By PAULENE POPARAD

After hoping to do it this year, it now appears the original 1975 carpeting in Hageman and Thomas libraries may have to wait until 2007 to be replaced.

The carpeting is showing its age with separating seams and fraying edges.

Westchester Public Library Director Phil Baugher told the Library Board on Thursday that this year’s Capital Projects Fund was reduced from the advertised $385,762 to $304,122 because the CPF rate was cut by the state from 1.33 cents to 1.21 cents per each $100 of assessed valuation.

The library system possibly could appeal the loss, said Baugher, but WPL has over $3 million cash on hand in its accounts. “With our current financial condition I don’t know that an appeal would be viewed very favorably. That’s piling problems on taxpayers.”

In addition to the $81,640 CPF loss, replacement of the Library Service Center’s heating/air conditioning units is currently out for bid with that actual cost unknown. The project includes new ductwork, a new ceiling and lighting fixtures on the upper level of the LSC building; a bid award is scheduled for later this month.

The work should begin in April and be completed by June; Baugher said it will be scheduled around the many community groups who use the LSC main meeting room as best the contractor can.

Baugher said there’s no estimate yet how much new Thomas and Hageman carpeting would cost. Michigan City Public Library spent $500,000 on its recarpeting, he noted, however, that included new furniture and shelving as well.

Baugher has recommended WPL include the cost of professional movers to shorten the time during which the collections would be unavailable to patrons while the buildings are being recarpeted. He said he doesn’t want to piece-meal the project and would rather do it at one time.

The discussion took place during review of WPL’s CPF plan for 2007-2009. By unanimous motion with member Sharon Robbins absent the board approved the plan and set April 13 for a public hearing. Baugher recommended spending $260,705 in 2007 and $224,300 in each of 2008 and 2009, all based on a projected assessed valuation for the library district of $1.8 billion. The current AV is $1.68 billion.

CPF money is used in four ways: funding the basic costs of repairs and maintenance to WPL’s buildings and grounds; purchase, lease, repair and maintenance of equipment like copiers, the elevators and HVAC systems; the ongoing upgrade and expansion of computer hardware and software; and for specific major projects like the recarpeting.

In other business, Baugher said the expanded E-Sources databases available in-house at Hageman and Thomas and at WPL’s www.wpl.lib.in.us

 website are online. They include Facts on File, Learning Express Library, Xrefer and Chilton’s automotive manuals.

Accessing the databases may take some patrons a few steps. They must be resident borrowers and use their library card barcode number and their password to gain access; they also must disable any pop-up blockers they may have in their browser or firewall, and set their browser to accept cookies for the E-sources to work, said Baugher.

Only 900 of 10,000 borrowers have passwords on file so patrons who lack them will be asked to create a password. The password also will enable patrons to check their account, reserve books and email reference questions to that department as well as receive email notices, if desired, from the library.

In the first two months of 2006, WPL has had 25,477 web page visits compared to 7,506 this time last year or a 437 percent increase.

Baugher reported he is investigating allowing patrons to pay overdue fines with a charge or debit card. A government-friendly company that does not charge the library the credit handling fee is being sought. Borrowing privileges are blocked when a $5 fine is due, but the replacement cost for one non-returned checkout can be $100 or $200, he said.

Also Thursday:

• Two WPL staff members have been assigned to help revive an Outreach to Shut-ins program. Information about the service will be released soon and patrons who wish to use the service will be sought.

• Irene Koch and Susan Shields were hired as technical services clerks.

• In annual reorganization, Neal Mortensen was elected Library Board president; Karen Nash, vice-president; Rick Hokanson, secretary; and John Corso, treasurer. Mortensen and member Sue Harris both recently were reappointed.

• WPL has acquired a new, small collection of audio book CD materials in the Great Course series of college-level lecture courses. Baugher said the CDs are popular with commuters.

• It was reported that WPL circulation system-wide increased by more than 12 percent in February over last year and over 19 percent year-to-date. The latter translates to 64,648 of WPL’s 187,768 items being circulated so far in 2006. The biggest change was an almost 99 percent jump in circulation of adult fiction in 2006 over 2005.

• Under its new record-keeping system, library services like web page visits, program attendance, circulation, meeting-room use and visitor traffic all are counted as public-service units. Year-to-date WPL has provided 6,583 PSUs at Porter’s Hageman Library and 101,814 at Thomas in Chesterton or a total 156,048 in 2006.

Posted 3/10/2006