Avista, Library Friends help start book service for Lamont

Funding support from the Avista Foundation and Friends of the Library will mean residents of Lamont will have library service after approving a ballot proposal to annex the town to the Whitman County Library District. The funding support will cover the costs of starting the service before revenue from the library levy arrives on the library district’s books.

Library Director Kristie Kirkpatrick pointed out tax revenue from the Lamont annexation won’t show up until the library district’s levy, 48.5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, is added to the library district. The levy is included on tax statements of town residents. Tax revenue is now expected in 2014.

With the support from Avista and Friends of the Library, the costs of library service in the town will be covered.

Lamont residents can now obtain a library card at any branch in the county and use the card to select books from the library’s web site for delivery by mail. Residents can also use the card to check out books at any branch.

Lamont is the last town in the county to obtain library service. Residents in 12 other towns receive service by being included in the district.

The towns of Colton, Uniontown and Rosalia receive library services through a contract arrangement in which the town covers the cost of library service. Amount of the contract is the equivalent of what residents would have paid if real estate in the three towns had been in the district and subject to the library levy.

Lamont’s assessed valuations of $4,549,780 can be expected to produce approximately $2,204 in tax revenue for the library tax levy, according to County Assessor Joe Reynolds.

Library officials had hoped the town could cover the interim costs, but that turned out not to be possible because of the funding problems Lamont faces in trying to finish its now stalled construction of a library and rest room building.

Kirkpatrick noted Avista Foundation stepped in when Malden voters approved annexation and the district faced a similar cash flow problem with a new service on the roster and lack of tax revenue to extend services. Avista helped with Malden service and led Kirkpatrick to turn to Avista’s Paul Kimmel again to obtain help after Lamonters approved annexation in the general election.

“Paul and Avista have been such strong advocates for our libraries and our local communities, I just knew they would help if they could,” said Kirkpatrick. The Friends of the Library stepped in to cover the remaining costs so the only missing link in the service chain was a driver.

Malden Mayor Mike Thomas has volunteered to empty out the library’s return box at Malden and shuttle the returned books from Lamont to the nearest library branch, St. John.

The library director explained Malden and Lamont were discovered to be outside of the county library district years ago when the district decided to discontinue the bookmobile service and reviewed what needed to be covered.

A Lamont library building and public rest room, funded with an .09 grant, still needs interior work before a library can be located there. Lamont is attempting to find funds to finish the project.