By PAULENE POPARAD

The two low bidders approved Thursday have to move thousands of books and recarpet Westchester Public Library’s Thomas Library, Hageman Library and portions of the Library Service Center, all within 90 days.

Library director Phil Baugher said the $109,897 project will be coordinated between buildings and scheduled to cause as little disruption to library operations as possible, and to minimize inconvenience to patrons.

The carpeting at Thomas in Chesterton and Hageman in Porter is original construction and over 30 years old. The LSC meeting room was recarpeted recently but not the offices and lower-level Technical Services Department.

With members Claire Jolie and Neal Mortensen absent, the WPL Library Board awarded contracts to Duneland Carpet Connection of Chesterton for $85,952 and to The FCS Group Inc. of Westfield, Indiana, described by Baugher as Hoosier library specialists, for $23,945.

Both bids were substantially lower than the respective second bidders, especially the FCS Group. Inc. bid that was less than half that of Professional Library Lift Movers of Illinois at $53,875 and Hallet & Sons Expert Mover, Inc. of Illinois at $65,837.

Other companies bidding on the carpeting were Ultimate Flooring & Supplies, Inc. of Chesterton at $114,450 and Master Tile Carpet One Floor & Home of Merrillville at $160,413.

The Library Board’s motion stipulated that the contract awards to Duneland Carpet Connection and The FCS Group Inc. be pending their final acceptance of the quoted contract amounts. Baugher suggested they be given the opportunity to withdraw their bids in the event an error on their part was made; in that case the contracts would be awarded to the next lowest bidder.

Money for the project will come from WPL’s capital improvement fund and other funds if necessary. “When we wrote the budget I didn’t have a clue what it would cost,” said Baugher, who was assisted on the recarpeting project by WPL staffer Lynn McGrath.

When Thomas Library is recarpeted, its circulation and audio-visual check-out desks will be replaced with new furniture matching the reference desk console, which has been upgraded.

Legislators’ invitation

It was agreed that state senators and representatives who represent Westchester Township will be invited to meet with the Library Board in the coming weeks to tour library facilities and hear the board’s concerns in advance of the upcoming 2008 General Assembly.

Baugher and the Library Board have been mounting a full-court press against threatened possible consolidation of Hoosier libraries as part of Gov. Mitch Daniels’ efforts to make local government more efficient and cost-effective for embattled taxpayers. A study commission appointed by Daniels closed public comment Oct. 31 and is supposed to make recommendations to him by Dec. 31.

Oct. 25 Baugher forwarded numerous support materials, letters and resolutions to the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform advocating that WPL not be consolidated, most likely with the Porter County Library System.

According to a cover letter by Baugher, “When our patrons learned library consolidation was being discussed, their reaction was immediate, passionate and negative demonstrating to us the great value they have for our library and the services we work to provide.”

WPL assistant director Jane Walsh-Brown said anti-consolidation petitions now total 1,673 signatures with more being collected, and the Friends of the Library membership has grown to 536 members.

Organization day for the General Assembly, which begins in January, is Nov. 20. Baugher said WPL has received additional materials in support of its independence that can be given to local legislators at the appropriate time. “They’re good folks. I think they’ll work with us. I hope so,” he said.

Friends donation presented

Friends of the Library president Jerome Davis, vice-president Lucille Davis and treasurer Kathleen Ricca presented a $10,000 check to the Library Board. Lucille Davis said the amount was larger than typical donations because a certificate of deposit matured. The Davises have been involved with the Friends for 17 years.

“Thank you so much,” said Library Board president Karen Nash of the monetary gift. Ricca said all the Friends members are responsible for the donation.

Baugher said the money will be distributed as $7,000 for WPL’s adult programming; $2,000 for children’s programming; and $1,000 for the WPL-operated Westchester Township Historical Museum programming.

During statistical reports Baugher noted that individual service units given to the public at the museum, located in the Brown Mansion, is up 16 percent year-to-date, while circulation at Hageman Library was up 30 percent in October and nearly 19 percent year-to-date. Circulation of Hageman materials by non-township residents jumped 97 percent last month alone.

Baugher said overall circulation system-wide is down 1 percent for 2007 but is offset by increases in other services areas like 577 loans of new MP3 books on tape, and a nearly 158 percent increase in the circulation of DVDs over 2006. WPL total circulation was 30,365 materials last month and 320,474 year-to-date.

Posted 11/9/2007