One City in Jackson County May Vote on Restoring Service

Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 6/15/2007

The possibility that libraries throughout Jackson County, OR, closed since April, will reopen remains murky, though the city of Ashland, home to the second-largest facility in the 15-branch system, may hold a referendum in September to reopen that building. Ashland also is home to both Southern Oregon University and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and in the summer, the majority of computer users are tourists. The September 18 ballot—planned though not yet officially approved—would raise some $1 million to reopen the library’s doors by October at the earliest and rehire 15 county staffers, Jackson County Library Services' interim director Ted Stark told LJ. However, there would be no money for new books and the branch would not have access to other JCLS books and reference resources. In the May 15 levy election when county voters refused to fund JCLS, Ashland residents did vote in favor of the measure; however, Stark said that the pending vote would raise nearly as much money from local voters without delivering as much service.

As for the system as a whole, Stark said, "finding replacement funding is a challenge. The county commissioners want the cities to kick in, but a lot of the cities are in the same situation as the county." The loss of federal timber subsidies—even though some subsidies will return for a year—has devastated county and municipal budgets. "It really isn’t a library funding problem, it's a county funding problem," Stark said. "Outsourcing is one consideration for which I am preparing an RFP. The county administrator will be sending a letter to cities offering to work with them to get their library re-opened. Every option is still on the table."

Jim Olney, executive director of the Jackson County Library Foundation (JCLF), told LJ, "When people voted no, they did not vote no against libraries. They were voting against higher property taxes and government control. Because Oregon does not have a sales tax, property taxes are high, so their vote was, ‘Enough is enough.’" The county has established a task force expected to report in August on ways the system might be funded and reopened. He said library officials have advised hotel and motel operators in Ashland to expect demand for email access, given the library closings.