Library supporters are planning an extensive get-out-the-vote campaign to create enough voter participation to pass a new operating levy for the Sweet Home Public Library.
“We’re organizing a phone campaign,” Library Board President Gretchen Schaleger said. “Dr. (Mike) Alperin has offered the telephone lines at his office. We’re lining up people that are willing to help out in making phone calls.”
Members of the library political action committee will remind people to vote shortly before ballots are mailed out then again as the election date nears. They also are purchasing 100 yard signs to be placed around town.
“These are the two biggest things,” Schaleger said. “We’re making more concentration on phoning to remind people. The big thing is to get that 50 percent out. We’re optimistic that 50 percent of the voters will turn out, and we’re optimistic that it will pass because it was almost 2-1 the last time.”
The City of Sweet Home has requested a tax levy three times. It was denied by voters in November. It failed in March and May under the requirement that 50 percent of registered voters turn out for the election.
“Please vote,” Schaleger said. “I’d encourage everybody to vote, and if they live outside the city limits, to encourage friends inside the city limits to vote. Public libraries are a very important asset to a viable community. To me, it’s a shame to have that wonderful library closed. That, to me, is a step backward.”
The library closed at the end of May after falling short of funds to run the operation. It was unable to reopen in the new fiscal year, beginning July 1, because of the levy failure.
A few months before that the Friends of the Library opened a used bookstore to replace its annual book sales as a fund-raising mechanism.
“It’s been fairly good recently,” Schaleger, treasurer for the group, said. The store does get some “coming in and saying they can’t go to the library so they come over here. A lot of people come in and are disappointed that the library is closed. A lot of them especially missed the summer reading program.”
While teaching her calligraphy class at Linn-Benton Community College, Schaleger said, a woman walked in desperately looking for Internet access so she could look for work. The library had four Internet stations for the public.
“We couldn’t think of any place in to town to tell her to go,” Schaleger said. She has heard reports of some patrons heading out of town to use libraries in Lebanon and Albany.
How the library closure has affected sales is difficult to say, Schaleger said. It takes a while to establish a business.
To help fill in the gap and encourage children to keep reading through the summer, the Friends of the Library bookstore is giving children two books free after they purchase five. They are also entered into a drawing for a new backpack on Aug. 30.
So far, sales have exceeded the Friends’ two annual book sales, Schaleger said. “It’s viable because the owner of the building gives a good break on the rent. We’ve been able to make enough profit to have funds for ongoing support of the library.”
The Friends of the Library put away at least $1,000 toward the future expansion of the library building. They also purchase unbudgeted items for the library as needed.
The bookstore is completely dependent on donations, Schaleger said, but “the community’s been very generous so far in donating books.”
The store has so many books, the Friends would have a hard time finding room for them all at its book sales, Schaleger said.
The next library political action committee meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Aug. 4 in classroom one at the LBCC Sweet Home Center.
For more information, persons may contact co-chairmen Dr. Henry Wolthuis and Max Thompson.