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Editor, News-Register:
As the community prepares to vote in the West Virginia Primary Election (on May 10), there are critical questions regarding Ohio County Public Library funding that should be posed to candidates seeking election/reelection to Board of Education open seats.
Past actions of the Ohio County Board of Education (OCBE) resulted in a reduction in the Library's current year operating allocation from $884,547 to $589,698 ($294,849 less). At the time, it was suggested that the OCPL could easily absorb the reduced revenue and there would be little or no negative effect to programs and services.
Proponents of these reductions, by their actions, diminish the value and significance of the Public Library in our community. Perhaps, unwittingly, they advance the notion that libraries are no longer relevant members of society.
In reality, the Ohio County Public Library is a vital, essential player in the continued successes of our community!
The Library is critical to quality of life in our area and a boon to economic development efforts.
Here are 10 Big Reasons The Ohio County Public Library (OCPL) Is an Essential Place
1. The OCPL is Ohio County's best pre-school learning place
2. The OCPL complements Ohio County Schools and is the parent-preferred after-school place for children and teens
3. The OCPL is the place that many people in our community know has all the resources needed for job searches
4. The OCPL is a place to access information in a variety of formats, from print to electronic and everything in between -- both onsite and online
5. The OCPL is a place where community members gather for community meetings, classes, job counseling, multigenerational programing, and so much more
6. The OCPL is the place for adult literacy needs, from getting a GED, to college information, and many other additional programs and resources
7. The OCPL is the place to access e-government services and to receive assistance in navigating the online world
8. The OCPL is the place for equal Internet and information access for anyone in our community
9. The OCPL is the place to get professional help if you want to assess the accuracy and relevance of information you find
10. The OCPL is a place for lifelong learning for everyone, on an equal basis and free of charge (Source: American Library Association)
Make no mistake, there have been, and continue to be, real consequences resulting from the partial defunding of the Public Library by the OCBE. These negative impacts include:
A. Personnel -- Library salaries are meager, at best. In this time of inflation, the operating revenue reductions meant no annual increments for library employees. No raises will affect retention of employees and morale of a talented and dedicated staff
B. Access -- Operating hours have been reduced making the Library physically less available to citizens
C. Programming -- Reductions have occurred in programming activities and services
D. Facility Maintenance and Upkeep -- It has been more difficult to cope with facilities repairs, long-term maintenance issues, and renovations. The Library was burglarized twice this year resulting in damages and other expensive remediations
The list is much longer, but the point is made -- reductions have and continue to hurt the OCPL. The Library has not been able to absorb the reductions with "no effect."
It was posited by the OCBE that the library had a "profit" that would cover any reductions.
The profit in question consists of resources meant to provide a healthy cash flow from year to year and to offset any contingencies.
The OCBE's annual profit is likely 10 times higher than the library's.
One can argue the details, but it's disingenuous for the OCBE to argue the point.
So, when considering who you might wish to elect/re-elect to the Ohio County Board of Education, I would suggest that you ask the following questions of candidates:
1. Do you believe that the OCBE's revenue allocation reductions to the OCPL have negatively impacted the Library?
2. Do you support reinstatement of full revenue allocations by the OCBE to the Public Library in the 2022-23 budget?
3. Do you believe the Ohio County Public Library is an Essential Place in our community?
If so, how?
Are you a public library user?
4. If elected to the Board of Education, would you ever vote to reduce the OCBE's revenue allocation to the Public Library?
The responses to these questions would definitely color/affect my decision on who the next members of the Ohio County Board of Education should be.
Dr. Charles A. Julian, PhD
Wheeling