PNLA Quarterly, Vol. 63 No.2 Winter 1999
OREGON Annual Report
Carol Ventgen
Library Development
Implementation of the three-year Oregon Information Highway Project moved forward during the year. The project's goal to achieve statewide electronic resource sharing resulted in an agreement with Information Access Company (IAC) to provide Oregon libraries with access to four popular data bases: 1) Expanded Academic Index ASAP, 2) General Reference Center, 3) Health Reference Center, and 4) Business Reference Center. Negotiations also took place with UMI for statewide licensing of the Oregonian newspaper.Several library building projects began or were planned in the past year. On June 1, the Eugene City Council unanimously approved an ordinance, to take affect July 1, amending the Downtown Urban Renewal District Plan to dedicate $18 million in funding for a new downtown main library building. Meanwhile, the Mayor's Library Improvement Committee is reviewing the results of surveys, five public forums and hundreds of input forms in preparation for recommending library serviceimprovements based on expressed preferences. They are expected to recommend establishing branch service as well as the main library, with additional operating funds for both that may appear on a November ballot.
Voters in the Sunriver Branch of the Deschutes County Library system passed a bond measure for $1.145 million to build a branch library. A new headquarter's library for Deschutes County in Bend is nearing completion. A new library at Central OregonCommunity College library in Bend opened recently.
Construction began June 29 for a 10,000-square-foot addition onto the Coos Bay Public Library, funded by $1.5 million in City of Coos Bay urban renewal dollars. A project to expand the Newport Public Library using city urban renewal funds is also moving forward. Major capital projects are continuing in the Multnomah County Library system as part of its 1996, $29 million bond measure. Construction plans are moving forward at Tillamook County Public Library for a new headquarters building and in Prineville where Crook County Library voters approved a $2.7 million bond measure for a 14,000-square-foot headquarter's facility.
The Oregon State Library will be receiving a $7 million facelist later this year. Western Oregon University broke ground this summer.
Library Legislation
Library support measures received mixed responses from voters during the year. Many libraries struggled with budget cuts from Measure 47/50, the tax reduction constitutional amendment passed by voters last year. Some were successful in restoring funding. In September, 1997, voters in Cottage Grove approved a renewed 3-year operating levy for the public library. Two library measures in the November, 1997, election restored some Multnomah county Library services when a 5-year levy of $18 million was approved. Warrenton Public Library's 5-year levy raised $58,105 over the five years.Five library measures on the May 19 ballot failed even though three of them received more "yes" votes than "no." The voter-approved measures will not go into effect because voter turnout did not reach 50% of registered voters, a requirement of Measure 47/50. Fern Ridge library supporters are considering another try at the polls to increase their operating levy. The Deschutes County Library system will close September 1 due to lack of operating funds pending outcome of a November, 1998, vote.
Association News
New officers for Oregon Library Association are President-elect Terry Rohe, Secretary Jey Wann, PNLA Representative Nancy Spaulding, ALA Representative Deb Carver.The Association held a very successful annual conference in March in Eugene. OLA members unanimously voted there for the Library Support Staff Roundtable to become a division of OLA with a voting seat on the OLA Board.
The 1997 edition of Oregon Authors, the annual bibliography published by OLA, is available for $6.00, prepaid, from Oregon Library Association, PO Box 2042, Salem, OR 97305. Back issues are also available.
The final version of OLA's recently-approved Youth Services Guidelines are now available through OLA's Homepage. More information or a paper copy can be obtained from Steven Engelfried, Children's Division Chair, at steven@westlinn.lib.or.us.
Jill Hefner of Driftwood Library in Lincoln City was elected as Vice Chairperson/Incoming Chairperson of OLA's Children's Division. Her duties, starting in September, include chairing the Summer Reading Committee. The Division also sponsors the annual "Stories by the Sea" storytelling festival in the fall.
"Soaring to Excellence," a series of teleconferences for library support staff was held at various locations around the state beginning in November with a session on customer service. Others took place in January and March.
The OLA Trustees and Friends Division along with Western Oregon University sponsored a successful series of teleconferences for trustees and friends at 7 Oregon sites with an LSCA/LSTA grant.
A revitalized OLA Outreach roundtable surveyed Oregon libraries and produced a chart of outreach services offered throughout the state. The Association has made the transition to an email-published newsletter, Hotline. The publication is also available on the OLA Web site and in print format for those who do not have email access. Editors and Webmasters are Colleen Bell and Juanita Benedicto, reference librarians at University of Oregon .