Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • November 13, 2013 Ho-Ho-Kus Survey will help library trustees with facility decision by Jennifer Crusco The Ho-Ho-Kus Library Board of Trust- ees is currently examining options for pro- viding patrons with library services, and plans to survey residents regarding their use of those services and programs now offered at the Worth Pinkham Memorial Library. Library Board President John Mongelli noted that the current brick-and-mortar facility is limited in terms of internal space and parking. He also pointed out that the basic role of the public library is changing as new media make traditional books less desirable for some individuals. In addition, the 2007 Ho-Ho-Kus Master Plan states that “the board recommends that serious consideration be given to moving the current library to a more user-friendly location. It is difficult to reach because of the busy street (Franklin Turnpike) and the steep stairway, which makes it inaccessible for the handicapped and in the winter.” As a result, the board is reviewing sev- eral possibilities. One option, Mongelli said, would be to approach the members of the Pinkham family for what he called “an incentive.” He explained that the Pinkhams donated the building at 91 Warren Avenue to the borough for use as a library. If the building is not being used as a library, the property would revert to the family’s own- ership. Mongelli said the board might approach the family and ask if the Pinkhams would consider giving the board clear title to the building. The board would then sell the building and use the money from that sale to build a new library that would be named for the Pinkham family. Asked about the potential site for new construction, Mongelli said the location would have to be determined. If the board cannot obtain clear title to the current building, Mongelli pointed out that the existing library could be refur- bished. He said there are three separate lots involved, and an addition might be built above the existing facility or out from the building, with additional parking and meet- ing spaces provided. A third option, he said, would be to pay another municipality to provide library services to patrons from Ho-Ho-Kus. How- ever, he cautioned that, if the board were to pursue this option, the third of a mil the board receives from the borough, if not more, would have to be given to the munic- ipality that provides the library services. Each year, the borough is required by state law to allocate at least 0.03 percent (a third of a mil) of the borough’s total assessed value to the library. In Ho-Ho- Kus, the aggregate assessed value is over a billion dollars, which results in a third of a mil appropriation of approximately $419,000. Last year, the board estimated that it spent approximately $250 per house- hold, or $350,000. Board members assert that they budget prudently and return remaining unallocated funds to the bor- ough. They believe that recent improve- ments in library services, the collection offered to patrons, and the library’s partici- pation in the BCCLS and Bergen eAudio Team make the library a good value. Mongelli added that the board has hired consultant Phyllis Palley to help the group with its strategic plan, which includes looking at library systems and personnel evaluation methods. Palley is also helping to develop the survey. Before finalizing the survey, the library board is working to build an e-mail list. Interested residents are encouraged to visit the library or borough hall and sign the e-mail permission slip, which will allow those who sign up to receive e-mail updates regarding library programs, closures, and special events. Mongelli said a PDF of the form would also be available on the bor- ough’s website, so interested residents may print the form, fill it out, and return it to the library. The library survey, which could be dis- tributed early in 2014, will include ques- tions about residents’ use of the library’s services and what other facilities they patronize. Comments, suggestions, and other information will also be solicited. Mongelli said the board is seeking to get people interested in the library, and encour- ages interested citizens to form a Friends of the Library group that would support the borough’s facility. A former Ho-Ho-Kus Council member, Mongelli recently moved to another com- munity in Bergen County. He is permitted to be a member of the local library board as the bylaws allow the board to have one non-resident member. The borough’s original library opened in 1924 in a jail cell that was intended for female prisoners, but was never used for that purpose. The library was a project of the Ho-Ho-Kus Woman’s Club. In 1930, the library moved into a build- ing on East Franklin Turnpike. In 1988, Caroline Mildreth Worth Pinkham donated the current building at the corner of North Franklin Turnpike and Warren Avenue to the borough for use as a library, and the collection was moved to the new location. Correction The Nov. 6 article concerning a Ho-Ho- Kus resident’s discussion of the borough’s website incorrectly identified the citizen who addressed the council. The man who spoke was Robert Earl. Villadom TIMES regrets the error and any inconvenience it may have caused.