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This week's local stories Kraft earns DOD award This K-Ville Chick Has Gone Green Light the Night needs teams New tourism director Bry's deep local roots Kline loves water fights, polar bear swims County libraries study merger K-Ville's first Art Festival, video Kleiman writing winners Dekalb Memorial free medication list Helmer-Michaels cabaret at Art Festival Library merge, tax rates and main library Pulmonary rehab Parkview Noble Kendallville Home, Garden Show video Noble County Idol contest Barker family video at Art Festival Joe Cazier's band video at Arts Fest Albion couple arrested for meth County unemployment rate dips Art Festival's visual artists Hayden ATA's free exercise videos Lou Holtz video, K-Ville Chamber Drunk causes accident that injures his kids Obituaries East Noble Sports Information at your fingertips; www.inspire.IN.gov Gardening tips Letters to the Editor Local Web Nooz Understanding health care, Hunter Local school nooz Local school honor rolls Local ads, savings

AvilLaOtto NooZ Stories

This week's local stories Oak Farm builds new NIFL, NIPSCO to merge, raise rates? Area native grows tourism bureau Fritz honored by YWCA Avilla Hereford named to national list Local woman killed in bike accident Man, daughter shot at in Avilla Man tries to lure girls into truck Avilla Festival winners Hayden's ATA free exercise classes Community Table for those in need Council doesn't change trash haulers Avilla town council minutes East Noble Sports, and local sports news Phil Banta's I Remember Avilla AvilLaOtto NooZ Info Bytes FREE Classifieds Letters to the Editor Local Obituaries What's Happening? Local News from the Web Local Business News This Week's NooZ Ads Letters Local schools nooz Gardening Tips & Info Local school honor rolls

This Week's Best Bargains

Great Local Bargains! Flooring Super Sale, Interior One Labor Day Super Sale at Ort's $49 glasses at Longe Lake of Woods-Half Off Lunch Maria's Free Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off Maria's Early Bird Special, $5.99 King Buffet, Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off Slater's new steps for winter Aaron's HD TVs for football Kavito's Adult entertainment Lillian Rose, Sept. Rose special Hayden ATA rape defense class Red Skillet Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off Hungry Howie's $5 pizzas $1,000 off your next vehicle Pizza Hut: Print these coupons and save Pepperoni's Pizza, printable coupons Pizza Forum, $8.99 Large MORE great local bargains here, printable coupons too! SAVE-Local printable coupons

Local Obituaries (click here to read; updated weekdays)

FLOYD LAVON MILLER IRVIN BURELISON Wesley Thomas Mills Arthur J. Litchfield BEATRICE  ARNOLD Dorothy Kay (Frech) Rebman Wheatley Archie Holliday LEROY “GUMP” BALLARD HELEN MAE KUKUTSIS ELIZABETH WEBER Talia Joy Smith ELIZABETH ANN “LIZ” SEPTER Donna J. Sizemore BETTY J. COFFMAN GENEVIEVE J HASSELMAN William D. Cook George Arnold Bohnenberger VANITA MARGUERITE COE HERMAN SMITH Margaret A. Persons

Library Merge Study Committee
 
Potential Staff Structure for Library Merge
Stay up to date on Merge Study Committee activities with Facebook
 
Albion, IN -- The possible organizational structure of a new Noble County Public Library has been presented to the Libraries of Noble County Merge Study Committee.
 
At the study committee’s next meeting on August 24 in Kendallville, the agenda includes getting a better look at possible tax rates and discussing which library should be designated the main library. The committee will have toured all three of the largest libraries (Kendallville, Ligonier and Albion) and will have a better idea which library would be the best fit. And at the meeting, the first 15 minutes is designated for public comment about the study and merging the libraries.
 
The Directors of the Kendallville Public Library, Ligonier Public Library and the Noble County Public Library spent a significant amount of time reshaping the staff structure to fit one merged library system. The staffing plan, presented to the study committee on July 20, would ensure that each current library employee would have a job in the new system.
 
“Through this reorganization, staff members would be able to specialize and do an even better job,” said Noble County Public Library Director Sandy Petrie. “Department heads would have teams to support them, and the current directors could focus on their strengths.”
 
The directors had to make some assumptions on behalf of the study committee to create the staff structure. For instance, the committee has yet to decide a main library, but the directors based their plan on Albion being designated the main building.
 
That allowed them to draw up a preliminary organization, one that might not have to change much if another library should be chosen as the main building.
 
The Director, stationed in Albion, would oversee all departments, supported by two Associate Directors: one in Kendallville and the other in Ligonier. Those Associate Directors would directly oversee the departments of Marketing, Genealogy, Information Technology, Volunteers/Friends of the Library and Facilities Management. Branch Managers would head up the libraries in Avilla, Cromwell and Rome City.
 
An Adult Services Department Head, working out of the main branch, would oversee two additional Adult Services Assistants covering the east and west portions of the county. The same set-up would apply to the Young Adult Services department. The Children’s Services Department Head would operate out of Kendallville, but because it is one of the largest departments for programming, additional assistants would be located in each of the five other libraries.
 
The Collection and Cataloging Department (with main processing in Kendallville) and the Circulation Department would be managed by a Department Head overseeing a yet-to-be-determined number of staff.
 
Some staff members may shift their position slightly to adjust to the proposed organizational structure, but the directors have been very clear that no jobs will be lost through a merge.
 
The Directors believe that this staffing structure would allow a merged library system to comfortably work within the combined operating budgets of the three current systems. The 2011 operating budgets of the three separate systems amount to $2,650,937.
 
“We’re very comfortable that we will be able to freeze this budget going into 2012,” said Petrie.
 
Petrie said the budget allows the Directors to align the benefits and salaries of the library employees. Some employees may receive a raise, while others might have a freeze in pay. No one, she said, will receive a pay cut.
 
With a rough working budget, the Department of Local Government Finance will be able to come up with ballpark tax rates, which the study committee hopes will be available by the August meeting. Those numbers could be the key to the decision of whether or not a merge is the right thing for Noble County.
 
There is very little the libraries would have to do to comply with Class A library standards, which the new, merged system would be when it serves the entire county. The system would need to have a minimum of 24 public computers, but when you combine what each library currently has, the new system would be close to providing “Exceptional” service by having one public computer for every 500 people served. The combined library hours are just one hour away from providing “Exceptional” service in that category. The minimum hours are 55 per week, including six evening hours and one weekend day.
 
The only change the merged library would need to make would be to add one additional day to the statewide delivery system. Each individual library system receives deliveries two days a week, but the minimum is three. That cost, if it falls on the library system, would be minimal.
 
The merge itself might not be expensive to carry out. If Albion is designated the main building of the new Noble County Public Library system, most of the signage would remain the same. Many additional costs, such as new technology to span all six buildings, could potentially be covered by state grants.
 
The committee also hopes to plan upcoming public forums, which could begin as early as this fall. In the meantime, the committee has set up a Facebook page designed to keep everyone informed about the study’s progress. It’s also a great way for citizens to offer their two cents or ask questions about the proposal. Just search for it on Facebook under Libraries of Noble County Merge Study.