A Yes vote is a vote for a reasonable cost, widely used educational, and entertainment solution for which there really is no other alternative.
Price:
Four years ago in 2010 that was not the case. The millage then requested was $500,000 a year. It was the same annual amount as the 2009 Township Library millage which failed.
The annual amount asked for the Birmingham Baldwin Library is less than half that and has been since our current contract was negotiated in 2011. Tomorrow residents will vote to extend that same reasonable rate to November of 2020. This is not a new tax increase but a contract renewal at the same dollar amount.
Usage:
For whatever reason the Township Library refused to discuss usage figures of City of Bloomfield Hills residents with our City commission.This was a critical factor in the 2003 break up when the library raised it's rates dramatically and the City could see no justification for the increase.
The Baldwin Library has never hesitated from providing usage figures and the numbers are active not passive. To be a user you must not only obtain a card which requires an in person visit to the Birmingham Library but you must also check out books.
The usage figures are the highest ever recorded for our City. That is because the Township never gave us any, and the Troy Library used in the years 2003 through 2011 as an alternative, usually had less than 100 users.
Since November of 2011 (two years and eight months ago). The Baldwin Library has issued 1070 library cards to City residents.
A third of the City's 1500 households have cards. The average number of books checked per visit out is much higher than the "five" reported by the library. That's because Libraries traditionally divide total items checked out by the population. Our 1070 card holders is not our 3500 person population. The actual number of average check outs is probably closer to double digits especially with the variety of items available like kids books, audio books, cds, dvds, and traditional books.
The above usage figures do not count borrowing at our City Hall at 45 East Long Lake Rd. There DVDs and books popular in the last six months can be taken out and returned on the honor system. No library card is required. Also not counted are
electronic books, which are directly downloaded to to one's computer and later electronically withdrawn on the due date.
Usage figures continue to grow. The Library has been good at promoting itself in our town. Our City Government has been less dedicated to the task.
A major usage breakthrough was accomplished by the efforts of Baldwin Library Director Doug Koschick and Bloomfield Hills School Superintendent Jim Glass. That was the routing of homework and study assignments from the Bloomfield Hills School District through the Baldwin Library for our students. In the bad old day such school work simply went to the Township Library which our students were not allowed to use.
Alternatives if Any:
In 2010 the year of the City's last Library millage defeat there were plenty of other alternatives.
There were Borders Book stores which are now gone. There was Barnes Noble now moved to Orchard Lake Road or John R. There were video stores like Hollywood Video and Blockbuster which are now gone. In 2010's not so distant past there was something called Talking Book World stores which are now gone. In 2010's future was Red Box which was credit card Kiosks renting first run DVDs for one dollar a night. Initially they popped up in supermarkets like mushrooms after the rain. Now It has been reported that they are all closing in favor of on line distribution.
In 2010 my wife and I did not have high speed internet. Now we spend countless vacation hours at the Public Libraries up north and points elsewhere checking our E-mail.
Some say the the digital age will make libraries obsolete. I believe the library brings the digital age to all of us at affordable prices and thus serves as the community's conduit to the future.
The contract we approve Today will last unto November of 2020. At the end of those six years I believe that communications by the spoken word and the written word will still be with us. A repository of such communications will still be of value and the Baldwin Library will still be providing it.
I am impressed that our community and their Library work so well together. It is a relationship unprecedented in our City's history with other libraries. Four members of our City, including the current President serve on the Friend's of the Baldwin Library Board. The Director of the Library and three Library Board members who gain office by being elected at large by the City of Birmingham have made themselves available during the renewal process to answer questions for our residents.
We seem to have a partnership that goes beyond shared services and into the realm of friendship which is very worthy of a "Yes Vote"
Monday, August 4, 2014
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Saturday, August 2, 2014
The City of Bloomfield Hills renewal of library privilleges is supported by City Commission in unanimous vote, endorsed by Downtown Publications and this publication, and most passionately and eloquently by Citizen Larry Neal who authored the piece below.
Editors note: Larry Neal is by profession is a librarian. Currently,he is the Director of the Clinton Township-Macomb Library, a district library which serves a population base in excess of 100,000 residents. In 2013 he was voted Michigan Librarian of the year.
In 2009, 2010, and 2011 Neal campaigned vigorously in pursuit of a library contract for City of Bloomfield Hills. His successful efforts in 2011 earned him the Person of the Year Award by the Birmingham- Bloomfield Hills Chamber of Commerce.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Official Ballot for Tuesday August 5th Election. Precinct 1 City Hall. and Precinct 2 Congregational Church. Issues of particular local interest, The Library renewal and The Republican precinct delegates are copied in bold below. Complete Ballot at very bottom.
Library Millage
Shall the City of Bloomfield Hills be authorized to continue to levy a library millage of .39 mils per year for a period of six (6) years commencing with the December 2014 levy to fund a library contract with the Baldwin Public Library of Birmingham, Michigan, to provide library services for the residents of the City of Bloomfield Hills? Library services would include full library privileges to the Baldwin Library, including borrowing privileges and other services of the Baldwin Library on the same basis as the same are available to residents of the City of Birmingham. Approval of this proposal would permit a tax limitation levy of $.39 per $1,000 of
taxable value on all taxable property in the City. The amount of revenue the City of Bloomfield Hills will collect if the millage is approved and levied by the City in
the first calendar year is estimated to be $286,331.
The Library vote is in the bottom right hand side.
OAKLAND COUNTY REPUBLICAN DELEGATES
AUGUST 5, 2014 PRIMARY ELECTION
(Vote for Five)
Gretchen Haughton 1575 Kensington Rd. Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 248-540-3921 ghaughton@aol.com
Jack Haughton 1575 Kensington Rd. Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 248-978-9271
Thane J. Namy 535 Chase Ln. Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 248-556-4527 tnamy@clearrate.com
Chris Wolf 136 E. Hickory Grove Rd. Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 248-320-3444
Michael T. Zambricki 1770 Hillwood Dr. Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 248-646-4509 mzambricki@artvan.com
The Republican Delegate vote is on the bottom left.
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