March 14th Meeting Minutes

March 14th Recording:

This level would provide the Library with needed funds for 10 years, through 2034. As part of this levy lid lift, the library commits to refraining from seeking a new lift until 2035.

The Library board considered various budget projections with varying annual percentage increases to account for inflation. They determined how long resulting reserves would last in each budget at varying levy rates, and how high the reserve levels would go. The goal was to select a budget at a levy rate that would yield the required funding to sustain Library services, but not take in more funding than was needed.  An increase  from the current levy rate of 25.39 cents per $1,000 to 41 cents  was determined to be the most reasonable scenario to fund a medium budget with adequate but not excessive funding.

The type of levy lid lift being sought is a single-year permanent levy.  The levy rate would be permanently reset to the new levy rate in the first year, bringing in extra revenue to bank as reserves to draw down in the following years.  For the next nine years, the amount levied would increase by only 1% over the previous year’s levy, reverting to the 1% levy cap.

The State limits levy rates for libraries to 50 cents per $1,000.  In seeking 41 cents, the Library is asking only for what it needs to maintain and moderately improve current library services.

Community members enjoy having a library that provides community gathering spaces, an outstanding collection that provides education and entertainment, programming and cultural experiences, professional development, individual learning, internet access, small business and organization meeting space, and more. For some community members on tight budgets, the Library is the sole way to access these resources. Although the levy lid lift represents a small financial cost to community members, the provided resources and cultural space heartily repay the investment for the community.

Communities share their culture and grow their communities in their local library. Here is a short list of some of the highlights from the last few years in the Library:

• The Library has expanded what can be borrowed. A high quality collection of books will always be a priority, but we also have extensive collections of movies, audiobooks, games, puzzles, equipment, magazines, and more.
• We continue to expand our book collections to engage with different community groups. A few examples: A growing Spanish language collection for those who prefer to read in Spanish, graphic novel collections for adults, teens, and youth who want to engage with pictorial storytelling, and Wonderbooks, which pair a traditional book with an electronic device that can read the book to you, assisting in reading and learning.
• Our Library of Things includes many kinds of equipment freely available for checkout.
  • Aids for Better Living–devices to help those with varying abilities navigate their lives more easily, such as Enchroma sunglasses for those who are red-green colorblind, or tools to help those unable to grip kitchen items securely
  • Discover Passes for state parks
  • Birdwatching Kits
  • A telescope
  • Event equipment for residents needing technology support for holding meetings or events outside of the Library
• The Library has also worked to keep up with the rapid pace of technology. Computers and printing continue to be available, and equipment such as laptops, hotspots, projectors, and many other devices are available for checkout. We also offer free technology assistance for those needing help with their own devices.
• A meeting room with equipment to provide hybrid in-person and zoom meetings.
• The collection of databases continues to be enriched, and includes access to free ebooks, e-audiobooks, movies, articles, newspapers, magazines, educational classes, and more for the community.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Library innovated to provide library services in a safe manner for the community and for staff. This included improving our air filtration system, drive-through window service, curbside pickup, and boosting and expanding the hours for our wifi signal outside the Library.
• Programs have expanded to include new programming such as streaming programs from Seattle Arts and Lectures, films from the Friday Harbor Film Festival, After School Art Bars, Upper Elementary Book Club, Storywalk installations, and more.
• Established a Teen Library Council, giving community teens leadership opportunities in the Library.
• Expanded 3D printing services allowing the public to bring in designs and print them on the Library’s 3D printer.
• Expanded outreach services, including regular visits to the New Day Cafe and the Village at the Harbor.
• A new online events calendar with patron self-registration for programs and meeting room space, and improved tracking & navigation.
• Celebrated 100 years of libraries on San Juan Island.
• Mini art shows that showcase the spectacular artistic talent on the island.
• Multiple high quality youth programs, many focused on improving early literacy, in partnership with local and national organizations, including the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, PrimeTime Family Reading, community storywalks, and many more.
• A new, easy-to-access library card for those in unstable housing situations.
• Expanded author talks from national celebrities like Barbara Kingsolver and David Brooks
• Improved equipment and crafting supplies in support of the island community’s vibrant creative spirit.

Youth Services at the Library provides many resources and services for our youth. These include:

• Fantastic collections of books based on all reading levels, complete from babies to first readers, all the way up to high school levels.
• Collections of media and other materials to support literacy, including age-specific movie collections, and books with electronic components that can read to your child on their journey to literacy.
• High quality youth programs, many focused on improving early literacy–the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, PrimeTime Family Reading, Reading with Rover, interactive storytimes for toddlers and preschoolers, and many, many more.
• Age-specific spaces for children and teenagers where they can play, read, use computers and other technology, and interact with their peers.

The feedback from the capital bond vote, community meetings, and overall community response was clear–there is a strong interest in a new library building, but a $12 million capital bond was too high and lacked sufficient community input. In response, the Library is currently seeking private fundraising, and will continue to seek community input on the building project after the levy lid lift.

The community’s feedback about the original Library capital bond was loud and clear: $12 million was too high. The Library has pivoted its fundraising strategy, and will bring down the bond target significantly. The new goal is to fund a minimum of 60% of the project from donations, grants, and major gifts–approximately $12 million. $2 million has already been awarded by the Washington Department of Commerce. A future library capital bond will seek approximately 40% of the funding–around $8 million or less, depending on private donations and lower cost estimates.

It would be more cost effective and a better use of taxpayer money to build a new library that is more cost efficient, as the current library is increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain, and is limited in size in serving community needs. In addition, the Library Board is open to investigating whether part of the new building’s property could be used for affordable housing, which could also help with an additional important community need.

Selling the property presents an unclear return on investment. Even in scenarios in which the Library did sell the Spring Street property, the bond used to purchase the property would have to be repaid. This repayment means that the majority of the money from the sale would not go to current Library operations. The Library would still need to ask for a levy lid lift soon.

With its ideal location and the rising cost of real estate, selling the property would make the path to a new library much more difficult. Current library building maintenance is increasingly expensive, and the cost to purchase a different property would likely be more expensive in future markets. Therefore, keeping the Spring Street property represents the most effective use of taxpayer money.

Long term costs for maintenance of the current facility will only increase over time, and eventually code-related changes will force renovations onto a facility that is no longer appropriately sized for our community. The population has increased by 50% since the last Library renovation in 2004, twenty years ago.

Costs to renovate the existing facility would, per square foot, be higher than would likely be palatable and would wed the Library to the current building limits, as the current site is already not compliant with fire code.

In full, refraining from selling the Spring Street property and receiving operational funding from the levy lid lift allows the Library to continue pursuing a new building in the least expensive circumstances.