Partnership between UTC, downtown library back on the table
Conversations about a combined UTC and downtown public library have been underway for a few months and supporters say there is less uncertainty about such a merger now that the sales tax agreement issues are resolved.
"I think it's been a complicating factor in the conversation, the added layer of uncertainty about the government support and who was in control," Dr. Phil Oldham, provost at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, said Wednesday. "I can't speak for the city but I think the renewed interest has primarily been driven by the fact that the city has been looking at replacing the leadership of The Public Library."
Chattanooga City Council members on Tuesday delayed a vote to replace language that would dismantle the existing board of directors for The Public Library and allow Mayor Ron Littlefield to appoint a new board.
The new board, which will eliminate representation from Hamilton County, is the first step in starting the search to replace the former director who retired, city spokesman Richard Beeland said.
"We are re-establishing the library (system) as an entity funded by the city," Beeland said. "Tennessee law clearly state how libraries should be run. We have worked with interim director Eva Johnson to make the transition as easy as possible."
The end of a sales tax sharing agreement between city and county governments had a $10.5 million impact on a number of agencies and quasi-governmental organizations, including the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Library, now referred to as The Public Library. City officials declared they would take full financial responsibility for the library.
There was a move several years ago to merge the university and the downtown public library, UTC Dean of Library Sciences Theresa Liedtka said. The conversation died out when UT System officials decided to invest in a new $48 million, state of the art library for UTC, which is in the beginning stages of construction.
"Then the conversation was more about shared space," Liedtka said. "Now that we have a multi-million new library underway, that's not part of the discussion."
The idea lay dormant until recent months when talks started up again. The focus swung to shared systems, programs and administration, Liedtka said.
"There are a range of benefits for the community and the university," she said. "There are a lot of library programs, education, social work, that could benefit from programs (in an off-campus site)."
The final decision will be determined by the new board and director, Beeland said.
The driving force behind the conversations is the twin engines of technology and money. As competition for revenue increases and technology evolves, elected leaders are looking for ways to conserve resources.
"I have not met one person who does not believe in libraries, who does not love libaries," Beeland said. "No one is saying do away with the library. This place has good bones but it needs help. It needs to be a welcoming place, with up-to-date (interiors) and technology."
The two library systems could merge their resources to increase their ability to serve members, Oldham said, adding that the university would like to have a presence closer to the business community.
It is time to ask what is the future of public libraries, supporters said.
The city approved in its capital budget $750,000 for The Public Library's Eastgate branch; plans call for making it a high-tech branch that merges with the Brainerd Mission museum. The city allocated funds to convert the former Hixson Middle School into a community center and move the existing Hixson library branch in that building.
"There's been a lot of discussion in recent years on the nature of libraries," Oldham said. "What does the future library need to look like, what kinds of programs and collections does it need to have. Having been through that on this campus, that's fresh on our minds. Both sides see this as an opportunity to do something creative and unique that doesn't exist any where else."
