Public library asks for first budget increase since 1923

On Aug. 8, the Caruthersville Public Library will ask for their first budget increase in almost 100 years. The library has placed a 1/2 cent sales tax request on the ballot for the purpose of providing adequate funding to meet the demands of maintaining and expanding library collections, services and programs.

The Caruthersville Public Library was established in 1923 by the Caruthersville Woman’s Club. At that time, the tax levy was set at 10 cents per $100 of valuation. “Since then, the facility has operated within that same level of funding for 95 years, but with increased budgetary needs in today’s digital times, an increase in revenue is greatly needed,” said Director Teresa Tidwell.

“The generous people of this community have given donations and memorials to support this library throughout history, but the truth is, the number being given has drastically decreased in recent years,” Tidwell said. She went on to explain that during the month of April, only two donations were given.

What has increased however, is the number of people using the facility on a daily basis. With up-to-date collections, new collections and a vast array of programs available, last year the number of visitors to the library would have filled Hopke Field more than 25 times.

The mission of the Caruthersville Public Library is simple: they want to help people access the information they need to overcome obstacles and improve the quality of life in the community and throughout the area. With today’s economic climate, libraries are an even more vital part of communities. Libraries provide valuable materials, programs and services to get people back on their feet while providing a skilled staff to help them find what they need.

Through this public library, services are provided at the Lifelong Learning Center of Pemiscot County offering: test proctoring for college students, online databases, practice test and educational manuals to prepare for the GED and other educational assessments, along with various employment practice tests to learn job skills and available templates for correct letters of application and assistance with resumes for job seekers.

They offer assistance with writing reports, formatting, building citations and printing for students as well as copying, printing, faxing, emailing and reference help for small business owners and members of the community. With free digital access to the internet at the fastest speeds available, as well as consistent and free WiFi internet to help bridge the “digital divide” for the financially challenged in the community, the world is at the fingertips of the community. Through the week, notary services are available.

The library offers access to 2,000,000 books, eBooks and eVideos through their membership with the MO Evergreen consortium which partners with 35 libraries in the state of Missouri. Complete with large print and audiobooks for the disabled and elderly. They also offer a wide variety of magazines and newspapers for use in library or through check out. Materials may also be delivered to homebound patrons simply through a phone call.

The Genealogy Room is open and available to the public, with microfilm readers and films dating back before 1940. It is also the home base of the Pemiscot County Historical Society who has all of their files located in the library. The Democrat Argus newspaper is currently being digitized for online access, indexed and easily searchable.

The Caruthersville Public Library hosts family literacy support, and community building through programs and meeting spaces available to the entire community.

Fish ponds and a reading pavilion make a beautiful retreat for summer food meals, birthday parties and quiet escapes to relax and enjoy a book.

The library is also a safe place for children to come and get help with homework or simply hang out while their parents are away at work. During the summer, there are reading programs for all ages, fishing classes through the MO Department of Conservation and free movies every Sunday afternoon for anyone with a library card. During the heat of summer, it is a designated cooling center for the city. Another amazing yet unusual offering is that fishing poles, tackle boxes and even bicycles can be checked out for residents to use!

Add to that Baby Basics, Handy Crafters, “Prime Time”, Hour of Coding, Lego League, Children’s Theatre to the list of programs, and it is easy to find something for everyone to enjoy.

This and the many more services offered by the Caruthersville Public Library adds up to nearly a million dollars in services provided. Hopke Field has a capacity of around 3,500, and the number of people using the library in 2016 would have filled those stands 25 times! Yet Tidwell says that number is already set to increase in 2017.

For more information on the library, check out Facebook.com/Caruthersville Public Library, Twitter @cvillelib and Instagram at caruthersvillepubliclibrary. The library is open seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, with the exception of legal holidays.

In Caruthersville, recent statistics show that only 71.8 percent of residents completed the 8th grade, and only 66.25 percent of residents completed high school, well below the state and national averages. Caruthersville Public Library focuses on addressing this and many other local problems, from providing tax forms, online assistance with job applications or setting up online accounts and resetting passwords, to even helping a patron whose identity compromised regain access to their account, halting the fraud that was occurring. The staff works tirelessly to help area residents, all while maintaining only one full-time employee and the rest being part time.

“To serve communities like ours, libraries need to update their buildings, grow the collection of available resources to meet diverse ages and interests and increase services provided to the community,” said Tidwell.

On Aug. 8, Proposition A will read: “Shall a one half cent sales tax be levied on all retail sales within the City of Caruthersville municipal library district for the purpose of providing funding for the library district to be used exclusively for the operation and maintenance of the Caruthersville free public library?”

This means the increased revenue can only be used for the library, not for any other city service. This is not a tax on property, but a half of a penny sales tax that anyone, including visitors coming to the community, will help fund. Many of the people who use the library don’t own property, but they do go next door to the grocery store to buy snacks, so they too will be helping fund this new budget making this a fair tax for everyone.

In 1923, bacon was 47 cents a pound, bread was a mere 9 cents a pound and you could get a gallon of gas for only 23 cents. Back then the average hourly wage was only 65 cents an hour. It would be impossible for a family to maintain a home and even the most basic of lifestyles on that budget today, yet the local library continues to operate on that almost 100 year budget.

On Aug. 8, a vote “yes” will not only keep the many great programs running, but will allow them to add even more opportunities for the area communities to enjoy.