Library needs more support

Faced with overwhelming community support for the county's public library, the Richmond County Board of Supervisors could have shown its own support.
The supervisors could have made a public pledge to give to the library the money required by the state, roughly an additional $7,000 this year.
They did not.
For the 2004-2005 budget, the county gave $46,674 to the library.
Northumberland County is contributing $100,000 this year to its own library in Heathsville.
The Richmond County supervisors could have taken a cue from their neighbors.
They did not.

Or the supervisors could have done what the county's planning commission had done at its last meeting--draft and approve a resolution in support of the library.
According to the resolution, the planning commission "hereby requests that the Richmond County Board of Supervisors honor the budget request of the Richmond County Public Library." The board of supervisors could have drafted its own resolution of support.
They did not.
Instead, the board, which for years has been below state-mandated funding levels for the library, thanked the overflow crowd for coming and said that the board's stance on the library has been distorted by the media, presumably recent stories in the Northern Neck News and Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The crowd of parents, teachers, children and other library patrons filled the board's monthly meeting on Thursday, Jan 13, expressing concern about the library funding.
The state had warned that if the county can not meet minimum requirements, then the state would be forced to withhold some of its funding for the library that the Richmond County public shares with Rappahannock Community College.
(Richmond County is spending millions on a new courthouse. Some county officials have complained about what a "shame" it is that we have to spend so much money on criminals. The taxpayers will have to fork over more in real estate taxes the next couple of decades so that we have a better place to judge the accused and house the guilty. Yes, that is a shame. Gosh, if only we had better citizens. Golly, if only the county could spend money to create a positive impact. Gee-willikers, we should be able to find something affirmative that the supervisors could support, something that makes its citizens smarter, something that gives the residents a better opportunity at making positive choices.
Well, back to the story of how the county is underfunding the public library.)

Members of the public spoke up in support of the library.
A mother said her children couldn't do their homework without the library.
Another resident said he was using the library for researching a book he is working on.
Others who didn't speak up have used the books on tape, the copier, the archives of newspapers and magazines.
Others have bought bags of books for a dollar during a library fundraiser.
Others have read about the great history of the Northern Neck, where George Washington, James Monroe and Robert E. Lee were born.
Those patrons listened at the supervisors meeting to hear what the county leaders planned to do about the library.
"We're going to do the best we can do," Chairman Louis Packett said.
For the past few years, the county's best has not been good enough.

A few years ago the county fell behind in required funding of the library and has not done anything to catch up. The state requires a certain level of funding-a minimum level-and Richmond County is below that.
"We are not meeting their requirement, so what are we going to do?" Dick Farmar, spokesman for the library supporters, said.
One option had been suggested last year by Tracy Elliot, director of the library. Her proposal would bring the library back to the minimum funding requirements within five years.
When Elliot made her proposal, the board took no action, but is expected to consider the plan at its budget meeting later this year.
"What we're asking," Farmar said, "is that you all ... agree to go on this five-year program."
The county supervisors could have done something Thursday, but nothing they could have done would mean as much as what they do in June when the budgets are set.
The county has promised to do its "best."
Let's hope that means more than the minimum.