Where: Run or Walk the Wauponsee Glacial Trail, starting and ending at the Metra Train Station.

When: Saturday, June 1st, 2013.

Time: Registration is at 9:30 a.m. and the race starts at 10:00 a.m.

Admission is free but donations are certainly appreciated. (All donations will benefit the library’s Summer Reading Program).

Refreshments will be provided at the finish.

Please pre-register online at mpld.org. (Participants will need to check in on race day at 9:30 a.m.).

*Teen Volunteers are also needed to Spray Registrants with Colored Powder.

Call (815) 478-3987 to register or for more info.

Shop at Berkot's on March 22nd or 23rd and a percentage of your purchase will be donated to the Manhattan-Elwood Public Library District. To participate, stop by the library to pick up voucher at the circulation desk.

She is only 5 months old now but when she grows up, she wants to work at the library to help children practice their reading with a cuddly buddy. To be the best puppy she can be, she goes to school every Tuesday at the Petsmart in Mokena and then stops by the library from 1-9 to visit and practice all she has learned with the children in town.

Please help us in letting Benni feel welcome by stopping by and visiting her, she just loves to meet new people!

Illinois public libraries are required to review “The Standards for Illinois Public Libraries,” developed by the Illinois State Library, annually.  The purpose of these standards is to give library trustees the information that they need to make decisions.  Because public libraries are funded by tax revenue, all public libraries are subject to these standards in order for library service throughout the state to meet minimum requirements.  My comments are written in bold following each of the core standards listed below.

Regarding library revenue, the core standard reads as follows: “The board of trustees annually determines if the library’s revenues are sufficient to meet the needs of the community.  If the revenues are not sufficient, the board of trustees will take action to increase the library’s revenues.”  The tax revenue that we receive is for the purpose of operating the library in its present facility, the tax revenue is not sufficient to build a new facility and the present facility falls short of the minimum standard to provide library service to over 13,000 residents.  Therefore, the board of trustees is obligated to take action to increase the library’s revenues.

Regarding the type of library building, the core standard reads as follows:  “The library is located in a facility designed or renovated for library purposes and complies with all applicable local, state and federal codes.”  When built in 1985, the facility did comply with local codes.  Today, it falls short of meeting those requirements.  The building does not have a sprinkler system as required in the present village building code for public buildings.  Although the number of parking spaces did meet the requirements for the building’s size, it falls short of the number of parking spaces required when factoring the number of spaces with our population.  The area that is designated as a tornado shelter is inadequate.

Regarding the types of materials (collections) that a library should have, the core standard reads as follows:  “At least every five years, and more frequently if necessary, the library conducts a review to determine if the library is providing collections and services in a quantity, at a time, and in a manner that meets the needs of the community.”  We add approximately 400 books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs per month, at an average cost of $5,400 per month.  As we have stated in the past, we are almost out of shelf space for new materials.  To help ease the burden, we are going to eliminate two of the three sections of unbarcoded paperback books which will free up space for approximately 400 new adult books. In addition, storing books at Wilson Creek School was supposed to be a temporary solution to ease our current space restrictions. Although we will continue to do so for the time being, it is not a solution to address our space needs for the future.  Within the year, we will be at the point where we will have to put one book in storage for every new book that we purchase.  Having materials in storage is not an efficient use of taxpayer money because the items are inaccessible. 

And finally, regarding the facility itself, the core standard reads as follows:  “At least every ten years, and more frequently if necessary, the board of trustees determines if the physical facility is sufficient to meet the needs of the community.   If the facility does not meet the needs of the community, the board of trustees takes steps to correct the need.”  The board has put several plans before the community in the form of referenda in order to meet this core standard.  Although our support continues to increase, it has still fallen short.  The last two proposals to purchase a portion of the HomeStar Bank in the Manhattan Station strip mall were by far the most economically feasible.  Because the present facility is half the size needed for a community of 13,000 residents and has other issues as listed above, it is the board’s duty, responsibility and obligation to continue to take steps to try to correct the need. 

These are but a few of the general standards that a library must comply with.  I have provided them for your review so that you are aware why the library has doggedly pursued referendum attempts over the past five years and why they are back at the drawing board yet again.

Robert Braam, Vice President
Library Board of Trustees

• We are open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm and on Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.  Approximately 250 people visit the library per day during our daily hours of operation.  Many of them live in Jackson Township, Elwood and rural Manhattan, including Wilton Center.  Because the Library brings people into the village, we strongly believe that this substantially helps the local economy.
• We are a District Library encompassing about two thirds of Jackson Township, including the Village of Elwood which bridges the gap between the two villages.
• The total population of the Library District is 13,166 residents.
• We are always ready, willing and able to help our local businesses with their research needs.
• We have 11 public use computers that are available during all hours of operation.
• We recently received a “Business to Libraries” grant that provided us with a Motorola Tablet Computer and several books that were added to our business resource collection to help aid our local businesses.
• We have had Governors State University programs on starting a business and how to get funding for businesses and will continue to conduct programs that will aid local businesses.
• Our Library Board Vice-President, Robert Braam, is our liaison with the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and regularly attends Chamber of Commerce meetings.