Remember your roots. Strong or weak, they are the history that grounds us, steadies us, and defines who we are today.
Another reason to remember your roots? Some of them may tap into forgotten wells of resources. In the library’s case, that well amounts to $55 million — funds originally intended for libraries but redirected elsewhere by the Josephine County Board of Commissioners.
These telltale roots stretch back to 1997, when Oregon’s Measure 50 dramatically altered the property tax structure in Oregon by transforming local levies into permanent tax rates. At the time, Josephine County’s only levy was a three-year, 33-cent library levy. County commissioners combined their base tax rate of $0.25 with the library levy to create a new permanent tax rate of $0.5867 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
This means that 56 percent of the county’s current tax rate was originally a library tax. However, Measure 50’s changes gave control of those funds to the county, allowing them to redirect library funds into the general fund for other services, including law enforcement.
In August 1997, the impact was clear — according to then-library director Gail Warner, 23 percent of the library staff members were laid off, hours were cut, and services and programs were reduced.
If we calculate how much of the library levy the county redirected to other departments beginning in 1998 through to today, the total is staggering: as much as $55 million. That’s $55 million originally intended for the support and maintenance of the main library and its branches.
By 2007, with shrinking federal timber subsidies and the lowest tax rate in the state, the strain on the county budget reached a breaking point. After voters rejected a sheriff’s levy in May of that year, the county closed its library system. For many, it was devastating. The library wasn’t just a building; it was a place of connection.
But something extraordinary happened. In the face of loss, the community rallied. Inspired by a challenge from the Grants Pass Daily Courier’s city editor Kevin Widdison, residents came together, donating time, money, and ideas to reopen the libraries as a nonprofit organization just 20 months later.
Still, the fight wasn’t over. For nearly a decade, the library relied on donations and volunteer efforts to operate. From 2007 to 2017, the library system lost approximately $23 million to the county — funds meant to sustain library services. Yet, despite that loss, donors and volunteers invested millions of dollars in both operations and facilities, including renovating the Grants Pass children’s area for $320,000.
Many of the same volunteers who reopened the libraries in 2009 also worked on three separate campaigns to create stable, permanent funding. Finally, in May 2017, voters approved the formation of the Josephine Community Library District, ensuring dedicated funding and securing the future of our libraries.
Part of this effort included a $1-per-year lease for the library buildings, allowing the county to support library services while fulfilling its obligation under the Josephine County charter to maintain public libraries. This agreement reinforced the commissioners’ commitment to ensuring access to vital community resources.
Today, our libraries are thriving. With branches in Grants Pass, Illinois Valley, Williams, and Wolf Creek, they serve 26,047 active library cardholders, circulate more than 300,000 items annually, and host a variety of programs for children, teens, and adults.
But it’s worth remembering that none of the 33-cent levy originally intended for the library actually supports it. Those funds remain part of the county’s general fund, contributing to its 58-cent tax rate — but not one cent goes to the library.
And yet, thanks to this incredible community, we’ve achieved so much. Our libraries are hubs of activity and connection. With support from donors and grantors, we’ve expanded branches, enhanced technology, and offered programs that bring people together.
Whenever I think about why I do this work — why I’ve dedicated so much of my life to keeping libraries open — it comes back to the people. It’s the volunteers who show up week after week, the donors who invest in our community, and the patrons whose lives are transformed by access to knowledge and opportunity.
Libraries are about more than books on shelves; they’re about people.
When you visit the Grants Pass branch, take a moment to stand in the foyer and think of the thousands of volunteers, donors, and residents who made this possible. Think of the thousands more who have contributed since 1997.
This library has earned its place — not just in this building, but in the heart of our community. And that’s a legacy worth celebrating.
Between the Pages is a monthly column written by Kate Lasky, library director for Josephine Community Library since 2009. To send comments or questions, email klasky@josephinelibrary.org.
BY KATE LASKY
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GRANTS PASS DAILY COURIER | January 2024