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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTestimony on Municipal Libraries 5-23-90TESTIMONY OF JUDY M. PIERMAN, COUNCILMAN VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH FLORIDA ON MUNICIPAL LIBRARIES MAY 23, 1990 MY NAME IS JUDY M. PIERMAN, FROM 560 GREENWAY DRIVE IN NORTH PALM BEACH, FLORIDA. FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS I HAVE SERVED AS COUNCIL- MAN FOR THE VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH AND FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS HAVE SERVED IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES IN A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION CALLED THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN. THIS BACKGROUND IS IMPORTANT FOR THE TESTIMONY THAT I'M ABOUT TO GIVE BECAUSE IT WAS FROM THE UNION OF THESE TWO THAT THE NORTH PALM BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY EVOLVED. THE TESTIMONY OF THE NORTH PALM BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY IS A SUCCESS STORY THAT BEGAN AS AN IDEA IN 1961 BY A GROUP OF WOMEN SEEKING LIFE- LONG LITERACY AND LEARNING FOR THEMSELVES, THEIR CHILDREN, AND THEIR COMMUNITY. THIS IDEA WAS STUDIED, IMPLEMENTED AND SUPPORTED FOR TWO YEARS TOTALLY THROUGH VOLUNTEER EFFORTS OF NON-PROFIT ORGANIZA- TIONS. BOOKS WERE INITIALLY DONATED FROM THE PERSONAL LIBRARIES OF THE RESIDENTS. THE FACT THAT THIS COMMUNITY WAS COMPRISED OF A GREAT NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL AND COLLEGE EDUCATED PEOPLE SHOWED THE IMPORTANCE THAT A LIBRARY WAS DESTINED TO HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY. IT WAS SO IMPORTANT THAT THE VILLAGE COUNCIL ACCEPTED THE LIBRARY SOCIETY'S DONATION OF ITS COLLECTION IN 1965. FOUR YEARS LATER A PUBLIC LIBRARY BUILDING, WITH THE HELP OF FEDERAL AND LOCAL FUNDS, WAS BUILT. U.S. CONGRESSMAN THOMAS LEWIS, MAYOR OF THE VILLAGE IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE LIBRARY, RETURNED FOR ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY AND SAID, "WE -EXPECTED A SUCCESS WHEN WE DEDICATED THE LIBRARY, BUT NEVER DID WE EXPECT IT TO PROSPER,: SO GREATLY. I AM PROUD AND HAPPY TO SEE. IT DO SO WELL OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS." (2) THE LIBRARY IS SUPPORTED THROUGH THE RESIDENTS' TAX DOLLARS. THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS TOTAL APPROXIMATELY 13,000 WITH A CURRENT LIBRARY MEMBERSHIP OF 3000. OUR SELF-CONTAINED MUNICIPAL LIBRARY HOUSES 40,000 VOLUMES ALONG WITH AN EXTENSIVE AUDIO. AND VIDEO COLLECTION. NON-RESIDENTS ARE CHARGED A MEMBERSHIP FEE. OUR LIBRARY/PATRON NEEDS ARE BEING MET IN A PLEASANT, PROFESSIONAL MANNER WITHIN THE VILLAGE, AND AS IN THE BEGINNING, VOLUNTEERISM PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART IN OUR SUCCESSFUL OPERATION. ALONG WITH OUR FOURTEEN PAID STAFF, WE HAVE AN EQUAL NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS. A GROUP CALLED "FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY" WORKS TO RAISE FUNDS AND LI- BRARY AWARENESS. DONATIONS FROM MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS ALSO PROVIDE FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE LIBRARY. A FIVE MEMBER AD- VISORY BOARD GUIDES THE LIBRARY'S PROGRESS. WE AREA SUCCESS STORY, BUT EVEN SUCCESS CAN BE IMPROVED. WE ANTICI- PATE THAT OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS THAT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF AUTOMATION BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE COMPUTERIZATION PROCESS. BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE FUTURE EXPENDITURES, WE WOULD URGE THAT ANY FUNDING POSSIBILITIES BE EXTENDED TO MUNICIPAL LIBRARIES, AS WELL AS TO OTHERS. WE TAKE PRIDE IN OUR VILLAGE AND THE NORTH PALM BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY IS A REFLECTION 'OF THAT PRIDE. IT WAS CONCEIVED, NURTURED, AND MAIN- ' TAINED BY THE RESIDENTS THAT IT SERVES. EACH RESIDENT CAN PROUDLY SAY, "THIS IS MY LIBRARY.