The Library's Discard Pile

Dumpster full of paperback books, torn by hand, and filled to the brim.

How to use $5 million new tax dollars at the Library or isn't it nice that they recycle (?)

Renton Library - The good, the bad and the ugly

To be sure, there is always a good side to every new change and challenge, so let me start out with the good news where the Renton Public Library is concerned. After losing the vote to save our local library and Renton joining the ranks of the King County Library System, our library has gotten extended hours, access to the stacks at any KCLS branch (and there are over 40 of them) and my personal favorite, the ability to apply for a Seattle Public Library card for free (that's a $75 savings, folks.)

The KCLS system will finally be fully integrated with the Renton Public Library's system by this Monday, so all interested can get the new hybrid card, allowing you to check out books from KCLS and Renton's two branches. It is one of the cooler things to come out of this venture - it has a photo of our statue seen above on it and remains the same color of green. I plan to get right in there at the beginning of next week to get mine. I am glad that this transition is almost to an end. It didn't look like fun for anyone.

Now for the bad. The library has become - well, loud. You can use your cell phone and no offense, but the days of the quiet "shushing" librarian are gone. Some of them are the worst culprits and I kinda liked it when you had to be considerate of others who were reading and such.
Soon there will be a total of 28 computers (kinda good) and a lot of tables will be taken out. Guess it's more important to take your books elsewhere and browse.

You may notice that the electronic stanchions that stood at the entrance and exit have been removed and the books are no longer scanned in that fashion to prevent theft. Not the way KCLS does business. DVD's will soon be left out on the shelves, cases open, and any theft of stock from the stacks comes under the "acceptable loss" terms of the budget. Man - I think they should have just kept those electronic babies up. Keep everyone on their best behavior if you know what I mean. I hate having to pay taxes for books you know are gonna walk more frequently now. I even hate writing this and revealing the truth of the less than safe status of our books.

Now for the UGLY. These are all the books that I saw, torn apart by human hands, and left in the recycling bin outside the library's side door today. This container is FULL. Not left to the new secondhand bookstore that Renton finally saw it's doors open last week. Not for the much diminished sale shelves of books the library sets out, and not for Renton River Days when many of us have fond memories of buying discarded library books with relish.

There are comment forms on the head librarian's desk should you find anything you would like to see addressed heard and considered. I am going to fill one out today. I miss my local librarians, who now have schedules that force them to work in other branches instead of just at ours (the "cluster system is what it is called and as yet, I don't see the merits of it) and whom seem to be rather tentatively weathering the changing of the guard. Things seem to have gone from a generous "we" to a insular "ME" in the way things are run. Sigh.

I guess it just sucks not to have as much say in our local library. I wish that weren't the case. I am still available for "silver lining" moments. Chin up and all. I'll keep you posted.

Renton Public Library
100 Mill Avenue South
Renton, WA 98057
Phone: 425-430-6610
Regular Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Friday and Saturday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Frustration and a fight

The City of Renton Facebook page warned us that Monday, March 1, was our day to be over the loss of our independent library service and accept the KCLS annexation that Renton recently voted upon and lost, by a mere 53 votes, in an expensive special election. The Seattle Times finally got wind of the fight and wrote about it on that very same deadline day, and Celeste Gracy at The Renton Reporter followed suit the next day, catching up on the now presented legal case that the opposition to Prop 1 have put forward. The Save our Renton Library folk want you, the Renton citizenry, to weigh in and fight. It just isn't over.

It could be that the loss of the library to an organization that only shares a name with King County, but is in no way affiliated, will cost us more money than we were lead to believe. It could be that Renton City Council seems to underestimate our need for due process and correct facts and questions why they can so easily decide to spend $130,000 on a special election, not send out the voter pamphlets until the populace was already receiving their voter pamphlet, include a biased flyer in with our utility bills and call this fair play. It could be that this is just part and parcel of a direction that our fair city is just not willing to continue to take when it comes to deciding issues of community interest, and that our city leaders may not in fact be the embodiment of the "Live, Work, Play" motto of Renton that they purport to uphold.

Loss of the library downtown branch- under KCLS seems inevitable. Renton hopes to annex Fairwood (already a member of KCLS), move the present library in it's site over the river at the edge of Liberty Park and use this building for some fish hatcheries project (wow! hey they already have something like that 20 minutes away in Issaquah!) Oh, and then maybe our downtown library branch moves to Fairwood or elsewhere, living our Downtown Renton community without one more important and viable service. You know, the type that defines and fleshes out an active downtown. I am soooo tired of our DTR being shafted at the expense of The Landing or the suburban sprawl.

You can still be heard: The City Council members are here to be spokespeople for our city. An agenda that is responsive to all of our needs.

Public Disclosure Commission - Doug Ellis ellis@pdc.wa.gov 360-664-2735
Don Persson, City Council President Dpersson@rentonwa.gov 425-430-6501
Terri Briere, City Council Tbriere@rentonwa.gov 425-430-6501
King Parker, City Council Kparker@rentonwa.gov 425-430-6501
Greg Taylor, City Council Gtaylor@rentonwa.gov 425-430-6501
Rich Zwicker, City Council Rzwicker@rentonwa.gov 425-430-6501
Randy Corman, City Council rcorman@rentonwa.gov 425-430-6501

3/4 UPDATE: Now even The Renton Reporter wants to tell us to "get over it". Sorry, Dean - just like yourself, we are ALL entitled to out own opinion.

Black History Month at the Renton Public Library

Librarians are beloved creatures. They help us find books we didn't know how to find and remind us of books that we should consider reading. Black History Month is being celebrated at Renton Public Library with a special cart full of goodies for us to peruse.

This cart is found near the front counter and is full of interesting check-out possibilities for the avid reader and library goer. I immediately took one home. I love being challenged to read new books.

Tomorrow marks the last and final day for voting on Prop.1 in our local special election for whether we keep our library local or farm it out to KCLS. I say, Vote No and let the librarians who know us all so well continue serving us and our greater community.

Renton Public Library
100 Mill Avenue South

Warning: It's a TAX people, however you slice it - Talking about Prop 1

Lynar Deluca and her son Sammy have spent many an hour in support of Keeping Our Libray Local. Lynar is the voice behind the blog, Vote No 'til You Know.


If you already voted and you just saw the newly released numbers (link here) (good link here) that show how much more you will be paying out of pocket to have KCLS run our library show (this is a new line item to your tax bill ) - don't worry, you can still change your vote, and vote NO.

If you are appalled by the fact that KCLS is currently petitioning their users for an increase from 42 cents to 50 cents per $1,000 in a special election that is being held right now because they claim that they will need to cut back on staffing and hours if they don't get the funds (Wait! that sounds like the same argument Pro Prop 1 is using to get us to sign on!) and you need to change your vote to a resounding NO, don't worry.

If you think that it is not right nor fair that the above mentioned sounds like "taxation without representation" and like it even less that the charts with costing per $1,000 does not reflect the possible addition of of this new tax from KCLS in the above link, you still can say NO.

If you are just now realizing that if Renton Public Library joins with KCLS, the current 21-26 cents per $1,000 tax that we are paying will NOT be applied to our new KCLS bill, but will go into a general fund whose application has not been decided upon - you can still say NO WAY Prop 1.

(check out the costing discussions on Randy Corman's blog in the comments section right here)


When you see that the City of Renton commissioned a MASTER PLAN by an outside consultant to advise on the library to the tune of $118,000 and the conclusion was to KEEP OUR LIBRARY LOCAL, and now we are spending another $130,000 for a "special election" and you wonder how many security officers could have been added to our force at that price, you can still VOTE NO - even if you already voted.

If you think that this special election is all because the City of Renton wants to annex Fairwood, already a member of KCLS since at least 2004, who refuses the city's annexation offer unless Renton joins KCLS. Stop the meglomania unfairly linked to our library issue and say NO to Prop 1.
And Fairwood - The Picaroon apologies and means no ill will.

If you didn't like the fact that the Voter Pamphlet, which should by law, come to you 30-45 days prior to the Ballot and arrived either on the same day or a day after. If you thought it unethical that you should receive Pro Prop 1 literature in with your utility bill. If you have heard King and Bunny Parker ( King is a council member) were the funding source for the expensive mailer that went out to a targeted mailing audience just when your ballot arrived - it is still not too late to VOTE NO.

If you think that there has been a lot of DOOMSDAY SCARE TACTICS (don't support Prop 1 and the library will... - what!? not exist??!!! Our librarians have been making it work for YEARS of being underfunded! it's just time to give them the support they so need!). That our "progressive" city council may just be out of touch with this community and be talking down to us all here a wee bit -

You can STILL VOTE NO on PROP 1

If you already voted, you can pick up a replacement ballot at the King County Election's website

If you haven't yet voted, check these sources out:

Vote No 'til you know

Save Renton Library

PS if the librarians say it's not a good idea, you know, maybe it's not a good idea. They would know. And PPS, the librarians at KCLS are not happy with their employer -FYI

UPDATE 1/30:Randy Corman's blog covers where the monies owed to us from KCLS and our Benson Hill annexation here and other facts. The debate is HOT folks!

Grass Roots efforts to keep our Library Local

The ballots have been sent out, and the time has come to cast your vote. There is a strong grass roots effort to keep our library local (as it has been for the last 100 years) and inform you, the voter, of the price that you will have to pay to get that shiny, new KCLS that is being promoted as the library's second coming. More taxes, a bond, and the loss of a local treasure.

With 4 million books in their stacks and over 40 locations, the undisputed need to update our local library through the hands of KCLS seems to many the pretty penny choice - until you look further. Newcastle(joined in 2005) and Federal Way joined KCLS, and where are their new digs? (Thanks RentonBen for the links). Ever try to get a book in a timely fashion when you are the 200th person on the list? At the holidays, I looked for a book by author Garrison Keillor and when the librarian assisting me noticed it wasn't in the stacks, she ordered it for the library and within a week I was reading it. Now that my friends, is service. I personally think our book selection nothing to be sniffed at and don't feel like becoming a lost cog in the KCLS wheel.

The effort to remind citizens of the benefits to stay local is provided by the hard work and efforts of concerned library goers. The signs are paid for by those that hang them. The signposts in streets and in front of homes are made from recycled council election signs. The artwork by local denizens who care (thanks Catherine Mille).

My mother's home received a very pretty and shiny mailer endorsing KCLS and asking for a "Yes" vote on Prop 1 the other day (targeted audience - my home never got one!). It was at least an $8,000 investment a practiced eye told us, and listed so many of the council members who refused to take a stand on the KCLS issue in the January 8th issue of the Renton Reporter and at the council meeting held a little over a week ago Monday. But they were willing to endorse and add their names to the pretty, expensive flyer that goes along with the expensive, singular "special election"voting ballot for this issue. Now why again could we not wait for a later date when there surely would be other issues that the citizenry had to vote upon? So much for our precious taxpayer dollars. A big shout of praise and thanks to council member Marci Palmer who has publicly been a supporter of keeping the library local since day one - never keeping us in suspense as to her thoughts or affiliations.

Look for yourselves before you vote - these links have a lot more to say about this issue than The Picaroon could ever begin to address.

Vote No 'til you Know

Save Renton Libary

Beth Asher handing out pamphlets asking voters to keep our library in our own hands and out of KCLS's domain. Hard work and hoping to win the good ole fashioned way - one vote at a time.

Local businesses are not afraid to let you know where they stand. Yeah Liberty Cafe and Happy Delusions, you rock!


Super artistic effort for the cause by Catherine Mille (but not a super picture here on the blog. See it in person - this doesn't do it justice)

VOTE NO on PROP 1

Library it up during the Holidays

The weather is turning chilly, so it maybe time to warm up with a good book. Or learn to make something you have been thinking about into a new pasttime, by researching it with the help of a few written guides and the help of the librarian to find just the right supporting literature.

Whatever your reason for venturing through the front doors, you will always find a warm and bustling place full of smiling and helpful faces and lots and lots of really good reads. I don't want to harp on the DVD's you can also find - the librarians would love to not feel as if they were working at Hollywood Video and so often are sorely tempted to ask a movie laden goer "would you like a book with that?" In a world of Kindles and computers, let's take these days of longer nights and fall in love with a good book once again.

And with it being the season of sharing and giving, you could also bring along a spare pair of mittens, or a hat or scarf for the library Mitten Tree. All the warm goodies will be donated to the Renton YWCA mothers and children. You have until December 31 to add a gift of comfort and warm another's heart.

If you are ever at a loss as to what to read for this time of the year - there is an entire table of suggestions just waiting for your eyes. Just like when I venture into independent booksellers and read the favorite book lists of the employees, I gleefully look at whatever the Renton Library staff has put out. So many books, so little time. There is always another good book right around the stacks, waiting for discovery.

This and many other reasons are why there meets monthly a group of concerned Renton citizens that do not want our public library (independent for the last hundred years) to join with KCLS (King County Library System), an issue that comes up for our vote in the near future. If you are interested in finding out what you can do - join in the meeting
Sunday, December 6th at 2pm
A Terrible Beauty Irish Pub
in Downtown Renton /201 Williams Ave.S.

To find out more information about this upcoming vote on the library, please visit the blog that has been established to flesh out the issues and provide interested parties with some answers, because up until now, however you might view this concern, there has been an extreme lack of information.

http://votenotilyouknow.wordpress.com/

Storytime and squirrels

Storytime at the Renton Public Library is on - and Mira Schlegel is proudly sporting her storytime badge today. Ms. Lynar reported on this library happening over at her blog right here, and I just was loving the synchronicity of the squirrel theme over here at The Picaroon. Today's stories centered around this furry creature, much to all the kids delight and of course, to mine.

This squirrel visited my window ledge (the window that was open and without a screen, mind you) just this week. The ceramic squirrel was a gift because of the antics I got up to this past March with yet another squirrel.....

as seen here. Fall and it's attendant silliness is most certainly here folks. Make way for the bluster which is Autumn.

Library Updates and Love

Through out the summer, there has been an alarming discussion about the status of the Renton Public Library and the obvious need to secure more funds to update our library system. In 2006, it seems that a 20 year master plan was commissioned, with two sources, Miriam Pollack & Associates and Tina Roose of Roose Research, who researched the library's condition and concluded that the library should remain autonomous and raise funds to service the needs of a fast growing city population (annexations have brought us to nearly a population of 83,000 here in Renton). What concerns me, as we now know that voters will be weighing in on whether the library will join the King County Library System (KCLS) since it was decided in city council meetings to put it to the public to decide, is why we are not being given a better cost analysis break down about the funds that the taxpayer will be liable for whether or not we join KCLS. At the end of the day, money will be needed. Where is our real incentive to join KCLS (outside of the fact that our bill for using their services has increased dramatically recently), because we all must acknowledge that there will be price tag to all of this, even if we let someone else run our library it will not clear up the bill we must face for improving our library services.

"Annexing means King County Library System would take over Renton’s library services. If that happens, Renton residents would get better facilities, resources and services than exist in the current Renton Public Library. But according to the master plan, joining would also mean a loss of local control and services geared specifically to Renton, probable higher taxes, and the possibility that either the downtown or Highlands library would close."
Renton Reporter 8/15/09

My friend and cohort in blogging crime, Miss Lynar of All About Renton, took the time to read the 80 some page master plan for the library and proceeded to put a poll on her blog to see how people felt at just an instinctual level about whether or not to have the library remain a "Renton" concern (ie not join KCLS). The response was dismal.

For many of us, the library is a weekly, sometimes daily ritual. Books are a passion and the friendly and familiar library staff an added bonus that makes the trip in all the better. It is what living in a town that has a small town feel is all about - a sense of community, a sense of belonging and of having a place in your own shared world that matters.

My fear is that we will wake up one day and realize that we let a great opportunity to maintain our connection to our community, through our library resources, slip away. It will be too late to reclaim what the rest of the world is so easily seeing erode away - human connection, programs that are geared to us and not processed and implemented miles away from our daily reality, a friendly librarian face that knows our name, the books and DVDs we like to borrow and greets us with a smile when we head their way.

Today begins the National Library Card Sign-Up Month and if you don't have a tendency to borrow books and DVDs, maybe it is time that you started. You need a valid driver's license that has your current Renton address on it, or a photo id with a utility bill, or personal check, or something official that states your Renton residency. Since the Renton Library also has reciprocal book exhanges with the King County Library System, you can check out a book if you have a KCLS card or can apply for one if you live inside the KCLS service area, or in King County and outside of the Enumclaw and Seattle city limits. If you are under 18 and not emancipated, you have to have help with your parents/guardians to get your card. Find more facts here.

Update on the Library Vandalism of 6/24:

As far as the library goes, we have a suspect identified in the burglary at the library and there is probably cause to arrest him at this time. He's "dodged" us a couple times and is aware we're looking for him.

Cyndie Parks, Renton Crime Prevention Unit

PLEASE NOTE:
The Library will be closed September 4th - it's a Furlough day, and in fact the whole city is closing down and taking a day off (trying to cut back on costs).
However, the library will be open on Saturday.
Monday, is a holiday, and the library will also be closed that day, September 7th.

Library Love and Interblogging Support

Sometimes we have to question the why and how of things, and sometimes we have to come together to do so. Miss Lynar has been strangely absent from her blog and blogging at All about Renton as of late, taking on a much larger project than the everyday life and times in Renton. Miss Lynar is looking into the Renton Public Library and the current question on the table of whether or not Renton should join the King County Library System.

When a recent poll was provided for the public to vote concerning this issue, it was a bit difficult to see what the end usage of said poll would be - merely to market to the public better when it comes time for us to vote this Fall, perhaps? I myself wondered why the poll questions didn't really fairly lay out to the public what the true differences would be between remaining autonomous or choosing to join KCLS. Maybe we need to start at a more basic level of inquiry and work our way out from there. Gut level reaction sort of stuff - so here it is.

Should Renton Public Library join the King County Library System or not?

Hit on the above link and head on over to All About Renton's Poll featured today and tell us what you think. My hat is off to Miss Lynar for this undertaking and The Picaroon will be following her progress on this issue closely in the days and weeks to come, so tune in.

To join or not to join - that is the library question

Tonight at the Renton City Council meeting, step two in the process of allowing the public to vote on whether or not our Renton Public Library joins the King County Library System (KCLS) takes place. On July 20th, the reading of the ordinance was held and tonight it is the approval of said ordinance, which can be seen here at the City of Renton website item number 10, that will be addressed and voted upon.

In August, The Renton Reporter had an article about this issue, fleshing out a little bit of the opposing thoughts and dynamics concerning whether our city loses its independence and possibly staffing to join up with the King County Library System or remain autonomous but find the absolutely necessary funding to improve and expand a library service that has been coasting along on minimal funds and because of it, fallen woefully behind in servicing a fast growing population.

Last month, I posted a link to a survey that was available online for the general populace to make their voices heard about what local library services they felt were more important and basically asking them, if they were the library accountant, where would they scale back and what areas would need more primping and plumping. The survey purportedly was online until 7/31 and the next move for accumulating public feedback will be through an enclosed survey in utility bills which you should see in the mail shortly.

Whatever the outcome, whatever each personal view we might hold - the library needs more money to bring it's services on par with others in the nation and to meet the needs of a changing and growing clientele. I personally like having the small town feel of a library that services it's own clientele first and foremost, allowing the staff to be hired for our town's needs and not being a mere cog in a larger wheel. The consultants that were initially hired by the city, Mirriam Pollack & Associates along with Tina Roose of Roose Research, are also in favor of not joining the KCLS but see a need for a huge infusion of cash and effort. Bottom line, though - how do we market this to the people at a time when finances everywhere are stressed? Being a library and book lover all of my life, I hope to see a little more information about this issue in print before it comes to vote. I don't think anyone yet has a clear picture of just what either choice will bring us where our library's future is concerned. I just have a glimpse - and it makes me want the library to remain a Renton concern.

Please help the Library today!

From the desk of Jennifer Davis Hayes today:

The Renton Library needs your help to better understand how businesses and residents feel about future library services in the City of Renton. Information from this survey will be used to inform future outreach. Please go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/rentonlibrarysurvey and complete the brief survey.

This survey is being conducted by Cocker Fennessy Inc., an independent research and communications company that has been hired by the City of Renton to help the city reach out to area residents.

The survey should take 8-12 minutes. Your answers are strictly confidential. They will not track IP addresses or anything else that may identify you as an individual. They will collect responses to this survey from July 17 – July 31, 2009.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call Vanessa Lund at Cocker Fennessy (206-652-9506) or email vanessa@cofen.com. They would also be happy to send you a hard copy of the survey, if you’d prefer.

Again, the survey link is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/rentonlibrarysurvey

Thank you for taking the time to share your opinions and experiences. Results from the survey will be posted to the City of Renton website in August.

Vandals of library still at large

Those of you who read the Renton Reporter already know that the vandals who broke into the library last week as still being sought. Here is the link to that updated story.

Some of you out there seem to possibly know or think you know who the perps maybe from the comments you left on this blog. One is thought to have fled out of state. If you do know anything, but feel awkward in expressing that in this format (and it goes without saying, you should call 911) leave an anonymous comment. It will go directly to me, without being printed in the blog and we can go from there.

Renton Library Vandalized this morning

When James Liston, the courier for the library, arrived this morning at the Renton Public Library , there were already police on hand surveying the scene of vandalism that occurred this morning between 3 and 4 a.m. Apparently some good intentioned Rentonite had seen the broken glass on the staff door at the back of the library as it faces the parking lot and put a call in.

When Laurie Finlayson, Reference Librarian, arrived at 8 am, there were nine police vehicles in attendance, and the detectives were dusting for fingerprints on the numerous plastic tubs that had once held staff food stuffs and were now scattered everywhere. It seems that two young men broke the glass on the side door to the library, went into the Staff room and opened the fridge and began throwing and smashing jelly jars and other food everywhere. Some plastic food bins were found as far away as the playground. A computer monitor was stolen as were DVDs. As far as the staff can tell, none of the books were harmed or stolen (big sigh of relief here!) and the young men had merely minutes within the library to wreck their mayhem, as it was all caught on video feed, which has been submitted to the police for examination.

Outside held some more sad discoveries. The library has a 95 Ford Taurus that they use to haul books from one branch to another and to City Hall. This had all of the side windows punched out, the roof was stomped upon repeatedly and the front windows trashed. It isn't a new, fancy car - but it was serviceable and a necessity for conducting library business. It has been evaluated that the cost of replacing the windows would be $3,000 dollars, not to mention what other damage may yet to be found. The car isn't even worth that amount, but it ran well and only had 25,000 miles on it. Apparently a truck that was also parked in the parking lot suffered broken windows, but was no longer on site when I arrived this morning.

This morning the children's librarian, Jessica Marie, was having the kids gather for the kick off at the library of the Summer Storytime Program. Jessica, I was told by her colleagues, handled the situation with great aplomb. Luckily, all of the glass and mess were confined to the back and side of the building so the children did not have to witness their dear library "beaten up" by bullies.


This sad little apple, once a librarian's snack and now left behind at the crime scene, just tugged at my heart. The library has been coasting along these last few years without any real infusion of money, trying to keep pace with the changing needs of its readers and community and considering joining the King County Library System just so that in years to come, they would be assured of having the financial support that they would need. They really don't need this kind of trouble - you know?

So, I'm thinking -

Anyone have a car they want to donate to the Library? Must be in good running condition. Let's start there for today, shall we?

KIRO News team was at the library just an hour ago interviewing Laurie Finalyson (and asking for her photos) as well as the head librarian, Bette Anderson. They were interviewed by Chris Legeros who said that the story would be featured on the 5pm and 6pm shows tonight.
Wow, Renton on the television twice in less than a month. Is this what has to happen to have the crime scene covered here in our little town of 80,000?

Side Note : Six people were found to be living under the Renton Public Library this morning, as well as at least 10 others under neighboring bridges that span the Cedar River. The library has gone to great efforts to make access to the area underneath difficult to gain access to, but apparently not difficult enough. When speaking with Laurie Finlayson, Reference Librarian, we discussed that the actions of vandalism on the library today did not ring true with a homeless person perpetrating the crime. You would think the food would have been gathered and not thrown, if that was the case. No - this was just a pure act of property violence.

Update: 6/25 The Renton Reporter says that two suspects were taken into custody that very same morning, one found underneath the library and another under a neighboring bridge with incriminating evidence on them - but no one seems to have said if they have been booked on charges for this crime. I asked today at the library about this and will ask again.

Playful Preschoolers

Renton Community Center Preschoolers had a morning date at the Renton Public Library downtown, after which they made a run for it to the nearby playground. Joyful sight in downtown Renton yesterday.

Little girl, you lost your shoe