HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1980-03-05, Page 2ary au t in
&RUIN CRAW
Huron-Bruce Liberal Candidate
branches are not proVerly maintained, it be noted, and libraries got into some of amount and the burden of providing space,
Thifursoffeduritylibtary symeor is being to - suspend:- services itt certain cases- to • • -Also a freeze en priding the -b Provincial At 'the' same- time- be peinted- out that-a,
, BY HENRY HESS
between the province :and the municipalities, in books and equiPitient.
making it hard, to keep up .the Jibraries in In an interview last week. County Librarian
some of the smaller centres. Bill Partridge said facilities have been "a
• The report of the library board to county , bugbear -- sort of a perennial issue because
council last Thursday noted there has been a libraries have been let go". But he added he
problem with lack of heat and with the isn't blaming the iminicipalities for the
ceiling falling in at the Gorrie library, and problems. • •
that consequently the board is looking fii• He said he thinks the municipalities are
other. accommodatioe there, trying their best, but their hands are tied too
The board has also been having problems by the lack of .any major `provincial capital
a the cOst of operating,tbe library system
onto the local governments. ,
At one -time about half,the funding for the
library system came from the proVince, he
reported; but a freeze on funding at lhe 1977
level has reduced this to about one third. of
the total today.
"Public library services are really sup-
ported by the municipality," he said,
He noted that the rental fee of $2.00 r
circulation is so high. He attributed the
success partly to the, many outlets the library
has; even in. small centres.
In his report to council Mr. Partridge
MAO the library's 1979 budget of $449,799
amounts to only $8.05 per. capita.• Salaries; at
$200,234, accounted for 46 per cent. of the
budget, with „books next at; $112,500 for:25
per cent. The remainder is divided among
rents, benefits, Miscellaneons costs, proces-
sing and equipMent.
The library board'report alio shoWed the
floor space of the various libraries around
the county, showing Wingham at•800 square
feet with less than. half the space of any 'of
the other town libraries. • '
Mr. Partridge later explained this is
because Wingham, was the only town not to
apply for a Carnegie grant back around the
turn of-the century. These grants- helped
towns to build separate library buildings,
while Wingham was left using two rooms in
the toWn hall.
He said both he and the library board have
been trying to work with. the town to get
larger quarters. They had hoped to g'Vt the
bottom floor in the' old post office building,
but this has been held up by the town's
agreement to use the space as a day care
centre, he noted.
•
as, one
reported that
with the building at WaltOn as well or grant program for libraries, square foot per year which the library beard
two others, and last month it if Most arenas got grants through' Wintario, pays fiir facilities is really only a token
cards and use them, so the. service Provided
is a major and not a minor one. • ,
Total book circulation in. the Huron system
was 386,253 last year, an increase of hearty
20,000 over 1978, he, repOrted. The biggest
increases were at Hermit (41 per cent) and
Wingham (13 per cent),
He said the circulation figure is an
enviable one, and he has been asked by:other
pe 'country librarians why Huron County's
may become necessarY for the library board them,' 'but net , in 'most cases faili on the Municipalities,
ca,ughe in-the:middle of-a----funding--,squenze-:,,prOtect-the -large investment-the 4ibrari-has 4kimping,vr e er-larger-share--,-thirdof-tbe-people-in-the,eetmty-have-library
you have an opinion?: u.fii,), not
write us a letter to the editor,. and _
let euerybire littose. :ill letters are
published, providing; they can In'
...;_authe..atiealed, and :pSettilokyniS.
are ;Wowed. All letters, hott,4,tier,
are sithjeet:to .editing. for length
. •
--0
k.*
II •, • ..,,,,,,, _._
Five people escaped their burning home on highway 21, south of Mr. O'Neil was awakened by the noise of the fire. It is believed the
Kintaii, Thursday morning abont 6 gait Pat O'Neil, Valerie Little and fire which destroyed the house and its contents, started in the kitchen
---- their ehildrenjawrenceTeecil-and-Juanita-Little-fled-the-house-when--wherea-woodstove was-located— [Sentinel_Staf Phot
. .
Spend more on roads.... Spe v•••••••
'from the_page 1
Engineer' Bob Dempsey explained the
major increase in the budget is due to the
energysituation: Asphalt prices are up to
$150 - $160 per to'n, he •reported, compared
to $70 - $75 when he came to the county two
years ago.
McKillop Township Reeve Allan Campbell
had a suggestion how the couLty could save
some money. but it didn't get very far.
Mr. Campbell said that white he had no
quarrel with the $1,366 the county spent on
repairing the Hullett-McKillop boundary
Mt, ....Ail..., •••••...I•-••.. •
bridge last year, he did question the $10,000
budgeted for engineering studies on that
bridge and another one in 1980.
He could have told the county the bridge is
in bad shape, he commented, and h; would
have been glad to do it for a lot less than
$10,000.
"If you'll fund 80 per cent of the cost I'll
be glad to take your word," Mr. Dempsey
responded. He explained the. MTC requires
an engineering study to qualify a project for
subsidy.
To all those who worked on my
behalf and to those who support-
ed us in the recent Federal
Election, my sincere thanks.
Special thanks to all those who
contributed in any way.
ends ,he \> -
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