New Mythbuster Segment

Sometimes we get questions from patrons that make me realize there are some common myths that cause confusion, and sometimes undue blame. For instance, we periodically get questions (or pushback) about events scheduled in library park. We don't have jurisdiction over Library Park, even though Simmons sits in the middle. If the grass isn't mowed on time for a public event, or if a controversial demonstration is held in the park, people are quick to complain to us. So I'll be including a new short segment in our weekly newsletters titles Mythbusters. I thought KPL staff would appreciate the same "internal mythbuster" Q&A.

So here's a couple short mythbusters for you.

1. Myth: The Library owns Library Park
The library doesn't own any real estate and under Wisconsin law, we can't. The city owns our buildings and our grounds and we are a city department. The understanding between us is that the library will maintain the buildings and grounds where the library sits. That includes parking lots and lawns around library buildings. Library Park is owned by the city and the parks department decides who can use the park for events. We take care of the snow out to the first perimeter sidewalk and we mow all the grass simply because the parks dept doesn't keep up with it and its embarrassing. We also tend the bushes and gardens near the terrace. Parks takes care of tree issues and lighting further away than the parking lot and terrace areas. So we share responsibility for upkeep of library park.
Here are more details:

• The park at the end of the SW parking lot is a city park. If patrons are banned from library premises, they can be in that park.
• The access roads around Northside behind the library parking lot and between the library and Piggly Wiggly do not belong to the city. The new stop sign at the back of the Northside parking lot is a warning. If people don't stop, the police can't enforce it. It isn't technically a city road. 
• Sidewalk and curb strips are city maintained.

2. Myth: KPL has authority over Community Library 

You will hear people often refer to KPL as the Kenosha Public Library System. Typically libraries with multiple branches are referred to as systems, but in Wisconsin, a system means something different. Library systems were set up by the state back in the 1970s in order to provide technology, delivery, ILL, and reference support to all libraries, large and small. It was an attempt at equalization of services, and the structure still exists today. There are 17 systems in Wisconsin, many of them serving a very wide multi-county district. Kenosha County has its own one-county system and Community Library and Kenosha Public Library are its only members. The money for the services provided by the system comes from Kenosha County and the state and buys things like our Overdrive electronic books and the internet lines that feed our libraries. Since KPL is the larger of the two libraries, we serve as the system's Resource Library, meaning we agree to provide the reference and ILL support to CL which doesn't have as many trained librarians on staff. Michelle advises CL on HR matters, and I help advise on legal and financial issues. We purchase training for both libraries. We also arrange for delivery services for all the system locations, prepare budgets, keep our system board, appointed by the County Executive, informed, and calculate reimbursements for service to libraries in Racine and Walworth counties. There's a bunch of planning and state reporting involved. This is much more responsibility than most Resource Libraries. In fact, KPL serves as the administration for the county system and I serve as the system's director in addition to my position as the KPL director.

That's where our legal relationship with Community Library ends. CL is independently funded by four municipalities: Salem Lakes, Twin Lakes, Randall, and Paddock Lake. It's called a joint library. They have their own board, their own budget, and make their own decisions.

So this hopefully clarifies two very confusing questions. If you have other questions you'd like me to clarify, please send them my way and I'll highlight the answer in a future edition of the KPL Staff News.

Enjoy the beautiful weekend. See you at Tall ships!

Barb

Barb