Bernard Bellin

OPERATING AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE

The Lakeshore Library System was established under Sec. 43.15, Wisconsin Statutes in January, 1983 by action of the Racine and Walworth County Boards. Only the residents of those towns and villages in the two Counties that are without their own libraries pay into each County's special levy for library services. The residents of the cities of Burlington and Racine, the villages of Union Grove, Waterford and Rochester, and the town of Rochester are exempt from the County Library Levy because they tax themselves locally at a higher mill rate than that of the County as provided for in Sec. 43.64, Wisconsin Statutes. The Lakeshore Library System Board distributes County tax revenues to provide cash reimbursement to libraries for serving residents located outside their municipal boundaties, to help them expand their collections and for providing other services to Lakeshore Library System residents. All funds appropriated by the County are distributed to individual libraries in order to lease library services for County-taxed residents. No County funds are used for system administrative or support services; these activities are State funded. This State aid is used to provide services to the system's various member libraries, including interlibrary exchange of materials, preparation of computerized card catalogs, delivery services, automation, and continuing education. The Racine Public Library is the system's designated resource library. It provides Specialized services on a contract basis.
 

ACHIEVEMENT OF PERFORMANCE GOALS

As required by state statutes, the system provided training for staff at member libraries. In 2000 , we provided 15 different training sessions for more than 300 participants.
As required by statute, the Lakeshore Library System provides free interlibrary loan service to the 15 member libraries and free delivery of those materials between libraries. It is our intent to foster sharing between the libraries rather than have each library use limited funds to purchase seldom used items.
System-sponsored performers draw thousands of young children each year (8003 in 2001) to system libraries. We know that children have better reading scores when they return to school in the fall because of the tens of thousands of books they read in the summer. Five performances are sponsored at each of the 15 libraries.
The Lakeshore Library System continues to provide member libraries with the leadership needed to move forward in the area of technology. In 2001, Lakeshore Library System provided all the libraries with a fast and inexpensive method to add their materials to a worldwide database and to the Wisconsin database - WISCAT. Lakeshore Library System continues to subsidize the cost of theis service to teh member libraries.
Using state aids and federal grant funds, the Lakeshore Library System has created a Wide Area Network (WAN) for the member libraries of Lakeshores. Members who join receive T1 lines that are subsidized by the federal government and by Lakeshore Library System. T1 lines provide high-speed access to the Internet for member libraries and their patrons. All of the libraries provide Internet access to the public.
With the advent of subsidized T1 lines, the libraries in the Lakeshores Library System are moving in the direction of a shared automation system. With the assistance of state aids and federal funds, the member libraries are moving toward a single library card for all of Lakeshores Library System member Libraries.

2002 GOALS AND BUDGET STRATEGIES

•  Work with the County to appoint a County Library Planning Committee, authorized by Chapter 43. This group should address funding for intersystem circulation, funding for intermunicipal circulation and recommended standards for libraries.
   
•  Continue the multi-year goal of getting county funding levels to an equitable use basis. The goal is to reach 100% funding for the services provided.