I have to respectfully disagree, Bob. I think our responsibility is to not just serve those who can pay for services, but to enrich the community at large. Especially in times of economic crisis, the public library is one of the few places where people should have access to the resources that will allow them to enrich themselves. I think it is great that you are exploring this issue, Kirsten. I don't have any suggestions for you, but I'd love to hear what you decide.<br clear="all">
<br><p><a name="SafeHtmlFilter_SafeHtmlFilter_SafeHtmlFilter_SafeHtmlFilter_SafeHtmlFilter_SafeHtmlFilter_SafeHtmlFilter_132fec94914677dc_132fe60f716ad1ed__MailAutoSig"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#666699">Candise Branum, MLS</span></a><span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:gray"><br>
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503-253-3443 ext.134</a> | </span></span><span></span><span><span style="color:gray"><a href="http://www.library.ocom.edu/" style="font-size:10pt" target="_blank">www.library.ocom.edu</a></span></span><br></p><br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jul 9, 2012 at 10:28 AM, Bob Jones <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:Bob.Jones@milton-freewater-or.gov" target="_blank">Bob.Jones@milton-freewater-or.gov</a>></span> wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Kirsten:</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">This is an interesting question, because
it’s not simply “How do we serve everyone who wants service?”.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Most public libraries are supported
primarily through property taxes. Therefore their primary
responsibilities are:</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">(1)<font size="1" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></font></span></font><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Provide services to those
who provide your funding, which would be property owners who pay taxes directly
and renters who pay taxes indirectly through their property-owner landlords</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">(2)<font size="1" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></font></span></font><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Safeguard a large
investment in public property (books, periodicals, videos, audio recordings,
etc.) by having a way to track down and hold accountable borrowers who fail to
return materials</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">For these reasons, most libraries require
library card applicants to show proof of residence in the city, county, or
district which funds the library. In addition, there often are severe
limits on first-time borrowers, who account for a high percentage of losses.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Homeless people generally cannot provide
documentation to verify residency. Likewise, some people who have resided
in your service area for years choose to not have any form of ID which you may
require, such as a driver’s license, DMV ID card, voter registration
card, utility bill, etc. If you refuse to issue cards to one group, how
can you justify serving the other (and this works in both directions)?</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">If you want to have more lenient standards
for homeless people and/or for people who choose to have no form of ID, how can
you justify stricter standards for other people? That would be
discriminatory. But do you really want anyone who walks in the door to
carry out anything they wish with no reasonable way to find them and hold them
responsible for failure to bring stuff back in a timely manner? That
would be irresponsible.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">I’d be interested in learning what
you decide to do, and how you justify it.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Bob Jones</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Library Director</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Milton-Freewater Public Library</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma">-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">From:</span></b> <a href="mailto:libs-or-bounces@listsmart.osl.state.or.us" target="_blank">libs-or-bounces@listsmart.osl.state.or.us</a>
[mailto:<a href="mailto:libs-or-bounces@listsmart.osl.state.or.us" target="_blank">libs-or-bounces@listsmart.osl.state.or.us</a>] <b><span style="font-weight:bold">On Behalf Of </span></b>Kirsten Brodbeck-Kenney<br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">Sent:</span></b> Sunday, July 08, 2012 3:43
PM<br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">To:</span></b>
<a href="mailto:libs-or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us" target="_blank">libs-or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us</a><br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject:</span></b> [Libs-Or] Library cards
for homeless/those without permanent address</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma">We're currently exploring ways to
better serve our transient population here in Lincoln City. In the past we have
worked out cards for individuals staying at a nearby domestic violence
shelter, and we allow anyone to make use of our computers, but I would like
to set up something more permanent and wide-ranging that would allow
individuals without a permanent address to better access library services.</span></font></p>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma">We have some ideas here on staff,
but I would be very interested in hearing how other libraries have tackled
this. What kinds of requirements do you have in order to obtain a card? Do
cards for those without permanent address have the same borrowing privileges,
or modified privileges? Have you experienced a great deal of material loss, or
no? I suspect I may have to work pretty hard to get 100% buy-in from my board
and from staff, so any information you've got would be great!</span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma">Kirsten Brodbeck-Kenney<br>
Library Director<br>
Driftwood Public Library<br>
801 SW HWY 101, #201<br>
Lincoln City, OR 97367<br>
<a href="tel:%28541%29996-1251" value="+15419961251" target="_blank">(541)996-1251</a><br>
<a href="mailto:kbrodbeck-kenney@lincolncity.org" target="_blank">kbrodbeck-kenney@lincolncity.org</a></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"> </span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
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