Libraries At Risk

Given a choice, every neighborhood of the City of Minneapolis would say it wants its library to stay in service. This has been especially true for the residents surrounding Southeast Library near Dinkeytown. The old Pillsbury Library building was vacated and the new location for the Southeast Library in 1967 was a building designed by Ralph Rapson. The library hopes to celebrate 40 years next year. Southeasters have been fighting valiantly since 2003 to make the case for continuation of their library.
And for those who used to go to the Pierre Bottineau Library in its old cramped location, the new Bottineau Library delights with its architecturally warm, slightly Art Deco atmosphere. But with short hours, it is difficult to make full use of what this new library has to offer.
The 20th Century was a spectacular growth period for library use, particularly during the tenure of Gratia Countryman, the Minneapolis Public Library system’s most beloved librarian. Her 1953 obituary said in part: “During her 32 years as librarian she played a major role in the library's organization and early recognized the need for ‘bringing the library to the people.’
“She often said: ‘This isn't the century when Abraham Lincolns walk 12 miles for a book.’ And she did something about it.”
That was still the spirit in the city in 2000, when voters approved a new Central Library and improvements to the community libraries with a resounding 67% yes! But along the way, a recession came and everyone felt the effect of a loss of taxes paid that hurt the State and the City severely.
During that dark time in 2003, the saddest evening in recent memory was the farewell for the 70-plus library employees who lost their jobs because of the cuts in Local Government Aid (LGA). It was held at Bottineau Library. The cold weather only served to remind everyone of the bitter price the library system paid. Whether it was because of the harsh economic times or the hard-edged City Council policy, the resulting pain was the same. It seemed things could not get worse.
But then it did. Library income has sunk so low that it will take $6.5 million in 2007 to restore the system to full capacity.
Most voters are unaware of the limiting controls placed on the Library Board’s fiscal role under the Charter. This has resulted in a 12-year history of shortchanging libraries. From 2003 to 2008, the amount of property taxes and LGA will go up 13.79% for the City, and 9.5% for the Park Board. But for the same period the Library Board will suffer a 1.50% decrease in its operating budget.
If the Library Board did raise property taxes and got the approval of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, the City Council will reduce the amount of LGA by the same amount. The result will be no gain in the library budget.
However, on the homeowner side, there are tax issues, too. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune on October 14, “Minnesotans are on track to pay about $1.6 billion more in residential real estate taxes in 2007 than they did in 2002. For the average household, that means about $800 more next year than they paid five years ago -- or more than double the $348 income-tax break they received when the state cut its income taxes in 1999-2000.”
What’s more according to the Star Tribune, “Residential property taxes in the past four years have climbed at nearly triple the increase in personal incomes in Hennepin County…”
Minneapolis residents coming to the recent public meetings to discuss library options tilted heavily toward saving their highly valued libraries. Many said a few more dollars in taxes would not be a big burden.
Young people and families need more access, meaning more open hours at libraries. Technology is no longer an option but a necessity for many people. The answers for Northeasters, Southeasters and all other neighborhoods in the city will not come easily, but more than ever close communication with City Council Members will let them know the wishes of the public.
It’s not a matter that can be left to chance.