Governor Daniels and leaders of the Indiana legislature have announced that the 2009 session will focus on the Local Government Reform report released one year ago. While there are many provisions of the Kernan-Shepherd Report that will be debated in the upcoming months, I want to focus on just one: the proposed consolidation of libraries.State library statistics show that, generally speaking, public libraries of all sizes spend similar amounts per capita. If countywide library consolidation was the answer to improving efficiency, you would expect to see much lower per capita costs in urban areas, which essentially already have consolidated library systems. Since you do not see those cost saving now, consolidation would not create them either.
Therefore, savings can only occur after the proposed consolidation when the governing body of the new system decides to cut costs by eliminating libraries in smaller towns. That will certainly save money, but it will not be good for Indiana, and will be particularly hard on our children. Those of us who live in small towns and use our libraries extensively know how popular they are among children and young adults who can walk or ride bicycles to the library. A large library in the county seat will not substitute for that, and neither will bookmobiles. Only actual physical facilities can provide the learning environment so popular in North Webster and other towns throughout Kosciusko County.
Recent statistics also show that excess spending on libraries is not the problem. In fact, we receive more than $2 of economic benefit for every dollar we spend on our libraries. As opposed to spending money on institutions and operations that do not provide economic growth within the state (prison anyone?), it makes sense for us to spend more of the limited resources that government has on those services that are widely used, supportive of children and provide the potential for economic growth. While we are still looking for our first dime of extra economic development from statewide daylight-saving time, we can look at our own communities every day and see the intellectual advancement and opportunities provided by our library systems.
Please contact your legislators and encourage them to leave our libraries alone. The provisions of the Kernan-Shepherd Report, written entirely by persons with large city backgrounds, would be devastating to most communities in Indiana. We have had our license branches closed, our roads sold and our sales taxes increased. The place to draw the line in the sand is here, in front of your local library.
