'For us, it's really important': Bucyrus Public Library seeks renewal of tax levy

Library director Stephanie Buchanan has a simple answer for people wondering why the Bucyrus Public Library is seeking renewal of a 0.5-mill, five-year levy for current expenses on the May 2 ballot.

"We need it," she said.

The levy, first approved by voters in May 2018, generates roughly $190,000 a year for the library — 21% of its annual revenue. The owner of a home valued at $100,000 pays $17.50 a year, and that would not change if the issue is renewed, Buchanan explained.

"So it's not a great deal of money for each of the taxpayers, but for us, it's really important," she said.

Most of the library's revenue, 75%, comes from the state's public library fund. The library serves about 44% of the county, or roughly 18,000 to 18,500 people, she said. The rest is served by the Crestline and Galion library systems.

"We could we could operate without the levy, but that's it," Buchanan said. "We're not preserving this building. We're not doing all of these other outreach things that we do. We're not having all the programs, trying to do all the fun stuff to get people in. That would cut back on us spending as much time one-on-one with people when they come in and they need help with different things. So 21% is a is a hurtful number."

Building repairs have been a priority

Since the library began receiving money from the levy in 2019, multiple issues with the building, originally constructed in 1905, have been addressed. Before that, "I think a lot of it was just band-aided, for lack of a better term, rather than being fixed the way that it should be fixed," Buchanan said.

A footer tile was installed along the wall where it was damp, she said. The exterior brick was tuck-pointed, "so that the bricks don't fall out." Overgrown landscaping was removed and replaced. Security cameras were upgraded. The interior of the building was painted, and all lighting is being replaced with more energy-efficient LED lights, which are also a lot brighter.

Now the roof needs to be replaced.

"If we don't get levy money ... we can't neglect the roof, so we would probably have to cut out other things so that we can address issues with the building, because we want to keep it," Buchanan said. "I mean, it's a big, beautiful building. I think it's a cornerstone in the community and we want to keep it that way."

While building repairs have been a primary focus so far, that's largely because so much had been neglected for so long, she said. Money from the levy goes into the library's general fund, so it's also used for staffing, materials and programming.

Circulation of books remains strong, in addition to the use of digital resources and items inside the library. But the library offers a lot more than that, she stressed.

"The Wi-Fi is a huge thing," Buchanan said. "We've boosted that signal so people can get the signal out in the parking lot as well. We do have people that sit in the parking lot or sit outside when it's warmer on the benches and use our Wi-Fi.

"So I think people use our services, but they're expanded services, not just books and the DVDs that you think, 'Oh, yes, I'll go to the library and get that.'"

Library expands program offerings

While the Friends of the Bucyrus Public Library raises money for some of the library's major programs, such as summer reading, the levy has allowed the library to offer many more programs — 250 last year, she said.

In February alone, more than 500 people attended programs at the library, she said. "I think that's amazing."

"We have a very talented staff that has a wide variety of interests and so everyone sort of pulls together and 'Hey, let's try this and let's try that,' because why not? I mean, really, I think people are so interested in experiences right now," Buchanan said. "So the more that we can offer in the community, free of charge, we try to do that."

Adult programming has been expanded into "more high-interest" topics, she said. The library still offers book clubs, but it also has added new programs — everything from an Alzheimer's disease support group to a reptile club — "to try to reach more people and more interest."

"For the younger kids and for the teens, we have programs for them as well," she said. "And for the teens, we have an esports program, so they can come in and they can play their video games together ... this sort of gives them a more fun environment to hang out together and to do that. Dungeons & Dragons is huge."

Children's librarian Barb Scott still offers the Music, Movement and More program, which the United Way sponsors. In addition to sessions at the library, she visits several preschools in the community.

The library is participating in the Library of Congress' oral history project, StoryCorps.

"So you can set up an interview time and come in and talk for about 45 minutes-ish about a snippet of your life that you want recorded in history," Buchanan said. "The Library of Congress then houses these digitally and you could come in and you can listen to other people you can pull up on the computer, you know what they've recorded. It's a neat way, I think, because there's so many times with older people. You think, 'I remember this person telling that story.' And then when they're gone, the story is gone. So this is a way for us to preserve a little bit of history."

The library's program launched several months ago, and 30 interviews already have been recorded. "So that's actually pretty good," she said.

The library also offers free notary service, wireless printing, scanning, faxing and technical assistance, Buchanan said.

"People come in with their cell phones and don't know how to set it up, don't know how to get contacts transferred from their old phone to their new phone," she said. "Setting up the Kroger app — that's a big deal. We get a lot of people that come in, and we spend a good amount of time with them, helping with resumes and job-searching — because everything's online anymore and not everyone is accustomed to to doing that. So it's another thing that we've been spending a lot of time on."

The 'library of things'

In addition to loaning out books, DVDs and digital items, the library has added a "library of things."

"We have a maneuverability kit, so if you have a new driver, we have the cones and a little map so you know how to place them and you can practice parking, parallel parking," Buchanan said. "We are putting together backpack kits so you get a map of the county parks and then bird identification books and binoculars, walking sticks — so that you can get out and enjoy the parks, because I think that's another great thing that we have here in the county."

It also loans out items such as puzzles, games and a walker. A grant from the Community Foundation For Crawford County will allow the library to begin loaning out five bicycles this spring.

In the library's maker-space area, people can use a button-maker, a Cricut cutting machine, a sewing machine or a special press for adhering vinyl to a T-shirt.

"You have a library card, you can get any of these items," Buchanan said.

More than 4,700 people came into the library building in January — a month when a lot of people stay home most of the time, she noted.

Buchanan encouraged people to come to the library and explore what it has to offer — all for free.

"If you ever have a question, if there's something you're looking for, or you want a contact for something, come here," she said. "Because we can send you in the right direction, we can help you out with pretty much anything that you need help with. It's really the place to be. ...

"Where else can you go and spend the day or get any of these services and not have to spend any money? There's nowhere else, nowhere."

ggoble@gannett.com

419-559-7263

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: On May ballot, Bucyrus Public Library seeks renewal of tax levy