Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The circulation department of Warsaw Community Public Library was 55,321 items away from certain glory as of the end of November.
If that number of books, CDs, toys, etc., are checked out by the end of December, the library will have lent more than half a million items in 2001, another record in the library's history.
Another record of a sorts was set when the reference desk answered 9,177 questions, compared to 7,662 in 2000.
These reports were heard during the library board's regular meeting Monday.
The first item of business was opening bids for renovation in administrative offices with the award going to D and C Construction in the amount of $9,855, as recommended by facilities manager Rick Ellsworth.
The other bid was from Milestone Construction for $11,600.
During her director's report, Ann Zydek said Environmental Creek Run LLC wishes to install three monitoring wells on the library's property: on the lawn area against the southeast corner of the building nearest Detroit Street; in the lawn area near the sidewalk across from the Shell gas station; and on the southeast sidewalk corner near the library sign.
The wells will check for contaminants from the Shell station. The company has received state and city approval to install an air distribution system in the right of way between the sidewalk and Center Street to add air into the soil to clean the contamination from the Shell station.
The board approved placement of the monitoring wells.
The board heard that the late Thomas J. LeHew, former owner of Bodkin Abstract Co., established the Louise LeHew Endowment Fund to provide funding to the library and to the City-County Athletic Complex.
This fund is in memory of his sister, Louise LeHew, who was a physical education teacher at Warsaw and Frankfort high schools.
Again, the board discussed installation of an Internet filtering system. The filters would block access to objectionable Internet sites. The library and libraries across the country must comply with this federal mandate by July 1 or be cut from certain federal funding.
Assistant director Joni Brookins said, again, no filtering system is perfect and the Smart Access Management program may have a filter system of its own.
Zydek said the youth project for the year, a "mitten tree," sponsored by a 4-H'er, collected more than 60 items, which were then donated to the Salvation Army.
In other business the board:
• Approved a resolution to present each employee with a bonus of an extra week's pay.
• Signed the U.S. patriotism Act. a resolution to assist in any anti-terrorism investigation.
• Approved the position of network manager.
Board members are Mark Morrison, who presided, Larry Chamberlain, Ruth Jones, Carolyn Nye, John Yingling, Anthony Etienne and Joel Curry.
