Library Board Moving Ahead On Transition

The Crawford County Library Board continues to make progress towards its Jan. 31 end date with the Ozark Regional Library and establishing its own system.

In February, the board will close all three branches in Crawford County to re-code and reorganize. March 1 is the target to reopen.

One big change will be extending the Bourbon branch from 17 hours to 48 hours per week with the doors open Monday through Saturday.

Board member Annalee Williams said they are confident in what they have been able to achieve since agreeing to a termination with Ozark in August.

“I think we’re going to do fine,” Williams said Friday during one of the board’s bimonthly meetings at Cuba City Hall. The board went into closed session as part of a litigation discussion regarding its soon-to-be former system.

The ties will be completely severed upon a settlement.

Elizabeth Outar has been hired as the district’s director. Outar will be working out of the Steelville branch until an office is ready.

Board member Mark Wenner said Outar shows “energy, intelligence and tenacity.”

The board will be hiring a branch manager for Bourbon, along with a branch clerk and an administrative assistant for Outar.

Open houses are planned for each branch. “We want to bring the communities in, let them meet Elizabeth and show that we’re moving forward,” Williams said.

Bourbon’s Future

When the board held a forum in Bourbon Nov. 9, it often became contentious, with several patrons loudly disapproving of moving to a different location.

Bourbon was the only forum where the public didn’t overwhelmingly approve of the board’s decision to split from Ozark. Members said Friday they received positive reactions in Cuba and Steelville.

“They’re glad we’re doing this,” Williams said. “Once they are explained the reason behind our decision…they’re upset we’re going to be closed 30 days, but they also understand why. It’s just a matter of educating people on what’s going on.”

Bourbon representative Deborah Dicus said the reaction from Bourbon has changed in the last two months.

“I think overall the reaction has been much more favorable than it was initially,” she said. Some people, Dicus said, didn’t realize Bourbon had a library or what the hours were. She said the Bourbon Economic Development Group and Mayor Danny Skaggs are proponents of the library’s future.

The board is still hoping for Bourbon to have its own library building one day and remain on the lookout for properties. Outar said it’s a long-term goal.

“In the short term, we’re expanding hours, expanding programming and expanding collection,” she said. “In the long term, we want to expand physical space so we can add more to collection and programming.”

Contrary to reports in the Jan. 3 issue of the Independent News, the board has not settled on a new lease agreement with the Bourbon Community Center at 575 Elm Street. Negotiations continue and all indications are the community center will lower the monthly fee. Williams said the two sides are working together to make a deal happen.

“It won’t happen tomorrow or March 1, but we’re looking,” Williams said about the plan to move. “That was our plan all along. We want to increase the size of the Bourbon facility. That’s been the agreement of this board even before we made the decision to leave ORL.”

“And more hours,” Dicus added.

“And more hours,” Williams repeated.

There is a feeling of optimism about the future of the system. Board member Mark Wenner said in November Ozark treated Crawford County “like a country cousin” during the forum. Board members expressed deep frustration about being rebuffed over requests ranging from more employees to more hours. Tena Slovensky, who was unable to attend the Bourbon forum, said Crawford County taxpayers are being looked after.

“I joined this board to protect the libraries and the county’s money,” she said. “How the money was being spent in the past…I feel if I don’t protect this money and this board, there’s just nothing.”