Wallowa County Chieftain
News
wallowa.com
March 28, 2018
A5
Library financial history one of struggles
Measure 32-41
would create a
funding district
MEASURE 32-41
Permanent Tax Rate for Library District
Shall District be
authorized to impose
$0.65 per $1,000 assessed
value as a permanent rate
beginning July 1, 2018?
By Kathleen Ellyn
Wallowa County Chieftain
Proponents of the Wallowa
County Library District pro-
posal on the May ballot will be
making house calls in the com-
ing weeks, going door-to-door
to explain the benefits of the
district to their neighbors.
This is not the first time that
library proponents have door-
knocked. Women in Joseph
were the first, asking for book
donations, when that library
was established.
Nor is it the first time the
idea of interconnecting Wal-
lowa County libraries has been
floated.
Kay Sawin, member of the
Joseph City Library Board,
recalls the time when there was
no county library, and Caryl
Coppin of Joseph, Jo Shell of
Wallowa, Edith Clark of Los-
tine, Carol Wulff of Flora, Cleo
Conrad of Imnaha, Rowena
Adey of Enterprise and Callie
Pifher of Troy formed a group
to advocate for one.
They were concerned
because there were so many
residents in the county who
had no library service; librar-
ies served around 4,000 of the
7,000 people in the county.
The idea at the time was dif-
ferent from the current Library
District proposal, which will
absorb 65 cents per $1,000
of assessed property value to
preserve and expand services
county-wide.
In the ‘60s, the idea was to
The exciting thing
about libraries is
that they don’t stay
the same. They
have to change to
meet needs.”
— Kay Sawin
Joseph City Library Board
have a “service library” that
supported city libraries and
established outlying library
“stations.”
Although response in the
various towns was sometimes
negative, the vote from outly-
ing areas carried the day on a
ballot measure and a county
“service library” was approved
by vote in May 1964.
As a service library the
county library wrote grants,
sought donations of books,
worked with the Northeast
Oregon Library Association
to secure group discounts on
books, and expanded their ser-
vices to Troy, Flora, Lostine
If approved, this measure
would form the Wallowa
County Library District as
an independent, public
County library service
district with a permanent
rate dedicated to library
services, programs, and
materials, effective July
1, 2018. The district
would have the powers
granted to library
districts and public
libraries under state and
and Imnaha, Sawin recalled.
Because city residents also
pay county general fund prop-
erty tax, the library also served
Joseph and Enterprise by pro-
viding service and support.
Once a month the county
librarian would pack big bags
of books and take new or pre-
viously uncirculated books to
the outlying libraries on tem-
porary loan. The libraries
would take the county books
that had been in their libraries
the longest and pack them up
for the county library to recir-
culate to other libraries.
Over the next 15-20 years
the county library grew to have
two full-time employees and
dozens of services.
Children’s services were
often a focus. By the ’80s, librar-
ies had reel-to-reel projectors,
local laws. An elected
five-member, at-large,
District Board would
serve as the governing
board of the district
to provide oversight
and accountability. The
permanent and dedicated
funding source for library
services would be up to
$0.65 per $1,000 assessed
value. The Library District
will include all of Wallowa
County except the city of
Lostine.
Formation of a Library
District would do the
following:
and Laurel and Hardy movies
were played to mobs of children
covering the entire floor of the
libraries, Sawin recalled.
The traditional view of
the librarian behind the desk
checking out books was never
the model for Wallowa County,
she said.
“The exciting thing about
libraries is that they don’t stay
the same,” Sawin said. “They
have to change to meet needs.”
The first real financial cri-
sis for the county library came
in 1987. Although a levy was
rejected, commissioners found
a way to preserve the county
library by cutting staff to a sin-
gle librarian on half-time hours
until funds became available
again.
The biggest change in how
the library operated, however,
• Increase library service
hour;
• Retain books, summer
reading, student and
jobseekers support
services, and outreach
to children and senior
citizens;
• Provide a permanent
and dedicated funding
source for library services;
up to $0.65 per $1,000
assessed value
In the first year of
imposition, the proposed
rate would raise
approximately $490,313.
came with the arrival of the
Internet, which required librar-
ians across the county to dra-
matically expand their already
multi-skill repertoire, Sawin
said.
Soon all of the libraries
were interconnected across the
state through the SageCat sys-
tem, and patrons could order
any book available in the state.
That swelling of media and
services made the grant-writ-
ing services of the county
library even more important
and created the county library
that has existed until now.
Giving people those extra
services is necessary, Sawin
said, but providing old-fash-
ioned reading material is
critical.
“Reading makes such a dif-
ference to a child’s future,”
Sawin said. “Reading to a
child also makes a difference.
One of the dangers of lim-
ited reading is a narrowing
of ideas. You really need the
broad exposure that a library
can provide; the ability to hear
the other side of the story.”
The narrowing of exposure
to ideas can lead to an inabil-
ity to understand the nuances
and contexts of events, Sawin
said.
Information gathered from
the Internet often does not
provide the broad exposure
that books provide; much of
the information presented
online is a single-focus snip-
pet, she noted. This is why
all freshmen in college are
required to take a course in
critical thinking and identify-
ing valid information online.
It is also one of the reasons
why college students are given
booklists and required to find
“original sources” rather than
depend upon online research.
“A library provides that
breadth (of information) that
no family can afford to pro-
vide for their child,” Sawin
said. “You become so vulnera-
ble when you do not have this
education.”
In 2017 County Commis-
sioners announced that there
were no funds to continue the
county library. And, again, a
group of citizens came for-
ward to place a financing solu-
tion on the ballot.
Sawin hopes that residents
will vote “yes” for libraries
again, as they did in 1964.
“A no vote on our current
library district bid means we
are choosing which people are
allowed to have access,” she
said.
Hobbs, Hunter, Slinker read for final Fishtrap Fireside of the season
Hobbs
Slinker
Hunter
The final Fishtrap Fire-
side of the season will be 7
p.m. April 6 at Fishtrap, 400 E.
Grant St., Enterprise.
The fifth season of Fishtrap
Fireside wraps up with a gen-
erational mashup of featured
readers including humorist and
children’s author Kathy Hunter,
poet Nathan Slinker and recent
high school graduate Sebastian
Hobbs. Sessions are free, and
light refreshments are served.
An open mic follows where
the audience can come to the
podium and take a turn.
An award-winning journal-
ist, Hunter spent 23 years in
Alaska writing for newspapers
and magazines, editing Alaska
Today magazine, teaching and
writing life stories. She has two
self-published books and four
CDs.
Hobbs has been writing
poetry and short essays for the
past decade. He grew up on his
family’s farm in Lostine where
he spends his time nose- deep
in books, tinkering with cam-
If you need surgery, you’re in good hands with
Dr. Ken Rose & his Surgical Team
• Dr. Rose earned his medical degree at
Loma Linda University
eras and computers and explor-
ing new ideas for his writing.
Hobbs has been participat-
ing in Fishtrap workshops and
classes since 2008 when he first
attended Summer Fishtrap.
After
Slinker has participated
in many Fishtrap workshops
and events, and in 2013 was
selected as a Summer Fish-
trap Fellow. In 2014 he
received a master of fine arts
44
degree from Arizona State
University, where he taught
poetry and English compo-
sition courses. His poetry
has been published in many
national journals.
years
Jim Pace is
RETIRING
• American College of Surgeons Fellow
for excellence in his profession
• Supported by a team of certified
surgical nurses, skilled CRNA’s & state-
of-the-art equipment
• Services include advanced laparoscopic
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Ask your physician for a referral today, or call Dr. Rose’s office
for a consultation at 541.426.7900
We treat you like family
601 Medical Parkway, Enterprise, OR 97828 • 541-426-3111 • www.wchcd.org
Wallowa Memorial Hospital is an equal opportunity provider and employer
The 6th generation
is supporting me!
I hope you will!
I’ve worked for the Wallowa County Commissioners,
served as the Planning Director, led Wallowa
Resources, managed my own cattle herd, been
recruited as the founding Vice President of the U.S.
Endowment for Forestry and Communities, and
Chief Program Officer for the Sonoran Institute.
I’ve served on the Wallowa County Natural Resources
Advisory Committee, Economic Development Council,
Workforce Board, Joseph School District Budget
Committee, Rotary Club Board of Directors, as well
as the Oregon State Board of Forestry, Oregon
Watershed Enhancement Board, and the Communities
Committee of the 7th American Forest Congress.
I’ve been recognized as Wallowa County’s Civic
Leader of the Year, one of Oregon Business Magazine’s
50 Leaders for Oregon, the High Desert Museum
Community Leadership Award, and been a National
Finalist in the Ford Foundation’s Leadership for a
Changing World.
I’ve given back to our community....volunteering,
supporting and contributing to most of the efforts
that make this community even better!
I’m qualified, prepared, and ready to serve our
beautiful Wallowa County. Please cast your vote
for me on May 15th.
Paid for by the Committee to Elect Diane Daggett
Stop by and thank Jim
for his years of service.
Cake will be served from
1:00-3:00pm March 29th
Hurricane Creek Road
Enterprise, Oregon
541-426-3116