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West Bend library reports donations, warns library remains underfunded
Summary
Library staff reported $6,950 in May donations and urged board advocacy to raise per-capita funding; the director described the library as ‘severely underfunded’ compared with others in the county.
Library staff reported donations and program-focused contributions during the board meeting and reiterated concerns about the library’s long-term funding level.
At the May meeting, staff said the library received eight checks in May totaling $6,950 for programming. Named donors and sponsors listed in the report included Lynch, QuikTrip, Skinny Vicks, Morris Honda, Cornerstone Dental, Delta Defense and Washington County Dairy; the Friends of the Library provided programming donations reported at $4,500. Staff also reported a $400 check for a Mischief and Magic program. In a separate expenditure line, staff recorded about $8,715 for advanced communications services to fix the story-time room’s sound and video.
During the director’s report, the board heard circulation figures and staffing updates: staff reported about 30,000 checkouts the prior month and said they expected higher totals during the summer reading program; cataloging backlogs were noted and additional temporary staff were expected to help check items in.
The director framed the library’s fiscal position bluntly, saying the library was “severely underfunded” compared with other area libraries and urging board members to raise the issue with aldermen, the city administrator and the finance department. The transcript records the director saying staffing, materials and building maintenance have been constrained by current funding.
Board members discussed county capital offset payments used for capital projects; staff said the library receives the funds from the county and then turns them over to the city as part of capital accounting. One staffer said county payments typically arrive semiannually and might appear in July.
Board members discussed fundraising and advocacy steps the board could take, including making a monthly list of partner organizations and asking board members to talk with their aldermen about library funding needs.
The board also discussed using fund balance for patron-facing projects (for example, an automated materials handler) versus using city or county CIP funds for building systems and maintenance.
