Our library is at a crossroads
You, the citizens of Renton, will get to make the final decision. But Renton City Council decided in a six to one vote last night to recommend annexing to the King County Library System. This was a significant change in direction from a year ago, when the prevailing mood on the council was to remain independent.
There were a few reasons for the change, but the most important one is the economy. The Renton Library System has not been keeping pace with the growth in the population, so we knew we were going to have to look at some major capital expansion and growth in annual operations funding. However, with our significant drop in tax sources linked to the economy, like sales tax, admissions tax, and business head tax, we are strained to the limit just to meet current city service demands. In contrast, the King County Library System relies only on a property tax revenue stream that is stable even when real estate assessments drop; the total funds taken in by the library district increase modestly each year, regardless of real estate values.
Note that the King County Library System is not part of the King County Government– they share the name only. Hence, the King County Library system is insulated from the draconian cuts that will be necessary to shed tens of millions of dollars of potential red ink from the county.
Other factors that make the King County Library System (KCLS) more appealing that first thought are the KCLS answers to several questions our staff put the them. Some of us (including me) were worried that they would close our Highlands library– but KCLS actually says their formulas call for a much larger library in the Renton Highlands. In addition, they are putting a new libary in Newcastle, reworking Newport Hills, planning to rebuild Skyway, and talking about another library near the Kent/Renton border in the Benson Hill area. They would use existing Renton facilities in the near term, but ultimately build a new Renton main library and a new highlands library. Both library branches would be larger than the present ones, but not as big as we would have had to make them because much of the King County distribution system is centralized in Issaquah. Hence, the buildings would not need as much administrative space as any we built if we remained independant.
This also simplifies growing confusion we were running into as more and more of our new residents found themselves in our city limits, but also in the King County Library System district. A growing number of residents were paying for service and new capitol improvments in both sides.
Also, Renton has had to pay more money each year to KCLS as part of our reciprocal-use agreement, which is pegged to how many books Renton citizens check out of KCLS vs. how many Renton books are checked out by KCLS patrons. When we started this agreement about 10 years ago, with a city population of about 47,000, the numbers were pretty much even and there was hardly any payment to speak of. Now, with a population of around 85,0000, we are seeing lots of KCLS use by Renton residents…so we have to pay KCLS a quarter million dollars a year to even things up.
KCLS also assures us they have a good procedure for transferring most, if not all, of our staff. When Auburn joined the KCLS a few years ago all of the staff were picked up by King County Library System.
On the negative side, an annexation to KCLS means reduction of local control, and many library power-users are concerned that we will not have the large and accessible local book collection we now enjoy. KCLS certainly has a lot of books, but many of them will not be housed in Renton, and will take ordering by patrons to get onto our shelves. Also, the service is likely to become less personal, as KCLS is an institution used to handling one million patron visits per month… not a formula for being flexible.
Also, an annexation to KCLS will cost us all in taxes– not any more than an updated first-class independent library in Renton, but more than we pay now. Hence, this decision is one for the voters to contemplate before jumping into.
After a 90 minute deliberation on Monday night, council still had several remaining questions and issues to resolve, but all council members except Marcie Palmer recommended moving ahead with the next steps for annexing to KCLS. Marcie brought a lot of data to the discussion, and had thoroughly studied statistics, library board minutes, and surveys, along with bringing tremendous personal experience as a patron of both systems. She remained unconvinced that this was the right move, even while the other six of us voted for it.
In the end, it will be Renton voters that decide whether to annex to the King County Library System. Our vote last night just kicks off the process to go to a ballot, and we still have to collect recommendations from our library board and up-to-date cost figures and proposed working agreements.
How do you think you will vote?
NO!
I’ll be voting no for one simple reason: Local control.
As technology becomes more and more prevalent – the KCLS will probably remove more and more stacks to make room for “Internet Kiosks.” Our local Renton library understands the need for books in the age of pulp internet information.
It’s the right move, everything considered. I been on KCLS since the mid 80s, the service and selection they got is just great and I been living around many parts of the country before returning to the Puget Sound area.
Unless Renton stop the recipocal agreement, the cost associated with it just doesn’t justify keeping Renton’s own system anymore.
However, I do think KCLS should start charging high-use members for high number of book holds to limit cost increase.
-H
Great move!
I will be voting yes on this. I have thought for several years that KCLS is the right way to go. Their services and collection are much superior to Renton’s library, primarily because of economies of scale. When you have a large system, and are able to spread the administrative overhead across a very large region, it becomes much cheaper to add extra libraries to the system.
Randy, what’s the chance that the current downtown library can be turned into a museum or interpretive center once the library is out of there? It’d be a great place to tell the story about the Cedar. Think of it as something similar to the Cedar River Environmental Education Center in North Bend, only in a much uglier building.
Re: Great move!
I love the interpretive center idea! It already sits right along the trail and next to the park… it’s a natural place to locate such a thing.
Another eager yes vote here! Good work on a hard decision, council!
When is the soonest the vote would happen? (Timeframe?)
I would guess we could be voting on this by this coming November.
And I also really like the Cedar River interpretive center idea. It is similar to a proposal from our Renton Community Services department to explore partnering with the county or state on a salmon/nature learning center on that site. We can remodel the building, but we can’t change the exterior footprint or add a new story.
new library
Where would a new downtown library go in?
Ah to think: now the discussion is what or how to use the building when 40 years ago people were saying it would crumble and fall into the river.
Going to the original update: I would be for annexing to KCLS. While the study done for Renton suggested keeping it’s separate Library system it also said that a lot of time and money would be required to update it to what was needed.
Dave
where does one find the study online?
I’ve tried to query the Renton City website for the report consultants provided on the library but it is not easily found if it is there.
I will be voting Yes to this as well! Is there any chance maybe Renton could turn the existing Library into a children’s museum? What a perfect location. That would have my vote too =)
Unicorporated Vote
I grew up and still live in the Fairwood area, just outside the limits of Renton. In the current discussions of annexations to Renton versus incorporation of a new city (Fairwood) the only sticking point for me has been the library system. KCLS is an awesome resource, with the 2nd largest circulation of books of any system in the US, knowledgeable and friendly staff, and control as an agency (versus government administrative over site like in Seattle). If this vote passes, I’ll be more likely to prefer annexation into the city of Renton in the future. The Fairwood library is a medium size library with lots to offer.
I’m very happy to hear that the city of Renton is close to joining KCLS. A super-smart idea! It won’t be regretted.
Re: Unicorporated Vote
I will be voting YES to annexing the libary system. I’ve been a Renton resident for 5 yrs and was unimpressed with the Renton Library system as soon as I started exploring it. I only use the KCLS system now (Fairwood) and love it! I do, however, LOVE the downtown Renton library building and am very glad it will continue to be a part of the community. I’d love to see the building used as a combination interpretive center but also a kind of extension of the community center. I’d like to see a FREE place where families can meet and hang out. I suppose a children’s museum would fit the bill but I’d rather see some kind of indoor public space that’s free (or very cheap) for families to hangout.