By Joel Spears

ROGERSVILLE — Don Reynolds, Director of Nolichucky Regional Library at Morristown — the system under which the Hawkins County Library System operates — said a proposal by Hawkins County Commission to cut library funds could have dire and far-reaching consequences if it passes a vote on Monday.
    “Cutting the library budget $9,400 for 2008 and 2009 would result in a loss to the county of over $98,843 for the purchase of and access to new materials, the removal of over 21,000 books, audios, videos, and DVDs, plus the loss of highly trained library and computer professional staff support,” Reynolds said.  He added that any budget cut would seriously cripple the county library systems’ ability to “serve the citizens of Hawkins County with accurate and up-to-date materials and services.”
    To boil it down, Hawkins County Library System Director Kristin White said, “If the county commission cuts library funding, the regional library system’s first step will be to remove all state-owned materials from our libraries at Rogersvllle, Surgoinsville and Church Hill.”
    Estimates compiled by Nolichucky includes losses of 9,351 items or 39 percent of material at H.B. Stamps Memorial Library in Rogersville; 8,904 items or 42 percent of the collection at Church Hill’s new library; and 3,531 items or 44 percent of  Surgoinsville Library’s collection.
    Approximately 40 percent of all collections in the county system would be removed and placed at other libraries in the regional, seven-county system.
    Since the 1960s, Hawkins County Library Board has maintained a service agreement with Nolichucky Regional Library / State of Tennessee Department of State, a contract which contains expectations the board must meet to receive services and funds. 
    Part of the deal, known as a Maintenance of Effort (MOE) is an agreement wherein the local library board must receive and expend locally appropriated funds “at a level not less than the amount appropriated and expended in the previous fiscal year.”
    If county commissioners vote to lower those funds Monday, it would reportedly violate terms of service.
    “If Hawkins County fails to appropriate the same amount of funds in the 2008-09 fiscal year as in the 2007-08 fiscal year, then all regional and state services to the three libraries of Hawkins County Library System must be withdrawn,” Reynolds said.
    He also said the library system would lose its yearly allocation of approximately $11,203 for the purchase of books and other library materials.
    White said the library system would also not be eligible to select materials from the regional rotation of video, DVD and audio collections.  A loss of approximately $65,360 worth of materials, according to Reynolds.
    This past year alone, Hawkins County libraries borrowed 2,160 Video/DVDs and 1,108 audios, White has determined.
    Reynolds also said a funding cut by county commissioners would mean library branch heads could not participate in management training programs offered by the regional or state library, which includes at least four workshops and additional training for support staff.
    “Using minimal standardized training costs, this would be a loss of at least $1,200 to the county,” Reynolds said.
    Other repercussions include:
    •loss of eligibility for grants from the State Library
    •no assistance from regional library staff with special projects
    •loss of the county system’s ability to receive free materials for the Summer Reading Program
    •no ability to rotate books and materials to six Head Start classes in Hawkins County, representing a loss of more than $16,800 worth of materials to Hawkins County preschoolers.
    •no network services consultant to provides help and support for the computers and automation system
    •and no professional assistance from the regional director to the Hawkins County Library Board or the library staff regarding questions or research.
    Compared to other counties in the Nolichucky Region, Hawkins County’s 2007-2008 per capita funding for its library system is second lowest at $4.61.
    “Currently, library customers are getting $166.30 worth of value for a $4.61 per capita investment,” Reynolds said.  “Hawkins County is way below the Tennessee Minimum Standards for a Public Library.”
    Per capita funding for public libraries in Tennessee is $15.61 and recommended Tennessee Minimum Standard for Per Capita funding is $7.50.
    Hawkins County’s library funding for 2007-2008 is second lowest only to Cocke County at $2.77.  Grainger County comes in third, then Jefferson, Hancock, Hamblen, and Sevier counties.  Statewide, Hawkins County ranks 68th in library support, but 59th in personal income, Reynolds said.