Group plans tome homes
From our weekly issue dated December 5, 2007
After working for more than three months under leadership of an ad hoc steering committee of 18 citizens, Josephine Community Libraries Inc. (JCLI) -- the private nonprofit corporation dedicated to reopening and operating the public libraries in Josephine County -- has installed its first official board of directors.
The group needs to raise $600,000 to $1 million to open the four branches of the library at a minimal level of service. The branches are in Grants Pass, Cave Junction, Williams and Wolf Creek.
To raise funds, JCLI anticipates setting up a membership structure similar to that of public broadcasting, in which library donors would make yearly contributions to provide for operations. The libraries still would be accessible to everyone at no charge. Other ideas include special fund-raising events during the next several months, which the new board will spearhead.
During its Steering Committee meeting Tuesday, Nov. 27, the following 12 were selected to serve on the new board: Brady Adams, Charles Brown, Judy Christensen, Dennis Doyle, Susan Ellsworth, Corin Goodwin, Bill Kangas, David Mannix, Nick Morgan, Bill Peterson, Elayne Smith, and Doug Walker.
Said Walker, a retired general contractor and father of three, “It’s tough to tell our children that we can’t go to the library. It’s a shame, and it shows serious lack of investment in the future.”
Walker has served on the Steering Committee since August, and was elected board president Tuesday.
Nick Morgan is a recent graduate of Southern Oregon University at Ashland and is a copywriter for Medford Mail Tribune. He has lived in Josephine County since 1996 and been involved as a community volunteer.
“I’ve watched this area grow,” he said. “There are so many resources and so much beauty here. But without a library, it isn’t much of a community.” He was elected board secretary.
Doyle, a certified public accountant, was elected board treasurer.
Cathye Mason, chairman of the Steering Committee, said, “I believe we’ve built a solid foundation for this board of directors to go about the business of successfully reopening the doors to the libraries in Josephine County.” During Tuesday’s meeting, governance of Josephine Community Libraries officially was transferred from the ad hoc Steering Committee to the new board of directors.
The effort started in late August, when a group of citizens deeply concerned about the closing of the Josephine County Library System in May began meeting to examine options for reopening the libraries. In September, JCLI incorporated as a private nonprofit organization. Also in September, the Josephine County Board of County Commissioners voted to establish a $300,000 matching grant that can be made available to a qualified nonprofit organization for library operations.
Since then, the organization has developed its bylaws and budget, and now it has its first official first board of directors
“With these pieces in place,” Mason said, “we can now apply for our IRS nonprofit status.
“We’ll have excellent continuity in this time of transition, as four of the 12 board members are former steering committee members,” said Mason. The four are Brown, Christensen, Doyle, and Walker. Additionally, Mason said, several other board members were continually involved, either faithfully attending meetings or participating in the group’s fund-raising or publicity activities. Mason said that she and other members of the now-defunct Steering Committee are committed to continuing to work hard for the effort.
The mission of Josephine Community Libraries is to facilitate the opening and to ensure long-term operations of a public library system serving Josephine County, while adhering to its core values of integrity, credibility, and accountability.
People interested in getting involved with the reopening effort can e-mail info@josephinelibrary.org or visit josephinelibrary.org. Those interested in making a contribution can make their check or money order out to "RCC Foundation/Josephine Community Libraries" and mail it to Josephine Community Libraries, P.O. Box 1684, Grants Pass OR 97528.
Affiliations of the board members, besides those of Walker, Morgan and Doyle, are Adams, president, Evergreen Federal Bank; Charles Brown, a retired U.S. Navy manufacturing engineer; Christensen, library board, library foundation; Ellsworth, a retired manager from the federal government; Goodwin, director, Gifted Homeschoolers Forum; Kangas, a Grants Pass City Council member; Mannix, a retired attorney; Bill Peterson, director of administration, Copeland Companies; and Smith, an educator at Parkside Elementary School.
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