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Combined School and Public Libraries Combined School and Public Libraries Guidelines for Decision Making Second Edition Division for Libraries and Community Learning Endorsed by the Council on Library and Network Development Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction This publication is available from Division for Libraries and Community Learning Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction P.O. Box 7841 Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7841 (608) 266-2205 Bulletin No. 98234 May 1998 The Department of Public Instruction does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, or mental, emotional or learning disability. Printed on recycled paper Contents Acknowledgments...................................................................................................................... iv Introduction ................................................................................................................................1 Sources of Help...........................................................................................................................2 Legal Basis..................................................................................................................................2 Planning ......................................................................................................................................2 Missions......................................................................................................................................3 Issues to be Considered...............................................................................................................4 Alternatives for Improving Library Services.................................................................................6 Feasibility Checklist ....................................................................................................................9 Establishment of a Combined School and Public Library............................................................14 Appendix A: Combined School and Public Libraries in Wisconsin.............................................18 Appendix B: Examples of Alternative Methods for Improving Library Services ........................21 Appendix C: A Selected Bibliography.......................................................................................23 Appendix D: Statutory References............................................................................................26 Appendix E: Sample Master Agreement ...................................................................................29 iii Acknowledgments The preparation and publication of this revision of Combined School and Public Libraries: Guidelines for Decision Making was made possible with the invaluable guidance and insights of the members of the Committee on Combined School and Public Libraries of the Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND): Milton Mitchell, Chair Richard F. Haas Miriam Erickson Timothy Laatsch Pat La Violette This revision is based largely on the work of an earlier COLAND Committee consisting of: Richard F. Haas, Chair Miriam Erickson Timothy Laatsch Pat La Violette Bill Wilson A debt of gratitude is also owed to the following individuals and publications for the guidance and information they conveyed: Shirley L. Aaron, A Study of Combined School-Public Libraries, ALA, 1980; Evaluation of a Joint Venture in Rural Library Service, 1992, prepared by Himmel & Wilson, Library Consultants, Madison, WI, for the Lincoln Trail Libraries System, Champaign, IL, Janice Beck Ison, Director. Division for Libraries and Community Learning staff liaisons to the committee were Larry T. Nix, Public Library Development Team, (608) 266-7270, and Richard Sorensen, Instructional Media and Technology Team, (608) 266-1924. Donald Lamb, former Public Library Administration Consultant, also worked with both COLAND committees as a DLCL staff liaison. Thanks also to George Hall, Program Assistant for the Public Library Development Team, who did the final formatting and proofing of the publication. iv Introduction The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Division for Libraries and Community Learning frequently receives requests for information on the legality and desirability of combining school and public libraries. Such libraries are located in a single facility, operating cooperatively to perform the curriculum support functions commonly associated with school library media programs and to provide the broader library service needs of children, young adults, and adults that are commonly the focus of public libraries. Among the factors accounting for this interest is the pressure on all public institutions to use tax moneys responsibly. There is also broad acceptance in Wisconsin of the concept of community education, which envisions the school as the central institution for the education of all community members and encourages cooperation and coordination among educational agencies. In some instances, school library media centers are being urged to expand their programs as a means to demonstrate to the community more efficient utilization of existing educational facilities. Although at first blush combining school and public libraries seems a logical and reasonable idea, there are significant obstacles to establishing libraries which are effective both as school libraries and as public libraries. One evidence of this is that there are only a handful of such libraries in Wisconsin or even in the nation. Another is that, although this possibility often arises, most communities reject this idea after study as not being feasible or desirable. With those caveats, the purpose of this publication is to help communities and school districts determine whether such a combination will be the best way to provide effective school and public library service. The information and checklists found here should guide interested parties in making good decisions. The bibliography also lists selected items which provide additional information for those seeking increased understanding of the issues involved. Local library personnel and community members may wish to seek technical assistance from their public library system and to contact the Division for Libraries and Community Learning in order to clarify the legal, governance, and funding consequences of a combined program. A community may want to consider other alternatives to the combined school and public library for improving library service. Technology presents a significant opportunity for libraries of all types to share resources effectively and to gain increased access to information without combining facilities. If a combined facility appears to be the best way to provide good library services to all concerned, a section of this publication provides guidance on how to implement this concept in the most effective manner and in compliance with legal requirements. 1 Sources of Help At the state level, staff from the Instructional Media and Technology Team of the Department of Public Instruction can assist school districts in dealing with the issue of combined school and public libraries, and staff from the Public Library Development Team can assist municipalities and public libraries. Municipalities and public libraries should also seek assistance from the public library system in whose area they are located. Legal Basis Wisconsin statutes do not accommodate a truly combined library, where a single board of control has responsibility for both school and public library services. However, while there is no legal entity in Wisconsin called a combined school and public library, there are legal mechanisms for jointly providing school and public library services in a shared facility. In this document, the term “combined library” generally refers to a school and public library, each with its own board, operating cooperatively within a single facility, sharing staff and/or resources, and offering some services on a shared basis. An alternative arrangement could occur in an instance where a school district contracts with a public library board and the governing body of the municipality or county to administer the school library media program as part of a branch library. However, the combined library would still need to comply with all applicable administrative rules and statutes relating to the operation of a school library media center. See Appendix D for specific legal citations. Planning Planning for public and school library services should take place within the context of planning for total community services. Planning is an essential ingredient in the development and improvement of all of today’s libraries. For more than a decade, libraries have been encouraged to examine the communities they serve, to identify the needs of those individual communities, and to develop a strategy—a plan—for providing services that will meet those needs. In addition, school districts are required by administrative rule to have a current long-range plan for library services. Tools such as the Department of Public Instruction’s School Library Media Programs: A Resource and Planning Guide (Madison: DPI, 1987) and the Public Library Association’s Planning for Results: A Library Transformation Process (Chicago: ALA, 1998) can assist libraries and governing agencies with assessing local needs and creating a plan for service. Wisconsin Public Library Standards (Madison: DPI, 1994) makes broad recommendations
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