Photo by Jody Isaackson Plum Creek Library System Director Jim Trojanowski and Lake Benton Library Director Shelly Finzen present a request of the Lincoln County Board to increase the budgets for the five libraries to $14,000 each over the course of the next three years.

IVANHOE — Plum Creek libraries banded together Tuesday to ask the Lincoln County Board for a budget increase.

Plum Creek Library System Director Jim Trojanowski and Lake Benton Library Director Shelly Finzen took center seat at Tuesday’s Lincoln County Board meeting and asked the commissioners for an increase to $14,000 per library over the next three years. There are four Lincoln County Public Libraries, so this comes to a total of $56,000 increase.

“Gradually bring all the libraries up to the same level of funding,” they said. “Throw out the old formula based on registered patrons.”

The library directors decided to work together toward the common goal of increased funding for the all libraries. They asked the commissioners to throw out the present formula for funding.

The Lincoln County Public Libraries also provided the county board with a joint report on their statistics for the second half of 2016.

Commissioner Mic VanDeVere asked them why they thought each library should get equal funding. After all, he said the libraries were of different sizes, patronage and services.

The directors answered that the libraries share patrons, do not count computer uses or mentor/mentee or tutoring sessions in their registered cardholder count. There were also the joint programs that the libraries ran together, like an upcoming bus trip to the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum near Granite Falls.

“It’s a team effort,” Trojanowski said. He indicated that granting the libraries’ request would help alleviate any temptation to “fudge” circulation figures. “Everybody gets the same size piece of the pie.”

Additionally, there were programs like magicians and historical presentations that public libraries could get grant funding for that public schools could not, the library directors said.

Another reason for the increase in budget, according to the directors, was the libraries did have many patrons that rely upon their computers for research and recreation. And, unfortunately, it is difficult to maintain an adequate computer system on a shoestring budget. Currently, most of them were running on Windows 7.

“There’s been a change in the way we use libraries,” Trojanowski said. “It’s not just book and movie checkouts anymore. We have a lot of Legacy Foundation-funded programs, which also lends to the fact that not all attendees are library members.”

“Libraries are helping to keep our towns strong and attractive by offering programs schools can’t,” Ivanhoe Library Director Sue Vizecky said.

In addition to Trojanowski and Finzen, several other library directors and two city administrators were on hand in support of the request for increase funding

“We’ll be ramping up at least as fast as you (Lincoln County),” Hendricks City Administrator David Blees said. “We’re putting more funding into the library to keep it open more hours.”

Blees also thanked all the directors who said they’d be stronger with Hendricks Public Library joining them.

A lot of other libraries wouldn’t want the competition.

“We’ve got your (budget) request,” Lincoln County Board Chairman Rick Hamer said. “You have provided plenty of information.”

The board will be considering all the budget requests for county departments at an August board meeting.