

The group wasn't interested. Then they tried to give the books to an international organization, Better World Books, which takes lightly used books and sells them, donating part of the proceeds back to the city library and to the National Center for Family Literacy.

They also declined the offer.

At that point, the city's policy states the library can throw a book in the trash.

"But just because you are allowed to do it, doesn't mean you should do it," said Debra Ogzewalla, a former commission candidate who lost to Mayor J.P. Powell in the September city election.

Ogzewalla and others say that many of books they removed from the library's dumpster are in good condition and have been donated to non-profit organizations around the county. Some have even been picked up by residents who wanted to take them home.

The group's outrage began when Sheila Leavey, a 30-year Winter Haven resident, heard a rumor that the library was throwing away books.

Leavey and her 17-year-old granddaughter went to investigate, but found the dumpster enclosed in three 8-feet-high walls with an 8-foot padlocked door.

Leavey's granddaughter, Bella Hean, and later, Mark Ogzewalla — Ogzewalla's husband, scaled the wall with a ladder. They flipped open the dumpster lid and discovered a pile of intact books covered with garbage bags from the nearby coffee shop. The dumpster was nearly full.

They were furious.

But the only difference between Winter Haven and other Polk libraries: most other libraries recycle unwanted books. Actually, Winter Haven and the city of Lakeland's policies are nearly identical.

Lakeland also first offers weeded books to the Lakeland Friends of the Library and then to Better World Books, said Lakeland City Librarian Lisa Lilyquist. But when neither organization wants a given book, the library recycles the book, which requires that someone remove the paper from the binding, tossing the paper in a recycling bin and the binding and cover in the trash can.

But now, Winter Haven is implementing additional steps to their policy after the Ogzewallas, Leavey, Winter Haven resident Mary Endline and News Chief freelance columnist Velma Daniels spoke out against the trashing of the books at a commission meeting, Friends of the Library meeting, and a Library Board meeting.

The Library Board recommended that more steps be added, said Brad Dantzler, who is the Library Board chairman. The library is now in the process of implementing those recommendations, first by creating a database of local non-profit organizations and charities to be notified of any books being removed from the library. The library will now send emails to those local organizations when books have been weeded from their shelves.

Jonathan Owen, who is a past president of the Winter Haven Friends of the Library, is the resident librarian at the First Presbyterian Church of Winter Haven, along with his wife Bethany Owen.

The church has already been added to the database and he received an email Friday from Kovac saying books were available for his church to take if they wanted.

If the books don't go to local organizations, the Friends of the Library, or Better World Books, then they will be put on a shelf in the library where anyone will be able to take them for free.

And still if they aren't taken then, they will be discarded, but now recycled, even though it will put a strain on city library resources.

"We are concerned about that because staff is so stretched these days," Kovac said. "But we are going to step up to the plate because it's the right thing to do."



[ Ryan Little can be reached at ryan.little@theledger.com or 863-401-6962. ]
https://www.theledger.com/news/20120120/citizens-concerned-with-dumping-of-historical-books-at-winter-haven-library
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