Getting Down to the Details of a Potential Merger

The Committee on the Future of Libraries in Hennepin County met yesterday to consider a set of guiding principles that could govern the consolidation of the Minneapolis and Hennepin County library systems. They did not, as originally expected, make a recommendation. They did, however, identify a series of issues that need to be resolved before conclusive action would be taken.

These issues include:

• The fate of three temporarily closed Minneapolis Public Libraries -- Roosevelt, Southeast, and Webber Park

• The structure and representative nature of a unified system’s governing body

• The fulfillment of existing capital commitments (such as the 2000 library referendum) for each library system

• Assumption regarding the integration of existing staff and unions

• The identification of an independent project manager who could advise/oversee staff on a host of logistical issues

The Committee did agree that the vision driving consolidation should be to create a premier library system in the country by building on the strengths and talents of the Hennepin County Library and the Minneapolis Public Library systems. The primary focus of the united system would be to provide better and more seamless service to the public.

The Committee is focused on a funding structure centered around a county-wide property tax. While the tax base will inevitably change over time, consolidation would not significantly shift the relative taxes currently paid by Minneapolis and suburban taxpayers for library services. Minneapolis would also contribute an amount similar to the current library share of LGA (Local Government Aid), which would phase out over ten years.

The Committee on the Future of Libraries in Hennepin County will meet again on Thursday, February 15 from 8:30 to 10:30 on the 24th floor of the Hennepin County Government Center. For more information about the Committee on the Future of Libraries in Hennepin County, click here.

The Library Advisory Committee, formed by the Library Trustees to also study a broad range of potential funding solutions, will meet next on Tuesday, February 27 from 5:00 - 6:30 at the Central Library. For more information about the Library Advisory Committe, click here.

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2/9/07