lbm19621126MUSKEGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD MEETING Monday, November 26, 1962
The monthly meeting of the Muskego Public Library Board was called to order by the chairman, Mrs. Haacke. Present, besides Mrs. Hamcke,
were Mmes. iämier, Leichtfuss, and Pelzman, Messrs. Kreuser, and
Kape1ka.
Mr. Kape1ka moved, æconded by Mr. Kreuser, payment of bills totalling $487.39. Passed.
Reports on the Open House indicate that it was a f ailureo Attendance was very poor. However, the library did obtain some
publicity through the pictures taken by newspaper photographers.
The Book Fair was not very successful ei ther. One of the
reasons is that the discount houses sell these same books for less
money. Books ~n the amount of $164.05 were sold, which gives us a
commission of $16.41.
Mrs. Haacke asked the BOB.rd to consider the question of whether
we should deposit the money for the book fair with the Town Board
and have them write a check to the book company. It we.s decided that inasmuch as this was money independent of the buèget amounts
received from the Town Board, we should handle it directly.
Mrs. Haacke read the 1etter~om the Attorney which states that the action of the Twwn Board in reducing the Library budget is legal.
The legal fee will be paid from tfce monies collected for fines.
The Town Board has indicated that the oral statement concerning
the reduction of the budget is all that the Library Board can exuect. If we wish to di scuss this further we are free to corne to B. Town.
Board meeting.
It w 8S suggested and agreed upon that something might be gained
by going to the Town Board meeting and explaining more about how
the library functions and what are its purposes; how these functions
dem8nd a budget that allows an adquate amount for salaries and
telephone bills, inasmuch as a library is not a static thing. Services
are a vital part of its functioning.
Mrs. Haacke will write a letter to the Town Board expressing the Lib.
Board's views on the proposed budget cut, and attempting to explain
the matter of the I.ibrary's basiE needs.
Discussion followed on what might be the alternatives open to the
Board in handling the matter of the reduced budget, in case the Town
Board insists on maintaining its stand on this reduction. It will be
necessary to cut services down to a bare minimum; the work that would
ordinarily be carried on in the library to keep it up to date would
simply have to be cut our for the remainder of the year.
Mrs. Pelzman asked the question - "Maya non-resilient who owns
property in Muskego be entitled to a library card. The Board agreed
that we should cont inne wi th the present policy of limi ting library
cards to residents of Muskego.
The meeting adjourned at 9:J+5 P..M. Mrs. M. Leichtfuss, Secretéry
November 28, 1962
MI'. IIorton Smith, Chairman
&ttekego Town Board
MJsJtego, Wisconsin
Dear Mr. S'mi tb.
This will acknowledge that. .s. Willi88S basinfomed us that it ls
the intention of the TOII1 Board to give us . choice between reduci.. our
funds by the amount of cash on band at the end of last year, or cutting
the budget by one-twelfth.
We do not believe there 1. a choice. The cash on hand at the close
of last yeaJ', $1490.39, was not actually cash on hand. You were lnfomed
at the time we presented our new budget that these funds were encumbered.
The total enC\lDbrances were 51273.08 for materials ordered, but not pald
for.
The question, then, ls should you reduce our budget by one-twelfth,
as bas been stated and we feel that you should not~ for a ntDber of reasons.
Since our cover lettø outlining the budget was quite clear as to the period
to be covered, we feel quite strongly that any actlon to reduce the money
retJ,lested should have been taken at the time of the request. To pel'lD1t us
to opente fo1' .. Gix-mðnth pel'lod and then decide to cut our funds ls, we
think, very unfair.
The budget, as it was prepared and submitted to you and then the voters
at the l.st annual meetlng, was tibet could be called a "ban bones" budget.
We made every effort possible to keep it thus. There is no cushion anywhere
andtbere never has been 1n any Library budget. A reduction of one-twelfth
is a sizable one and will seriously hamper us.
No budget 1 s expended on the basis of one-twelfth per month,.. as you well
know. Most of tbe money is spent in the first part of the fiscal yearf01"
the Llbrøy' 6 operation. OUI' fumi tureand Equipment was purchased... our
memberships were taken out ... our magaZine and newpeper subscnptions were
taken cere of ... the bulk of our books were ordeJ'ed ..... most of our suppl ies
were ordered. There Isa lapse of tlJne between orde:r1ng and receiVing.
*-ary paylnents are heme:r during the sunmer. The School librarians have
been paid in. full. .. our clerical help works longer hours to get the books on
the shelves, as does the librarians.
M\ere, then, can the library budget be cut? We allowed 510 per month for
the telephone ante $40 per IDOnth for the bôoks we rent from McNaughton. It
costs us $61.00 pel' week to h8W the LtbJ'al'Y open on the days specified.
PM" one IIOfttb this will 8IOUnt to $244.00.
-.at will be the "suIt of this cut? No more books can be pul'Ch8sed.
The foni", language J'eCol"ds that weft to be puJ'Chased will not be ol'dend.
Neoesl8lY supplies not as yet OJ'CIeJ'ed will be cut ... binding of .om boolea
will be all but. eU.II1nated ... no 110" magazines OJ' MIfap8pU'S will be
subsoribed fol'. It 1s possib18 that any renewal ...t may CC88 .. during the
bal..... of the yeu ., have to be bopped. We may be fOJ'Ced to do notbing
more tUn teep the 11b1'azy open and add nothlngf~ the. bel--' of the year.
The ~sU.on he" 81gbt be ..thaI' the librU'Y Is sU'Ying a puJ'POM and
..ether 1t. aeS'V1ces 8ft 1noneslng as t1me goes on. The ans..., of COUI'8e.
Is "yes". The UbJuy la open flve tiaaes a week and is used fi". U.S pel'
.et. At pz'e.ent we have 1980 !'egiS'tend card holdel's. Since the 1.:1.-817
open OYOJ' two y..s ego 35,134 boole. have been ciJ'CU1Øed. Of thi. ""1', 19.440 books have been clJ'CUlated since J......" 1962. th1. figure, alone
indicates the 1ncnased intøest and use of the Libnly. ÐuriJIg the "- the UbI'uy bas been openUng. 7,727 boots have been CUc\llart8d thI'ough the
-I' pnp-. "'en we have used the school UbJ'arie.. Thi...... tb8t
th~ the operat1on of a Ltb1vy 42,961 boots have been ciftUlatect ~
out the t<ItD.
The books CM18d by the Libzvy ... cataloged and on the abel".. ... have
inonased fJroat 1874 in MaJ'ch. 1962 to 2S8O. Tbia figure does not. include the
book, nnted fl'Qll JlcNau9hton. books frona 'the P:ree LlbJ'UY CCl8ld.sdon, 01" boot.
that 8ft not a. yet cataloged. EvelY Libr8IY has books walt1ng 101" pJ'Oce..ing
and the incJ'e888 ln OUJ' holdings should indicate the time involved in getting
th- on the wlves.
A L1bJ'uy C8M0t stand atl1l. New book. and new aemces _at constantly
be added. In our case, this haa been done atead11y, but slowly. Thue ls
ftal1y no I1Dd.t to the 8IDOW1t of IIIOI1eY that. CAN be spent on U.ary ..mes,
but the loud has al_ys been awa:re of the fact that these aeJ'Y1ce. ..at be
paid fOl' and that the taxpayer i. not and cannot be an in exhau,tible SOUJ'Ge.
A UbJ'øy that makes no effon to improve le1'Yic.. and lnore... it, offe1"lnga
1, a UbZ'azy upon which Afft money spent 1s money _sted and is a Libl"øy that
will went.ually be useless and better closed.
The Llb1"aJ'Y Boud _s disappolnted to leam that you had made this ubi-
uazy decision without wuting 01' discussion of any kind with us. We felt
that lna.u:h 8. our cleuly defined budget presentation -. accepted by the
TOM'a Board, you weft in sympathy with 0U1" goals in the Libl'UY.
This letter is sent. to you in the hope that you will understand our posi-
t.ion in the matter and that you will reconsider your action. The Llb1"Dy Board
will be pl'eaent. at YOUl'meeting of December 4th to discuss it further.
Copi.. to.
T08\ Boød L~ loard
Since"ly
~'t1~