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Selco seeks renewal of county library services agreement; board will review at workshop
Summary
Selco’s executive director asked the Freeborn County Board to renew the five‑year services agreement that funds library services delivered by the Albert Lea Public Library and coordinates regional Selco services; proposed edits include a wording fix and more flexible payment timing. The board agreed to discuss contract amendments at a future workshop.
Chris DeRoz, executive director of Selco, presented the county with a five‑year renewal of the Selco–Freeborn County library services agreement and summarized how the county, the Albert Lea Public Library and Selco collaborate to provide regional library services, catalog sharing and delivery.
DeRoz said the practical model is straightforward: "The county provides the funding. The Albert Lea Public Library delivers the day‑to‑day services and Selco provides supports behind the scenes coordinating the regional services, expanding access to resources, managing the shared catalog, delivery, and many other behind‑the‑scenes services." He requested renewal with two proposed edits: fix a typographical reference to 'libraries' (there is only one Albert Lea Public Library in Freeborn County) and strike a strict quarterly‑payment clause to allow negotiated flexibility for how the county distributes funds over the agreement term.
Commissioners asked whether the county determines the payment amount; Selco replied the state sets a minimum and the county may choose to exceed that minimum. Commissioner Ekstrom requested the contract changes be considered at an upcoming budget workshop; DeRoz and the administrator confirmed the amendments and funding timing could be discussed in that workshop context.
Why it matters: Renewal would continue the county’s participation in a regional library system that expands access to books, digital collections and statewide interlibrary services for county residents. The board did not vote on renewal at this meeting but agreed to consider amendments during budget workshops to avoid service disruption.
