By CARRIE STAMBAUGH - The Independent
ASHLAND — The Boyd County Public Library’s annual report shows taxpayers are getting a good return on their investment, library officials say.
It also notes that the system is in good shape financially and that the library is well prepared to pursue future technology and expansion plans.
BCPL Board of Trustees President Michael W. Campbell said the library’s financial stability is the result of more than a decade of ongoing work by consecutive boards and staff members, who realized the need to “prioritize” and “tighten budgets” to better serve taxpayers.
Campbell said when he first joined the board in the 1990s, the library routinely ran out of money before tax dollars began flowing in each year. The shortfall forced the agency to borrow money, which had to be repaid with interest later.
That is no longer the case, according to Campbell and the library’s recently published annual report.
According to the report, the agency took in $2,984,500 in tax revenue during the 2008-09 fiscal year. Combined with a carryover fund balance of $3,848,387 from the prior year, along with other revenue sources, the library reports it has approximately $7.1 million in available funds.
Campbell also points out that the library has not asked for a tax increase in several years.
The annual report also includes an estimate of the monetary value of each services the library provides to citizens. The report is based on a model provided by state library and archives officials.
According to the report, the library provided an estimated $6.4 million in services to patrons during the 2008-09 fiscal year but collected only $3.5 in library taxes during that time. Each taxpayer saw a $132.75 return on his or her investment, the report estimates.
Campbell said although the report helps library officials see what services are most used and where the trends may be, it does not fully capture the value of services provided.
Many, he said, are intangible. How can you measure the worth of providing an audio book to a patron who cannot see well? he asked.
Among the long-term issues facing the system is whether the main branch in Ashland’s Central Park near the corner of 17th Street and Central Avenue can be expanded or if a new location needs to be found.
Campbell said library trustees hope to develop a long-range plan for that facility this year. “Whatever it is it will be done with input from the public for sure,” he said.
“We want to be good stewards of the Boyd County Library System. We welcome input. If people have ideas on how we can improve things, please, please, please take the time to jot down a comment for the library staff. They are taken seriously. The staff does react to comments from the public,” Campbell said.
Library officials also plan to continue harnessing technology through its Web site, which is often referred to as the agency’s “fourth branch.”
Campbell said he hopes to “put in some benchmarking and start establishing what is the best” in terms of online offerings.
He stressed, however, that the library will never turn its back on the book in pursuit of new digital technologies.
“Don’t fear this, that we’re going to take your books away and replace them with bits and bytes,” Campbell said.
