There is a little known new law on the books which affects small libraries in particular. Up until now you could go into the Green Lake library and request a book or movie and if the library didn't have it you could go to Ripon and get it. It wasn't much of an issue for anyone.
The new law says the library loaning the materials can now charge for this service. This creates a very big problem for very small libraries. The smaller the library, the fewer materials on hand. Consequently when people use a library not in their county, your local libary gets charged. This takes away resources from your home library. If that library is not in your county(Ripon is in Fond du Lac County for example) that county can now charge your home library for that service. This does not sound like it could be much but it can run up to several thousand dollars a year. (In Madison or the Fox Valley their is an estimate it could run up into $20-30,000/ year). We don't know yet.
The smaller library probably also has a smaller budget. This means people with the fewest resources now have fewer and people who live in more rural areas and probably need access to materials through a long winter have less access because the smaller library will not be able to provide the means to get access to the material from the larger library. This law was created by issues with bigger libraries in the more southern counties(Madison, Milwaukee) who lobbied their state reps who came up with this great idea.
The upshot of this foolish law is that now there is going to be more and more limited access to materials to the smallest libraries with the clients who need the materials the most. Libraries will not be "free and open" any more. They will quickly become very limited in what they can provide to their clients. This law is in the very eary stages but in the long run it will be very destructive to the people and libraries which need them the most.
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3 months ago
24 comments:
How about giving this blog a topic that people are actually interested in, like the school referendum? No one cares about some library problem.
What does everyone think about the proposed Green Lake School referendum?
I'll get the ball rolling - I think it's irresponsible for the School Board to try a $750K referendum that would continue forever. I would vote for it if it raised taxes for a few years and then the board re-evaluated the situation, but to just tax the extra money forever and ever is irresponsible.
People ARE interested in the library problem, it could mean disaster for many small libraries, including the Caestecker.
Obviously, the law needs to be changes as soon as possible. In the meantime, support your local library!
where is the library?....I didn't know we had one
We have a GREAT library,support it!!!
I would rather have a basement full of books in an old building called the Green Lake Library than have a big new building with no books, a bunch of Sex in the city dvd, and a portrait of the great Mr. Chestapeeker. The only way I use the G.L.library is to order books from other libraries. Try spending some money for books. I have purchased better books at the book sale and always wondered why dont they have those books available. Stop sucking up to rich asses.
Libraries are tax-supported institutions. They receive their money, in part, based on circulation statistics. Thus the DVDs, etc.; it is important to have a good selection of the items that draw traffic, in order to fund what it's all about.
Our library is the envy of central Wisconsin. We're very lucky.
One way to get more books is to provide an endowment for book purchase only. Someone did that two years ago, or it was a grant, I forget, and that was how the library could afford all the wonderful serious nonfiction books it bought that year.
I believe a donation to the library is tax deductible.
Anonymous-
Your perception of the library is WAY OFF! If you only use the library to order books from other libraries then how would you know what their movie selection is or if they have good books or not? Have you been to the Princeton, Markesan, Kingston or Montello library? Our library is pretty nice considering the size of our community.
Yes I have been to the Markesan, Princeton, Ripon, Berlin, libraries. I walk in and spend hours there because there is always something interesting. I walk in Mr. Hotshot's library in G.L. and i cant wait to leave. About the only thing to do is read a newspaper. I'm not knocking the people that run the G.L.library I think they are wonderful, but the library should be bursting with books and projects instead of too many movie rentals, internet leeches,posters with the heads of odd balls,and a lot of wasted space.
To anomymous with the attitude problem, I have to say your perception is grossly distorted. The Caestecker Public Library is not owned by Mr. Caestecker, he was simply generous enough to build the building and donate it to the city. (The city of Green Lake owns the library, even though apparently the mayor cannot understand this simple fact.) The book collection is impressive, with new books being added almost daily. The DVD collection is wonderful, with many educational resources as well, and brings many folks into the library on a regular basis. If you are too narrow-minded to enjoy this wonderful resource that is freely offered, then it is your loss.
The GL library is way too quiet for me..
TO: Resident Said...
I agree with you on the school referendum issue... Hats off to Harley Reabe for casting the sole vote agains the motion.
700 k was an option and Bates decided to add an extra 50k Our school has 6 administrators on their administrative team...for around 300 students k-12 What did you run out of money to pay your wages. $20 k for technology upgrades to make the school a WiFi hotspot and to provide laptops to more students...BUll Sh--!! there's enough problems with internet use with the kids, so lets enable them to go online with the new laptops anywhere in the building, who will supervise the usage, 1 of the 6 admin...$10K for the application for the International Baccalaureate WOW, ...$20k for all the electives cut, cut electives taught by LIVE TEACHERS only to have them replaced by Online classes or Distant learning classes, more bull...
The article in the G.L. Reporter dated 09-20-07 lists Bates's examples of "immediate needs" these extra funds COULD ACCOMMODATE. Could being the magic word to worry about. "could" could also mean extra fund for their wages. Blind trust is a very dangerous thing...
VOTE NO ON THE SCHOOL REFERENDUM
Could someone please tell me how much the referendum is going to cost individual taxpayers? The September 20th issues of the GL Reporter and the Ripon Commonwealth had vastly different answers.
Anonymous, the Caestecker library gets new books all the time. The popular new books are often checked out, with people waiting their turn to read them. That is why I put my name on the hold list when a new book that I want to read is purchased by the library. Then I patiently wait my turn. See how easy that works? There is a whole section of new books, and I never have a problem finding something good to read. We are fortunate that the library in Green Lake is able to purchase far more books than other small-town libraries of comparable size.
I do have to agree with you on the topic of "internet leeches". The few times that I have needed to use a computer at the library, there is never one available as the same people have their asses parked in front of the computer screen. What really pisses me off is when the computers are all taken by kids playing games. I don't see why my tax dollars are paying for that. There is no sign-in sheet so I just have to stand there and hope that somebody leaves. I don't have this problem at the other libraries in the area. What ever happened to kids doing their homework after school?
Ok, I stand corrected. Apparently, EVERYBODY is interested in the library system. All you have to do is toss these Green Lake people a mundane topic and they'll still find plenty to rant, rave and complain about.
I agree with anonymous. He probaly wonders why he sees nice books at the book sale but not on the shelves for loan. I agree that I once bought a vhs tape from the sale but it was not available in the library. Why should you have to wait for a good book. They should buy 20 copies of popular books and when the demand is down then sell them at the sale. I dont see why we need all 6 seasons of Get Smart or tv shows that were just done viewing last season. Also I agree that once you allow someone to build a new library and donate to the city you create an obligation to this man and this leads to his control of other properties in the town. No doubt this man used the money he indirectly took from you and me in accumulating his wealth and then he controls who will get the advantages of it.As far as impressive inventory of books what are you drinking.
Oh my goodness. The Caestecker Library "should buy 20 copies of popular books and when the demand is down then sell them at the sale"?? Do you realize how ridiculous of a statement this is? Books at the sale go for a couple of dollars. Brand new books cost up to $40 (and sometimes more). Particularly if they're bought with reinforced binding. This would be a huge waste of money. Absolutely ridiculous. I'm stunned. The city of Green Lake is blessed to have such a great library (which incidentally has plenty of interesting books to read), and all the citizens do is gripe about it. Furthermore, Tom Caestecker has no obligation to supply library funding. He donated the damn building, for goodness' sake! How much do you expect out of the man? He has been so generous throughout the years, and this is what he gets as thanks? You (richard and the anonymous with the stick up his butt) should be ashamed of yourselves. Honestly. Grow up.
Oh, and incidentally, the "posters with the heads of odd balls" that anonymous referred to happen to be pictures of patrons who use the library regularly, if you hadn't noticed. Upon reading that, I think that might have been the most disrespectful, immature comment I've ever had the displeasure to endure.
Richard, your ignorance is showing! You represent what is wrong with the USA, an ungrateful user. Most folks are patient and understanding, willing to wait their turn for a library book than to rush out to a bookstore and buy a book for $20 or $30 or more. I am disgusted by your greedy attitude, Richard. You are truly ungrateful not to appreciate the donation of the library building by Thomas Caestecker, and suggest ulterior motives on his part. Shame on you. Green Lake is truly blessed when it comes to our library!
what a complete bunch of balony. Yoos all should get a life. Yer all squabbling like a bunch of schoolkids....some indian comes along, posts an inane comment that noone cares about, and y'all jump on it 'cos you got nothin better to do with yourselves....get a life, grow up and find something productive to do.
Buncha squabbling wussies...
It's a shame these pages get good topics and comments and them some whackos show their true colors with waste of time postings. Too bad they didn't spend more time in the library; perhaps then their ignorance wouldn't be so evident and the rest of us wouldn’t have to tolerate it.
Chief: You may need to get some moderators to shut some of this nonsense down.
Man, some people here really love the library. Why don't they just marry it already?
Personally, I find the "nonsense" interesting. The vast amount of ignorance out there is fascinating to me.
The vast amount of ignorance in Green Lake is SCARY!!!
This just shows how rude you people of green lake really are. Richard and anonymous are entitled to their opinion. Would you tell this to their face at the coffee shop. You all act like he broke the law. That is why I have always heard how disfunctional green lake is. By the way I heard that the city is suffering from lack of income and wants to grow, but how can it when 40% of the city lots are allowed to dwell as empty lots for the idiot land owners to play with their lawnmowers and keep new families from living in the city limits. Go live in the country if you want to mow grass.
You mean there are BOOKS in the green lake library too?
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