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JUNE 17, 2008
Library Board response to letter from county staff regarding formation of a library district

Library District - What’s Best for the People of Jefferson County?
Prepared by Jim Moore, Jefferson County administrator, and Ellen Wakeman, Jefferson County acting attorney

The Library Board of Trustees is responding to the following letter from county staff to correct areas of misinformation. Responses from the Jefferson County Library Board of Trustees are listed in red.

Respectfully, Keith Grebe, chair, on behalf of the Library Board of Trustees.

Introduction
The Jefferson County Board of Commissioner’s meeting on June 17 concerning the library system’s request for the formation of a library district is quickly approaching. We thought it would be helpful to the Jefferson County citizens, taxpayers and library users to hear the concerns of the county regarding the library’s proposed separation from the county government and the financial and service implications. The concerns focus primarily on cost and disruption.

Library Response:
The request by the Library Board of Trustees to form a library district in Jefferson County focuses primarily on:

  • Fulfilling the Trustees’ fiduciary and stewardship responsibilities,
  • Changing the way Jefferson County Public Library operates to ensure its financial viability, and Safeguarding the Library’s future for Jefferson County residents.
  • Unlike other county/city departments, Colorado State Statute provides for the formation of separate library districts.
  • County residents continue to use their libraries in ever-increasing numbers and there is every reason to assume this trend will continue. In 2007, residents:
    • Checked out nearly 6 million items – an 86.7 percent increase since 2000.
    • Visited our libraries more than 2.8 million times – a 40 percent increase since 2000.
    • Used our Online Library more than 3 million times – a 354 percent increase since 2000.
    • Attended more than 118,000 free programs – an 87 percent increase since 2000.
  • As a consequence of the significant increase in use of our services, Jefferson County Public Library is in danger of exhausting its available financial resources (see charts 1a and 1b below).
  • From the Trustees’ perspective, the decision to form a library district must be based on: Who is in the better position to manage both the significant increases in use and the changing needs for library services that must and will occur, and What is the better organizational model to facilitate these changes?     –more-


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