Jul 18, 2020 Potential Library Expansion
Library Service for Worth & Perry Townships
Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library’s defining goals include removing barriers to Library service and positioning the Library as a role model of growth and inclusion in our community. Our mission is service, and we are committed to reaching beyond the traditional walls of the Library to provide library service that connects and inspires our communities.
Currently, residents of Worth and Perry Townships are not in a public library service district and must pay a fee to use a library, as directed by state statute. We are consistently contacted by residents of these townships about obtaining library access and we have provided more library cards to their residents than any other Boone County library over the past five years. For the past several years we have been looking into the possibility of expanding our services into these unserved areas. During this time, we have made efforts to move forward in a responsible manner, including creating a committee to carefully evaluate and understand both the positives and negatives of expansion. We also have performed a thorough cost analysis and legal review on the possibilities. Overall, we feel that extending our service area is a positive step that will allow us to link more people to services than ever before and create a continuity of service for all residents in Whitestown and Zionsville. We also believe that any steps to move forward with this expansion should be done in a thoughtful and deliberate manner, with input and support from the community.
This past week, we were granted the opportunity to submit an expansion proposal to the Worth Township Advisory Board. The proposal included service expansion and the construction of a new branch of HMMPL in Worth Township. Our Executive Director presented a well-prepared, thought-out presentation that would provide the extension of service and a full-service branch for residents of both Worth and Perry townships for a cost of approximately $0.05 per $100 of assessed value.
Additionally, we noted we were prepared to immediately install a holds locker and a book drop in Worth township, and could have a bookmobile on the road by the winter to serve the broader community. A copy of our full proposal can be found on our website.
The HMMPL branch in Worth Township will also be accessible to residents in our current library service district, many of whom might find it more convenient than our existing location. Adding a branch will add an additional location with added space for public use, including meeting rooms and study rooms. It will also include more capacity for programming and services. The tax rate increase to our current service district will be less than 2 cents, approximately $0.0192 per $100 of assessed value. For a view of the actual impact on individual taxpayers, please review page 11 of our proposal.
In these unprecedented times, we feel it is more important than ever to be mindful of taxpayer dollars. That’s why our plan also allows for flexibility in both timing and design. We are eager to extend our services to unserved residents, but we also want to make sure the timing is right. Our commitment is to meeting the needs of the community and to ensure this, we would like to hear from you.
If you live in Worth Township, we encourage you to contact the Worth Township Trustee, Jim Baldwin, trustee@worthtownship.org, to express your desire for HMMPL service before the meeting.
A copy of our full proposal can be found on our website and any questions about the proposal can be sent to: askalib@zionsvillelibrary.org.
The Worth Township Advisory Board will meet to vote on whether to move forward with one of these proposals next Tuesday, July 21 at 6:30 PM at Whitestown Lions Park, 107 Main Street in Whitestown.
We encourage anyone who is interested to attend.