The
past by Bruce Strand
A movement to establish a public library in Zimmerman has
“been percolating for years,” says Karen Michels, who is
trying to move the effort past discussion stages.
Michels, a City Council member and parent liaison at a school
in Zimmerman, told the Star News that she is looking for
citizens to serve on a grass-roots board.
“We want to work together to do a survey of the community’s
interest and the viability (of the project),” she said, “and
then make a presentation to the city and Livonia Township.”
She noted that the city and township have close to 7,000
people. The city has been reluctant to participate, due to
costs, and the school district has indicated it won’t be
involved unless the library could be co-located at the school,
Michels said.
Interested persons may call Michels at 856-0251 or Molly Vogt
at Zimmerman Elementary at 856-2101.
Outgoing Mayor Randy Hanson is interested in the project. He
said that he asked the school district to include a library
wing when they expanded the junior high two years ago to make
it a high school “but they nixed it.”
Hanson said he’s talked to people at Princeton’s library.
“Theirs gets used quite a bit,” said Hanson. “It would be a
question of what it will cost and how much of a draw it would
be, with libraries already in Princeton and Elk River. It
would take a lot of donated time and materials.”
This would be part of the Great River Regional Library chain.
Felix Schmiesing, a GRRL trustee and Sherburne County
commissioner, explained that the GRRL “generally provides the
books and staff, and the community has to put up the
building.”
Bescye Burnett, director of the GRRL, said that no new
libraries have been started for four years, with state funding
being so tight.
Mick Stoffers, Elk River librarian, noted that it’s a costly
project for the city, considering “the heat and electrical
(bills), security system, counters, chairs, tables, bookcases”
and other expenses. She said they might want to check on costs
with similar-sized towns with libraries such as Becker and Big
Lake. |
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