[Nevada County Librarian Ms Laura Pappani sent me the following byline to inform RR readers of the current goings on with the library regarding its funding and renewal of Measure C. Our library is transforming itself to serve the community in the age of internet connectivity, providing citizens expanded opportunities to study, communicate, retrieve information, learn, … . It deserves your support. gjr]
Laura Pappani
As one of my colleagues is fond of saying, “The bunheads are dead.” That old stereotype of a mousy, shushing librarian, peering over her glasses in prim disapproval? So last century. Today’s libraries are vibrant and vital community centers, providing a bridge to information and entertainment. In 2014, we received more than 350,000 visits as people walked across that bridge to enter a Nevada County Public Library and utilize our free materials, resources, and services. We are efficient, responsive, and constantly keeping our ear to the ground to anticipate our community’s needs.
Funding for the Nevada County Public Libraries comes from a variety of sources, but the biggest chunk – more than 65% – comes from 0.125% of each penny of sales tax collected in Nevada County, designated for the Library by voters in 1998 and renewed by Measure C in 2002. Every dollar that comes to the Library through Measure C is monitored by the Citizen’s Oversight Committee, a group of volunteers who meet several times a year to ensure accountability and public transparency. The Library is responsive to public input on programs and services and seeks to provide measurable outcomes. In addition to lending books, movies, and music, we provide literacy tutoring for adults, research assistance, a variety of programs for children and teens including a popular Summer Reading Program, classes on technology, research, and job search strategies, and programs and lectures on a variety of topics.
The Library is constantly striving to anticipate the needs of the people of Nevada County through publicly-informed strategic planning. We are responsive to citizen input and are partners in business development and job skills training, as much as for reading and enrichment. I hope you will come visit one of the Nevada County Public Libraries – the Madelyn Helling Library and the Doris Foley Library for Historical Research in Nevada City, the Grass Valley Library – Royce Branch (which celebrates its 100th birthday next year), the Truckee Library, the Penn Valley Station, or the Bear River Station – and see for yourself how we are contributing to a vibrant and dynamic Nevada County.
[Addendum – I have added a paragraph from the cover email she sent me. It amplifies the words above. gjr]
"… If the Measure C renewal is not passed by voters, we would either need approximately $2,000,000 from the County’s General Fund to continue to provide Library services at current levels, or would suffer cuts to library hours, services, and facilities that would be so severe that I get nightmares just thinking about it. Our County libraries are well-loved and well-used by people across socio-economic and political lines, so I’m hoping I will find widespread support from the community."
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