Library hopes to expand to 100,000 volumes

You may have already seen the displays showing what Mountain Home's Public Library could look like if voters approve a $1.5 million construction bond that will more than double the size of the current facility.

The displays are going up all over town to raise awareness of the special bond election on Aug. 3.

For the about the cost of a single hardback book a year ($23.84 or less than $2 per month for the homeowner of a $100,000 residence), the bond could be paid off in 12 years.

The library operates on a budget of about $200,000 a year. That is about three-quarters of its maximum taxing authority of two mills as defined by Idaho Code. The tax rate has held steady for the last five years, taking into account that increases have been made due to a higher assessed valuation for the city.

The library makes use of other funding sources when it can. Grants for adult and juvenile programs are obtained from the Library Services and Technology Act through the Idaho State Library. There also is an active seeking of private donations of materials, monetary contributions and labor. A small amount of annual revenue is received from nonresident library card sales, photocopy fees and fines.

While the bond's impact to the taxpayer is minimal, the impact to the library will be huge.

The new design will add 7,058 sq. feet to the current structure.

With the bond election being the only issue on the Aug. 3 ballot, absentee voting is strongly encouraged. Application forms for absentee elector ballots are available at city hall and at the library for qualified voters. Electors must be registered through Elmore County and must reside within city limits to cast a ballot. Absentee ballots must be received by 5 p.m. Aug. 2 to be counted.

The library presently has 31,500 books in its collection, about one-third of them are part of the juvenile collection. Those numbers do not include audio books and magazines where both the collection and demand are growing rapidly.

Even though the book budget has always been appropriately funded, the library cannot significantly add any more books although the demand for new books continues to grow. The only way new books can be added at this time is by pulling older materials off the shelves to make room for the new arrivals. The staff has guarded the classics for years, but that only makes the addition of new fiction materials a growing concern.

The proposed expansion would allow the library to grow to at least 100,000 volumes, with a similar ratio of juvenile to adult books expected.

The library currently has five public access computer stations. One of them is available in Spanish format and there is a new bilingual staff member available to help with reading, writing and translation of materials.

The computer lab is in solid use throughout the day. Last year the computers were used 8,895 times and there were often waiting lines for access to the machines.

As part of the expansion project the library would have room for up to 20 computer stations but will begin with three dedicated to the juvenile department and six or seven for the adult department.

In addition, for those who "do not compute," the library actually offers a public use electric typewriter that makes filling out forms a whiz.

There are at least 1,200 audio cassettes available for checkout and the library belongs to a consortium that rotates another 50 unabridged tapes into the collection every three months.

In addition to large print books for the visually impaired, the library offers a 'Video Eye' that displays images in enlarged form on a large-screen TV. It can magnify small print in books and other documents, be useful in helping the visually impaired balance their checkbooks or even in helping to remove a stubborn splinter. The machine was donated by the family of Glen L. Craig and has been of benefit to many.

New senior programs and services include a lifetime library card and a traveling book collection being made available at the Mountain Home Senior Center. The library staff also can connect seniors with the Idaho State Talking Book Program and information is available by calling the circulation desk.

The juvenile collection includes many copies of the school district's Accelerated Reader books and a school by school list of those materials is updated regularly. The juvenile circulation continues to grow. Last year's checkout of juvenile materials was 21,035.

Last year's annual summer reading program saw 2,431 books read with 434 reports given in the 24 days of the July event. The library staff reaches about 4,100 youngsters of varying ages throughout the year in story hours, special events, school presentations and outreach programs.

"The library's customer service policy truly reflects Mayor McNeal's priority to make city service accessible to the residents of our community," said librarian Luise House. "The 'Just A.S.K.' policy adopted by the library board and staff in 2002 states: 'As a library staff, our first priority is the people we serve. When coming to the library most patrons have a goal in mind, whether it is to read for pleasure, seek information, study, or simply to find a quiet place to relax. We will encourage both adults and children to read and rely on the wealth of resources that can be found in a library.

"We desire to provide an environment that is safe and harassment-free. Our atmosphere will be inviting and friendly and those entering our doors will receive prompt, efficient, and accurate service. We will not let our personal viewpoints interfere with the delivery of library services and programs. We value teamwork and cooperation in seeking to fulfill the needs of our patrons. Every patron is important."

That theme will carry forward into a new facility if passed by the voters in the upcoming August election, House said.