{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"The News Journal","provider_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net","title":"All you ever wanted to know about local libraries &ndash; The News Journal","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"szb0752RxT\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/all-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-local-libraries\/\">All you ever wanted to know about local libraries<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/all-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-local-libraries\/embed\/#?secret=szb0752RxT\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;All you ever wanted to know about local libraries&#8221; &#8212; The News Journal\" data-secret=\"szb0752RxT\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","description":"In the case of local libraries, one board should rule them all Hindsight is 20\/20. You can call it Monday morning quarterbacking or second-guessing &#8230; whatever. It is seductively easy to look at decisions made in the past, with the clarity and benefit of time, and criticize those who made them as being foolish or myopic. It is unfair. Often it ignores the context in which decisions are made. With that said, let&rsquo;s talk about the decision to build a new Corbin Public Library. Whether we actually NEED a new library or not I will leave up to others to debate. To my mind, though, there is no question everyone in Corbin who cares about libraries WANTS a new one. A beautiful new one is under construction right now. It should be very nice. But there are doubts on the financing on this venture. Several tell me there should be cause for concern. First, it doesn&rsquo;t really add up. The Corbin Library Board went out on a limb and borrowed $900,000 to build our new library &#8211; money they don&rsquo;t realistically have the ability to pay back without significant assistance from other government agencies or an outpouring of support from the community. This they admit. A quick peek at their budget will also confirm it. It is nightmarish to think our new library could be sold on the courthouse steps one day to pay a defaulted loan. If that sounds far fetched, think again. The city leaders I&rsquo;ve talked to are lukewarm about the idea about bailing out the library if it struggles to make payments. Hearts and minds change. Circumstances are fluid, so you never really know for sure. But it is perilous gamesmanship to rely on a &ldquo;bailout.&rdquo; The fact that Whitley County Magistrate David Myers is trying to convince the Whitley County Library Board to dip into their ample $1 million (or more) building fund reserve to help out with Corbin&rsquo;s new library is a signal to me the finances here are shaky. And when I last talked to a Library Board member about the this issue, one of the responses I got was something on the order of, &ldquo;you aren&rsquo;t going to make us look too bad are you?&rdquo; That lack of confidence is cause for concern. The last thing I want to do insult our Library Board members. It is pointless and uncivil. In truth, I understand their dilemma. It&rsquo;s the same one many government&rsquo;s and quasi-government entities face on projects like this. Our arena here in Corbin is a perfect example. Cost projections end up being much lower than expected, but once you are so far into a project (land is purchased, expensive studies are performed, construction begins, etc.) it&rsquo;s really difficult to pull the plug and just back out when the price tag is higher. I don&rsquo;t want to blame the people who are gracious enough to put their time and effort into unpaid public service by serving on this board. I&rsquo;m glad I think the big problem here is systemic and historic. The way the Corbin Public Library is set up and managed is silly. There is no London Public Library or Williamsburg Public Library, for instance, separate and apart from the county library system. I know Corbin is a little different, but why can&rsquo;t our new library be built and managed by the Whitley County Library System and its board of directors? It just makes sense. Currently, we have some esoteric agreement dating back eons whereby the Whitley County Library System will give Corbin a portion of the tax money it collects for a library here in town, run by a separate board that is appointed by the mayor, but answers to no one. This is not really a good arrangement. I can understand why Whitley County Library Board members might be reluctant to just fork over a huge chunk of their building fund cash for a library they have no say-so in constructing or managing. I wouldn&rsquo;t do it if I were on that board because it&rsquo;s insanely irresponsible. Besides, they may have other plans for that money. The Corbin Public Library, by the admission of its own management, runs &ldquo;on a shoestring&rdquo; and is always strapped for cash. That explains the thinking behind its absolutely schizophrenic hours of operation. If the Whitley County Library System managed it, you would think at the very least the hours would be normalized. And there would be more money to go around. I think our county library in Williamsburg is beautiful. It does not appear to me to be mismanaged. Perhaps it&rsquo;s time to end antiquated agreement and turn over control of all libraries in this county one board &#8230; the one with the resources to properly get the job done. &#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;- Board of Directors President defends Corbin Public Library To the Editor: In a recent editorial in the Whitley County News-Journal, Trent Knuckles called those who made the decision to &ldquo;build&rdquo; a new Corbin Public Library &ldquo;foolish or myopic.&rdquo; The fact that even he admits that is an &ldquo;unfair&rdquo; statement did not prevent him from making it. As a member of the Corbin Public Library Board of Directors, I am proud to be a part of the group who made that decision, and I think the people of this community will be proud of their new library when it is completed. Yes, the library will be completed and yes, the Board of Directors knows exactly how they plan to pay for it, in spite of remarks made in The News-Journal.&nbsp;&nbsp; If Mr. Knuckles or members of his staff had regularly attended our Board meetings over the past two years, he would have been aware of the many hours this group of dedicated volunteers has relinquished to be certain not to &ldquo;jump out on a limb&rdquo; and not to be irresponsible stewards of the taxpayers&rsquo; money. Mr. Knuckles claims that he took a &ldquo;quick peek&rdquo; at our budget; perhaps it was too quick.&nbsp; [&hellip;]"}