TELL CITY – After months of deliberation and working with the Cannelton Public Library, Tell City-Perry County Public Library board members voted Wednesday to start the process of officially merging the two libraries into a single district.
Board members of the Cannelton library had voted 6-0 during a June 30 meeting to proceed with the merger, Tell City-Perry County Library Director Larry Oathout told board members.
“The merger is pretty much complete … If you all pass the merger resolution.”
The new merged library will be known as the Perry County Public Library and will have an interim board of 11 members for the first year, beginning Jan. 1, Oathout explained.
After approving the merger, Cannelton Public Library board members selected Kim Myers, Lisa Havener, Carla Hunter and Frank Maffia to join the new board. After 2012, the board will reduce to seven board members; two members appointed by the county commissioners, two appointed by the county council, two by the Tell City-Troy Township School Corp. and one to be appointed by both the Perry Central and Cannelton school districts.
Tell City-Perry County Public Library board members were presented a plan for merger that had been drafted by the merger committee, which consisted of members of both library boards. The plan outlined what will happen as the two libraries become one district, including provisions such as the name change to Perry County Public Library, a special note explaining the lease of the Cannelton library property from the city of Cannelton and a statement that the Cannelton branch was to remain open “for a period of no less than three years.”
It was also noted that the Cannelton branch would continue to close Election Day to serve as a polling place for the city.
Cannelton library vice president Jeff Fuqua said Wednesday, during a phone call to The News, there was no choice for the Cannelton library; board members knew they would have to merge with Tell City-Perry County Public Library or have to close their doors.
“This was the only ship that was sailing for us,” he noted. “We literally had no choice.”