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Last week, I wrote about the desire and the need for a new library building because the Redevelopment Authority wanted to level the library at South Brown Street for a parking lot. Additionally, the library in the old Knights of Malta Temple building was, to quote Mrs. Stuckenrath, the librarian, "literally sagging with thousands of books it cannot properly house." This quote is from a Sentinel article dated Sept. 29, 1968.
A library building must be built in such a way that the building is able to support the weight of the books in the library's collection. A newly built library, one designed to hold the added weight, was needed.
The major question was: how to pay for it.
The library board asked the county commissioners to impose a three-mill tax on all taxable real estate. According to the article, the commissioners had the legal authority to impose this tax without the consent of the people but they chose to seek public approval in the November election.
For the next several months (this was September 1968), the Friends of Reading, or FOR, campaigned for the Library Tax. This Library Tax meant that for every ten dollars of assessed tax, three cents would be added to the total. Annually, the Library Tax would ensure $75,000 for the library.
If the millage passed, not only would a new library be built. The millage passing would mean "for the first time in its history" the library would receive its full share of state aid, which would in turn draw additional funds. I don't understand how state aid worked back then and I will ask some folks I know about that. One thing that struck me was the fact that the standard for materials in the collection in 1968 was 2 books per capita, and today it is 1.5 books per capita. In 1968, that would mean that the library was required to have 84,000 books in the library. The library had 40,000 books between what was at Brown Street and the branch libraries. As with today, if libraries do not meet the standards, the library will not receive state aid.
The Friends of Reading spoke at a number of meetings and directly to civic groups as well as to the Young Republicans group in October 1968. There were newspaper columns written and leaflets distributed by 400 Boy Scouts, encouraging citizens to vote Yes on the library mill tax. There were numerous letters to the editor in support of the library mill tax.
And there were just as many letters to the editor against the tax. The arguments are legitimate. There were no definitive plans, no designs, no architectural renderings. There was no land purchased or promised to the library. The plan was nebulous at best.
One argument summed it up the best. To paraphrase: you said we had to have a new library and that the building on East Third Street would be condemned. We moved the library to Brown Street and the one on Third Street is still in use and not condemned.
I'll let you know the result of the vote in next week's column.
I want to wish all of my Sentinel readers a wonderful holiday season.
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Susan Miriello is the Executive Director of the Mifflin County Library. New books added to the collection include: Just After Sunset by Stephen King, Madonna: a rebel life by Mary Gabriel, and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarras.