Library received $250,000 in aid this year

By Gail Peckler-Dziki
Correspondent

In April 2016, the Kenosha County Library System Board sent letters to the heads of the five municipalities that make up the Community Library.

The letter explained the benefits the Community Library receives as part of system, benefits that would end if the participating municipalities couldn’t make an agreement that followed state statutes.

In 2016, Community Library received more than $250,000 in direct aid from state and county sources. Those monies paid for the online library catalog, Internet service to both locations, delivery service between the Salem branch and the Kenosha Public library southwest branch, staff and equipment to manage digital services and items used by patrons.

This is money that Community Library does not otherwise have.

The April 15 letter warned that the Department of Public Instruction has authority to withhold the funds for the entire county library system, crippling both the Kenosha County Public Library and Community Library.

If those funds are withheld, the Kenosha Public Library would be forced to join the Lakeshores Library system and Community Library would be out in the cold until the joint agreement complied with state statues.

Kenosha County Library System Director Barb Bratton explained the current budgeting process for 2017 to Community Library Director LeeAnn Briese in an emailed dated Aug.3.

“Steve Ohs (from the Lakeshore system) and I are preparing a hypothetical budget that brings KPL into the LLS fold. It is undoubtedly more expensive for our county to support. If we don’t have an agreement in another week, I will present that budget scenario to (Kenosha County Executive Jim) Kreuser to show the impact on his budget and once again help him understand how vital Community Library is to the western portion of our county.”

No municipal heads have responded to The Report’s request for comment as of press date.


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