Now more than ever, residents rely on the Westerville Public Library for books, research, Internet access, job searches, homework assistance and other critical services. In ten years, the library has not increased its 0.8-mill operating levy, the library’s only local tax support. Currently, Westerville is the lowest funded library in Franklin County.

State funding for your library has been cut by $1.6 million since our last levy was passed in 2007. We are now funded at 1996 levels. State funding will be reduced by an additional $300,000 through 2013. In the past five years, your library has frozen salaries, cut over 14 staff positions, reduced library hours by closing on Sundays, curtailed the library materials budget by over 40% and deferred critical building maintenance. To offset the continuing funding cuts, the Library Board determined that 2.0 mills is needed to restore Sunday hours and maintain the level of programs and services our community needs. The breakdown of the millage is: 0.8 mill to replace our

current levy; 1 mill to offset the state funding cuts; and 0.2 mill to address building maintenance needs. Working with the stable funding from the levy, the library can plan with certainty and not have to return to the voters for at least ten years.

What will the replacement levy cost? The new levy will cost $61.25 per $100,000 of assessed valuation, an additional $3.06 per month. Currently, your library receives the least local funding of Franklin County’s seven libraries.

The library levy request will be listed as Issue 19 on the ballot.For more information, please visit the levy website at protectourlibrary.net.

November 8 replacement levy is urgently needed

One-on-one help with research and reference questions

Wi-Fi access and use of valuable online databases including Consumer Reports

Daily delivery of library items to students and teachers at Westerville schools

Delivery of library items to homebound residents, senior centers and preschools

Access to 40 million items such as books, movies, audiobooks, art prints and eBooks

Benefits from investing in our library

Studies show...$1 invested in the library returns $7 of value to the community.• Directions

How to protect our library

• Local History Vintage photos and Westerville treasures

• Events for Adults and Kids From eBook classes to origami fun

Inside

Fall 2011 Vol. 22 No. 2

Cost comparison of replacement levyWorthington $163 4.8 millsGrandview Heights $144 4.7 millsColumbus $86 2.8 millsAverage $85 2.6 millsUpper Arlington $62 2.0 millsWesterville $61 2.0 millsBexley $46 1.5 millsGrove City $31 1.0 mill

Between the Pages

Library Funding

51.25% state

funding

6.57% Fees, fines, gifts, etc.

42.18% local

property tax

All local funding will be lost if the replacement levy does not pass.

If the levy passes this November, the library would still be the third lowest funded library in Franklin County.

Children now have help with accessIn answer to a request from the Youth Services department, the Foundation provided funding for an Adaptive Technology station.

At the station is a height-adjustable table making wheelchair access easier and, to assist with fine motor skills, there’s a keyboard with large, colorful keys and an oversize track ball in place of the mouse.

Be a part of the Foundation’s efforts! Visit westervillelibrary.org/foundation or call ext. 2140, library administration.

Thankful individuals are coming to the library with wide smiles, complimentary notes and batches of homemade cookies. These grateful library users have improved their resumes, prepared for job interviews, refreshed their computer skills, and found jobs

thanks to the library’s resources and programming. In the past year the library has:

•Held 120 computer training courses helping individuals learn Microsoft Office, use e-mail, the Internet and more

•Offered one-on-one resume critique sessions and online resume writing services to library patrons who requested assistance

•Hosted 13 career-related programs and workshops staffed by professional consultants. See the Events for Adults page for more programs.

•Logged 1,000 visits to our custom online Explore Guides: Job Search 101, Careers 101, Resumes, Cover Letters & Interviews

Serving the needs of jobseekers

On Tuesday, November 8, our citizens will be asked to help protect the hub of information, learning and activity for our community--the Westerville Public Library. A replacement levy is needed to ensure that hours, materials and services are brought back to normal levels, after suffering reductions due to continuing cuts in state funding.

Our article on the front page of this newsletter points out the dire circumstances. The library has endured reductions in state funding since 2007 that total a mindboggling $1.6 million. Cuts of at least $300,000 are coming over the next two years. Without the levy, the library will lose over 42% of our present operating budget.

We’ve put cost saving measures into place. Making a critical move to conserve costs, the library had to close on Sundays. The library has suffered cuts to staffing, purchase of library materials, maintenance, programs for all ages and more. How have our patrons responded? Since 2007, circulation has increased by more than 16%. The number of library users has risen by 19%, climbing to over 100,000 registered cardholders.

How have we managed our spending? The library remains one of the most cost efficient libraries in Ohio. Our cost per circulated item is $2.34 – lower than any other Central Ohio library.

To restore Sunday hours and protect the library from further cuts, this levy is essential. It replaces the 0.8-mill levy first passed in 2002 and adds 1.2 mills to help balance the budget to meet your needs. This 2-mill levy will cost an additional $3.06 per month, per $100,000 of assessed home value.

The wording Protect Our Library has been selected to request support on November 8. It is perfect. Without the replacement levy, the library will lose critical services in desperate need of your protection.

The library levy request will be listed as Issue 19. Please visit the levy website at protectourlibrary.net for details.

Protect Our Library

Notes from Library Director Don Barlow

Directions

106,000

$2.2m

State Funds

Customer Base

94,000

$3.8m

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

$2.2m

106,000

Look online for our coupon

The Friends hosted their 18th Annual Ice Cream Social in July and scooped over 500 servings. Thanks to all those who attended and all the volunteers who made the event a success.

Visit the link to the Friends’ website and find a coupon for 20% off gift items in the Friends Shoppe. Lots of new gift items have been added to our shelves.

Volunteers needed! If you have a few hours of free time, please consider helping in the Friends Shoppe. Contact me at 882-7590. Remember, our shop is run entirely by volunteers and all earnings benefit the library.

– Arlene Roeder, President

Books and Movies coming soon

Hot Titles

BooksSkeleton Letters by Laura Childs (Oct.)Carmela and her friend Ava were shocked when they found a member of their scrapbooking circle dead. The women will need the help of many patron saints to search for a stolen antique crucifix.

Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman (Oct.)Four women, all dovekeepers, keep secrets about their identities and loves as their lives intersect in ancient Masada during the Roman siege.

Longing by Karen Kingsbury (Nov.)After a long and lonely silence from Cody Coleman, Bailey wonders if her days with Cody are over forever. Meanwhile, Cody’s work coaching a small-town foot-ball team has attracted national attention. Will Cody and Bailey find a way back together again?

When Elves Attack by Tim Dorsey (Nov.)It’s Christmas time in Florida and the deranged serial killer Serge Storm is prepar-ing his list. Like Santa, he knows who’s been naughty and nice and few can give with the generosity and creativity of Serge.

Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell (Dec.)Determined to find out who murdered her former deputy chief Jack Fielding, Kay Scarpetta travels to the Georgia Prison for Women, where an inmate has informa-tion on Fielding and more grisly killings.

Soft Target by Stephen Hunter (Dec.)Ex-Marine sniper, Ray Cruz, confronts a group of murderous terrorists who’ve laid siege to the Mall of America.

MoviesFast Five PG-13 (Oct.)Scream 4 R (Oct.)Monte Carlo PG (Oct.)Cars 2 PG (Nov.)

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides PG-13 (Nov.)Larry Crowne PG-13 (Nov.)

– compiled by Belinda Mortensen, Collection Development Coordinator

How to help your young learners

Cailyn and Erica Daily

Looking for ideas to spark a child’s interest in reading and learning?

• Introduce your pre-reader to our Early Literacy Stations. The computers have 40 interactive learning games that are not only fun, but teach word and number recognition skills, too.

• Join with the Homework Help volunteers to help your student understand assignments. Come for help every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 3:30-6:30pm.

• Ask us to deliver Westerville library books to your student at school. Last year our Library Link service transported 16,000 requested items to children and teachers in the Westerville district.

From genealogy tohigh school yearbooksThe Local History Center, established in 1989, represents the library’s commitment to preserv-ing and sharing the community’s heritage. Visitors use our resources to explore their family tree, look for old photographs of their street, and research the history of their home.

The center has genealogy information; over 5,000 photographs digitized on the library website; old maps and census records; and even abstracts for some properties in the community. Among the

most popular items in the center are the high school yearbooks dating from 1911.

The center contains files on topics from the Westerville stops on the Underground Railroad to the history of the banks during the Great Depression. Materials are readily available for visitors to view Monday through Friday 9am-6pm.

– compiled by Beth Weinhardt

Local History Coordinator

Local History Center

The Westerville Public Library complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Anyone in need of special arrangements to attend these programs is encouraged to call the Library at (614) 882-7277, ext. 5010.

At least three days prior notice is required.

Resume CritiquesMondays, Oct. 10 & 24Sessions available between 4:30 & 6:30pm

Sign up for a 15-minute, one-on-one session to have your resume reviewed and evaluated by expert Bernard Noel. Registration required.

Resume WorkshopThursday, Oct. 13 6-8:30pm

Sharpen your resume-writing skills in this two-part workshop presented by career consultant Bernard Noel. The session will cover key items to include in a resume and essential interviewing skills. Meeting Room B. Registration required.

Technology Q&ASaturday, Nov. 12 3-4pm

Curious about eReaders, tablet PCs and eBooks? Stop in to learn about these new devices and have your questions answered by one of our tech-savvy librarians. Meeting Room A.

Sit & Knit DaySaturday, Oct. 22 10am-4pm

Crafters ages 14 and older who are experienced in knitting, crochet, and the fiber arts can get together to share techniques and projects. Bring your favorite dish to share in a potluck lunch. No instruction for beginners will be offered. Meeting Rooms. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Edible Haunted HousesMonday, Oct. 24 6:30-8:30pm

Put your sweet tooth into the Halloween mood by constructing a tasty and spooktacular haunted house. All supplies will be provided to make these delicious holiday centerpieces. Meeting Room B. Registration required.

Making the RoundsExplore stories and architecture during walking tours of the Westerville “dry” and Columbus “wet” neighborhoods that struggled over the consumption of alcohol during Prohibition. Hosted by the Library, Westerville Historical Society and Columbus Landmarks Foundation.

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2-4pm tour begins at Howard House, 131 W. Park St. on Otterbein campus. Maps will guide walkers through Temperance Row to hear history at various sites.

Sunday, Oct. 23, 2-4pm tour begins at Westin Great Southern Hotel, Main and S. High St. Register for the guided tour by calling (614) 221-0227. Mutual UFO Network

Tuesday, Nov. 29 7-8:30pm

Are we alone in the universe? Thomas Wertman, chief investigator for the Ohio Mutual UFO Network, will present information gathered in the field by investigators and engage in a brief Q&A session. Meeting Room A. Registration required.

Paranormal Investigations: Beyond 101Thursday, Oct. 27 6-8:30pm

Get a look at investigating haunted locations and Bigfoot sightings and learn how technology can assist or defeat gathering evidence of the paranormal. Presented by Brian Parsons, Director of the Ohio Paranormal Investigation Network. Meeting Rooms. Registration required.

Downloading eBooks & eAudiobooksMondays, Oct. 10 & Nov. 21 7-8pm

Do you have an eReader, MP3 player, or a computer? Learn how to browse and download thousands of free titles from the library in this introductory class. Meeting Room A. Registration required.

A

eBook and eAudiobook Tutorial for Smartphones and TabletsMondays, Oct. 17 & Nov. 14 7-8:30pm

Learn to use your smartphone or tablet PC to access the Library’s online collection and download titles. Meeting Room A. Registration required.

Register online at westervillelibrary.org or call ext. 5004

Events for Adults

Wee WondersMondays, Oct. 12 - Nov. 7 9:30-10amInfants - 18 months

Lap babies and walkers can enjoy books, songs, and activities chosen especially for them. Meeting Rooms.

Children’s Garden Bulb PlantingMonday, Oct. 24 4-4:45pmAll ages

It’s almost time for the garden to rest. Help us prepare it for a long winter’s nap by tucking in some bulbs for spring. Please bring gloves and garden tools if you have them. Rain date: Tuesday, Oct. 25, 4pm. Children’s Garden. Registration required.

Open Chess ClubSaturday, Oct. 29 3-4pmAges 6+

Attention, chess players wanting competition! Keep your skills sharp with an hour-long session of free play. Basic chess knowledge required. Activity Center.

Science Attack JuniorWednesday, Oct. 26 4-4:45pmAges 5-7

Explore the world of science with stories and hands-on activities specially designed for inquisitive kids. Activity Center. Registration required.

Origami FunTuesday, Nov. 8 4-5:30pmAges 8-11

Learn to make cute and easy figures using this traditional Japanese art of paper folding. Youth Services.

Sew a Phone or iPod HolderWednesday, Nov. 16 3-4:30pmAges 12-18

Stop by the Activity Center to sew trendy holders for your phone and iPod. Registration required.

Ohio Birds of PreyMonday, Nov. 14 4-4:45pmAges 8-11

Hawks, owls and eagles, oh my! Learn all about Ohio’s birds of prey from a Sharon Woods Metro Park naturalist, play fun games, and see mounted birds. Registration required.

Día de los MuertosWednesday, Nov. 2 4-5:30pmAges 12-18

Drop in to celebrate this Mexican national holiday honoring deceased friends and relatives. We’ll listen to Mexican music, decorate sugar skulls and eat traditional foods. Activity Center. Registration required.

Totally Terrific Film NightTuesdays, Oct. 11 & Nov. 15 7-9pmAll ages

Bring your pillows and popcorn to watch these family movies on the big screen. Activity Center.

Oct. 11 Enchanted (PG)Nov. 15 The Incredibles (PG)

Hibernation Camp & Camp TalesDrop off animals Thursday, Nov. 17 all dayAges 5-8

Storytime and animal pick-up Saturday, Nov. 19 11-11:30am

Hibernation can be lonely! Leave your teddy bear or other stuffed animal at the library to spend the night with other fluffy friends. Your animal will have fun and take home a camp souvenir. Toys can be picked up Saturday morning in time for a camp-themed Saturday Tales at 11am. Registration required.

ARC! Advance Reader’s ClubTeen (ages 12-18) Oct. 14 4-5pm‘Tween (grades 4 & 5) Oct. 20 4-4:45pm

Want to read books before they are published? Grab an advanced reading copy of a book to take home, read it, and tell us what you think! Share your opinion online or at a meeting. Registration required.

Register online at westervillelibrary.org or call ext. 5006

Events for Youth

Homework HelpMondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays 3:30-6:30pmAll ages

Need help getting started? Ask our volunteers! Students through grade 12 can stop in on a first-come first-served basis. Homework Help Center.

126 South State StreetWesterville, OH 43081-2095

Between the Pages is published quarterly and is available in the library and sites throughout Westerville. For questions and comments about the newsletter, please call (614) 882-7277 ext. 2164.

Board of TrusteesMichael FultzKay HedgesKaren PetersenJoshua PlattJohn RobbinsKaren SchollJack Shinnock

Don Barlow, Director

Board MeetingsThe Library Board of Trustees meets at 7pm on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The public is welcome to attend.

Newsletter StaffLinda Wilkins, EditorJesse Henning, Designer

Library HoursMonday-Thursday 9am-9pmFriday and Saturday 9am-6pmSunday Closed

Telephone(614) 882-7277Customer Services ext. 5001Adult Services ext. 5004Youth Services ext. 5006Media Services ext. 5008

126 South State StreetWesterville, OH 43081westervillelibrary.org

Name __________________________________________________

Phone _________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________

City _______________________________ Zip _____________

Renewal

Individual 1 year $10

Sustaining 1 year $25

Individual Life $75

New Member

Family 1 year $15 Family Life $100

Corporate 1 year $125

Donation $ ____________

I would like to volunteer as a Friend:

Friends Shoppe Sorting/Shelving used books

You may leave your completed application and check payable to the Friends of the Westerville Public Library at the Friends Shoppe or the circulation desk, or

you may mail it to: Friends Shoppe, 126 S. State St., Westerville, OH 43081.

Friends of theWesterville Public Library

Membership Application

Between the PagesVol. 22 No. 2

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