Library looks to future

By KEN de la BASTIDE
Tribune enterprise editor

May 12, 2008 10:46 pm

— What the Kokomo/Howard County Public Library system will look like in 10 years is being debated by board members working on a strategic plan.
Marilyn Skinner, director of Indiana University Kokomo’s Early Childhood Education Center and former Kokomo-Center educator, is serving as the facilitator as board members took part in the first of three strategic planning meetings on Monday.
“We have to look at the present to vision for the future,” Skinner said. “You should have a vision for each facility.”
There was considerable discussion on whether or not the state is going to require a consolidation with the Greentown library in the near future.
“Consolidation may require construction of a new building in Greentown,” board member Susan Luttrell said. “Howard County is in a unique situation because in Greentown the school system owns the building and the library provides the materials.”
Charles Joray, director of the library system, said there may be some consideration of regional libraries in the state, which is already done in Michigan.
A regional library could include Miami, Cass and Clinton counties. Joray said the state library association has allocated funds for a study of regional library facilities.
“To build a new library in downtown Kokomo wouldn’t have an impact on the other counties.”
Discussions have already started on an informal basis, board member Joe Dunbar said.
“Greentown should be included in any strategic plans,” he said.
Board members wanted additional information before discussing a vision for 2018 including land use maps, population concentrations, socio-economic information and library usage by age and location.
“The board has said it wants to maintain the main library downtown to serve the lower socio-economic population,” board member Jim Siedel said. “We need a system-wide vision. Do we need additional branches?”
He said the expansion of the South Branch was based on where the population was growing.
The board also discussed the impact rising gasoline prices may have on future library usage and the possible need for additional, fuel-efficient bookmobiles.
“We need to determine the target area we want to look at and then zero in on what we want to do,” Luttrell said.
At the beginning of the session, Skinner said the board has to think outside of the book as the library moves into the future.
“People define the library in a very small box,” she said.
Board member Ron Gilman said the board needs to determine what services and programs it intends to provide in the future.
Skinner said circulation figures for the Main library, South and Russiaville branches and the bookmobiles have all increased over the past 10 years with the best increase at the South Branch since the new facility opened in 2003.