The public library and school district share a common town name but have very different boundaries.
The Charleston Carnegie Public Library's service area shares the same boundaries as the city. The Charleston school district encompasses the city limits as well as Ashmore, Lerna, Hutton, Bushton, Fairgrange, Rardin, and the rural areas in between.
On April 7, the library board plans to ask voters if boundaries of the library's service area should be expanded to include the rest of the school district. This expansion would form a new library district.
If the referendum is approved, residents in the outlying areas would be able to check out books, DVDs and more without needing to pay for nonresident cards. In turn, the library’s regular annual levy would be added to the tax bills of property owners in these outlying areas.
Library Director Sheryl Snyder said a need to plan for the library’s long-term financial future and a wish to open the library’s services to more people have prompted the library board to bring the expansion question to voters.
Snyder said library districts in other parts of Illinois have fought over boundaries and the tax bases within them. She said if the Charleston library does not establish boundaries encompassing the school district, another library district could absorb some of the outlying areas.
Charleston and Mattoon library officials began planning district referendums around the same time and kept in contact, Snyder said. Mattoon’s referendum is set for April 7. She noted a 2006 referendum brought Humboldt Township into the Arcola Public Library District.
Snyder said the library operates on a tight budget. She said an expanded tax base would help with staying in budget in the long term while meeting rising costs for heating and other expenses as well as facility maintenance. Library records show the 2007-08 budget is about $610,000.
“You have got to be planning for the future,” Snyder said.
Last year, a referendum-approved expansion and renovation of the library building was completed. Snyder said this expansion has created room for a collection of books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, video games and more that now numbers approximately 62,000 items.
“We think now with the new building we have so much to offer. We think it’s something people in outlying areas would be interested in,” Snyder said. She added state library officials have been encouraging public library districts to expand into unserved areas.
Patrons who do not have a card from a public library district in the Lincoln Trail Libraries System must pay $45 per year, per household for a nonresident card in order to check out items from the Charleston library, Snyder said. This includes the school district’s outlying areas.
Snyder said student card holders for school libraries such as those in the Charleston school district and at Eastern Illinois University cannot use their student cards to check out items at public libraries. She said they can, however, order items through the Lincoln Trail System.
A similar two-tiered referendum won the approval of “in-town” voters in the late 1980s but did not pass because it failed by a margin of approximately 100 votes to win the approval of outlying residents, Snyder said.
If outlying areas were added, Snyder said property owners in these areas would be taxed at the same regular rate as those in the city limits. She added outlying property owners would not pay the separate tax rate for the bonds that funded the library building’s expansion.
The library’s regular tax rate for 2007 was 1.6879. This rate results in a $25.77 annual tax bill for library services when applied to a $40,000 home, $38.67 for a $60,000 home, $51.56 for a $80,000 home, $64.45 for a $100,000 home, and $77 for a $120,000 home.
Snyder said expanding the library’s service area would enable more people to use services that would be especially helpful during tough economic times. She said they can check out an unlimited number of books, movies and other items they would otherwise have to buy or rent.
“The more resources you can get for a lot less money, that adds value to it,” Snyder said. “I think libraries are a good example of high value for a lower amount.”
Approximately 500 nonresident cards for the library are in use by households outside the city limits. Neil and Mildred Perington, who reside in Ashmore Township, hold one of these cards.
As a retired teacher, Perington said she has long supported education-related referendums. Perington said she would be willing to pay for the library’s services through her tax bill instead of a nonresident card, but knows that people hate to see any increase in their property tax bills.
Perington said she grew up going to the library and obtained a nonresident card in 1994 soon after retiring and moving back to Charleston from Des Moines, Iowa.
“For us, it’s well worth it because of all the services they offer,” Perington said, adding they check out books, magazines, movies and music. “They offer such a variety in the library. It’s more than checking out a book.”
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