Applegater Spring 2014
15
— Applegate Library —
Libraries for all: Jackson County votes
by CyNTHIA CHENEy
After years of uncertainty, Jackson
County voters finally have the chance to
guarantee permanent, secure funding for
libraries. If voters approve a measure on
the ballot in May, we will have our own
special tax district to fund libraries. The
district will be managed by its own elected
board of unpaid directors, whose only
business is the well-being of the libraries. It
will be completely independent of county
government.
Library funding history
Prior to 1998, Jackson County voters
approved a series of “library levies” enabling
the county to fund library services. When
Oregon voters passed Measures 47 (1997)
and 50 (1998), levies were rolled into
the county’s general fund. Since then the
libraries have been just one department
among the many that compete for funding
from the county budget.
Beginning in 2000, safety-net
funding from the federal government
helped to replace lost county income
from timber harvest revenue sharing,
but that program ended in 2006. Many
of you will remember when the county
shut down all the libraries for six months
in 2007 when those “timber payments”
ended. Temporary extensions of the federal
payments combined with major reductions
in hours and services allowed the libraries
to reopen late that year.
Last spring, sharp reductions in the
county budget required the library to scale
back materials purchases by 19 percent.
Since then the county has experienced
lower-than-expected expenses and higher-
than-expected revenues, so additional,
anticipated service cutbacks in the second
half of fiscal 2013-14 have been avoided.
Plan for a stable future
Unpredictable funding disrupts the
library’s ability to deliver the services and
benefits you and your neighbors need
and expect. The proposed library district
will get the libraries off the funding roller
coaster for good. Thirteen Oregon counties
already have county-wide library districts
established by their voters. Likewise, there
are 13 smaller districts in other counties.
At a January 30 community meeting
at the Ruch Library, County Commissioner
John Rachor voiced his support for
the Jackson County library district,
emphasizing the benefits of no longer
having to compete with other departments
for county dollars, while placing decision-
making in the hands of an independent
board. Gayle Lewis stepped forward to lead
the information and support effort in the
Applegate/Ruch/Jacksonville area.
To learn more or to volunteer,
contact Gayle or your Friends of the
Library group: Gayle Lewis—gayleyrn@
hotmail.com or 541-899-7023; Friends
of Applegate Library—Joan Peterson,
joanpete5317@gmail.com or 541-846-
6988; Friends of Ruch Library—Gerrie
Leinfelder, gugg4or@gmail.com; Friends
of Jacksonville Library—Joan Avery,
mailavery@charter.net.
Cynthia Cheney
akanha@me.com
Williams Library :
Providing valuable
resources here and now
Technology services
The Internet has given us the ability
to learn and connect like never before.
Technology is a large part of what our
libraries provide. Many of the people using
our services are utilizing public-access
computers, printers and Wi-Fi provided by
Josephine Community Libraries. The value
of libraries today is not replaced by, but is
in fact enhanced by technology.
For rural communities like Williams,
our technology services are vital to those
who might otherwise be left behind in
this digital age. Drive by any day of the
week and you will see folks parked outside
the library using the Wi-Fi (donated by
Hunter Communications). When the
library opens, people come in and print
documents, check emails and social media,
conduct research for school papers, and
look for jobs online.
Newly completed wiring will allow
us to soon provide more public-access
computers. Wi-Fi service inside and
outside the library will now be even faster
and more reliable. Williams Library is open
in the here-and-now and has a free-to-the-
public, community-sponsored, high-speed
Internet hot spot!
We need a library district
Like the main branch in Grants Pass,
demand for our services has grown since
the county closed its libraries several years
ago. Now run as a nonprofit, Josephine
Community Libraries is a valuable part of
the community in many ways. Patrons in
Williams can request any book, audiotape,
or DVD from any of the four branches.
Volunteer couriers take the materials from
branch to branch each week. Our libraries
are available for group meetings, offer
children’s programs, and work with schools
and adult educators to promote literacy.
Checking out library materials could
easily save you hundreds of dollars per year!
Although getting your library card is free,
The Friends of the Applegate Library
(FOAL) held a board meeting on January
14 to discuss the upcoming ballot measure
to approve the formation of a library
district. Every city in the county voted for
inclusion in the district and it is now up
to us to persuade voters to support this
important effort. Carol Hoon was able
to obtain some bumper stickers from the
Talent Library, which we will purchase
through a printing company and hand
out to our library patrons so we can all be
involved in promoting the sustainability
of our libraries.
Becoming a district means that our
libraries will move out from under the
governance of the county and will enjoy
the stability of a permanent tax base and
leadership of a separately elected board
whose sole purpose is to guide our libraries.
The proposed district funding offers hope
for expanded services at each library. If the
ballot passes it could raise as much as $9
million for the libraries.
Carol Hoon reported on the success
of our hat sale.  We were able to raise $620
from the sale of our hand-knitted hats, and
we are grateful to Carol for organizing this
event and keeping it going throughout the
holidays.  We also raised $198 from our
annual book sale, despite the fire that had
destroyed all of the books we had stored
in our storage area.
FOAL gave a program on February
16 in the meeting room of the Applegate
Library. Gay Bradshaw shared her work
on rescuing desert tortoises.   She is
establishing a tortoise rehabilitation center
through The Kerulos Center on Beaver
Creek in the Upper Applegate.  
For more information, call Joan
Peterson at 541-846-6988.
— Ruch Library —
Thank you, Applegate Valley families
and children, for your generous donations
to our Lego collection, which is now very
impressive. We will be having a Lego Fun
event the first Saturday of every month
for children four years and older from 1
to 3:30 pm. Adults also are encouraged to
attend. Embrace your love of Legos! Lego
time is offered after school on Tuesdays and
Thursdays at 3:45 pm.
Something new at Ruch Library: 
Older children can listen to a book being
read aloud while younger siblings are at
Preschool Story Time. All children ages
six and up are welcome to attend. Both
activities will be on Tuesdays at 11:30 am.
Oregon Reads 2014 is a statewide
program featuring the works of the late
Oregon and National Poet Laureate
William Stafford. Ruch Library will
we constantly rely on volunteers, donations,
and grants to operate. This model is simply
not sustainable into the future. We need
the opportunities provided by a growing
economy. Quality public libraries are at
the heart of a sustainable economic future.
A place where people can meet and share
ideas, seek knowledge, and educate their
children is a necessity for our community.
Upcoming events
We are having two yard sales this
year to raise funds for Williams Adopt-an-
Hour. Last July the community matched
a generous donation by Herb Pharm to
extend open hours from 9 to 12 hours
per week. Save your household items for
donation. The first sale will be Saturday,
April 19, at the Williams Grange. Music,
food, and activities for the kids included.
To join Friends of the Library,
volunteer, or share your skills with local
children, please stop by. The library is open
Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday from
1 to 5 pm; Stories and Crafts is held on
Saturdays at 2 pm. Wi-Fi is available 24/7.
Danielle Schreck • 541-846-7020
Manager, Williams Branch Library
dschreck@josephinelibrary.org
be celebrating his life and works in
April, which is Poetry Month. Check the
Applegater’s Facebook page and online
calendar (www.applegater.org) for specific
events.
The A-Frame Bookstore, operated by
the Friends of Ruch Library, is open from
12 to 4 pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays,
and from 1 to 5 pm on Thursdays.  It is
now brimming with new titles, including
many pristine copies that make great gifts.
Don’t forget that your library card is
your ticket to a variety of databases offered
through www.jcls.org. You can research
medical information, learn languages, fix
your car and much more!
We hope to see you soon at the
library. For more information, contact
Thalia Truesdell, branch manager, at 541-
899-7438 or ttruesdell@jcls.org.
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