New chief seeks
library changes

The state librarian wants
better, faster service; tougher
penalties; and more flexibility
to fill jobs

By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

Better and faster service and increased penalties for patrons who abuse library privileges are some of the legislative proposals by the state librarian.

A Board of Education committee yesterday approved four draft pieces of legislation outlined by state Librarian Virginia Lowell that would:

Give the state librarian more flexibility in reallocating and filling vacant positions.

Allow the libraries to recover fees up to $10 from delinquent library accounts.

Allow the libraries to continue charging fees for enhanced service, and use the money to buy books and other materials.

After 103 vacant positions in the library system were eliminated in 1995, the state librarian could not transfer vacant positions to other libraries without going through a lengthy reorganization.

A 1996 law gave the state librarian authority to move vacant positions and establish temporary positions up to one year. A proposed bill would extend that authority to the year 2002.

The bill would also allow Lowell to set up centralized units -- such as a central ordering unit where all book selections by the 49 public libraries will go to for ordering, rather than submitting 49 separate purchase orders as the libraries do now.

Lowell also wants to extend the library's enhanced services program -- which includes fees for photocopies, video rentals and room rentals -- until July 2002, rather than ending the program in June 1999.

Currently, library users owe more than $3 million in fines for overdue or lost books.

Few delinquent patrons' accounts go to a collection agency, Lowell said, but taxpayers want libraries to go after them.

Lowell wants an increased penalty for overdue materials. While library fines were not intended to be a revenue source, Lowell said, she hopes a tougher penalty would convince people to follow the rules and return books on time.

The penalty would be in addition to the amount owed to the collection agency. Going after delinquent patrons costs time and money but the library cannot collect any administrative costs now until the account reaches the collection agency.

The draft legislation would also allow the Board of Education to enter into a contract with the state librarian, just as it does with the schools superintendent.

A proposed bill would permit the school board to appoint a state librarian without being restricted by state residency requirements, allow the board to pay moving costs and approve a term of up to four years.

While the school board approved reimbursing schools Superintendent Paul LeMahieu up to $35,000 in moving costs, it could not do the same for Lowell. A 1994 law waived the residency requirement and allowed the school board to offer a contract to the school superintendent, but it does not permit a similar offer to be made to the state librarian.

The proposals would give the school board authority to deal with the state librarian, just as they deal with the school superintendent and assure continuity of management in the system, Lowell said.

"I'm just trying for parity," she said.