Christian County Library

Board of Trustees
Ken Barthelette, President of Christian County Library
Board of Trustees
The Foundations governing board and The Librarys
governing board are each composed of volunteers who
support the library .
Past tax levy increases have failed at the polls.
A fundraising organization was needed to show the people
of Christian County something is being done about lack of
funding, and a vehicle for donating money to the library was
a necessity.
The Christian County Library Foundation was formed in May
2013.

Christian County Library Foundation

Mission:
To fund the replacement of the current library
location and the creation of branches in other
parts of the county to meet the immediate need of
the community, to increase access to library
services, and to provide the ability to expand to
meet the ever-growing future demands of the
community.

Christian County Library Foundation

Formed in May 2013, but started fundraising the
following Winter and Spring.
Fundraising Events since April 2014
Bluegrass Night in Clever, April 2014
Crusin USA Car Show Charity, August 2014
Trivia Night at Fremont Hills, February 2015
To date, The Foundation has raised or solicited funds
totaling just over $11,700.

Future Fundraising Events & Publicity

Trivia Night
October 17, 2015 at Fremont
Hills
Silent auction, food, trivia, and
lots of fun

Bluegrass Concert

October 23, 2015

Band: High Strung
Sparta High School
Persimmon Days

Publicity Events:
Business Expos
Chamber of Commerce Events
Various Community Events

Promotion Efforts

Bookmarks
Flyers
Addressed Envelopes
Social Media

Promoted via Christian County

Library newsletter and other
library publications

The Brass Tacks

Registered Agent of Community Foundation of the
Ozarks
Member of Nixa Community Foundation
Member of Finley River Foundation
The Christian County Library Foundation has
begun the application process to obtain 501(c)3
status with the IRS.

Christian County Facts

564 square miles
Tied for fastest growing
county in the state
14th largest county in the
state by population
2015: became First
Class County
Approximately 81,000
residents

Why are Libraries Important?

Libraries arent JUST books
Early literacy programming for
children
Support and encouragement of
Teens
Provides free access to the Internet
Assist people from all walks of life
and of any age
Educational resources and
assistance
Not everything is available on the
Internet
Library attendance and circulation
is still growing
Community and cultural centers

Christian County Library Basic Facts

District established in 1956
10,000 square feet
Current building was built in 1972 for a
population of 10,000
Current collected tax levy is $0.0887
Similar sized districts $0.25
Last tax increase in 1971
105,000 patron visits per year; 350 per day

New Administration and New Mission

November 2013 a new Director is hired, along with an
Assistant Director
A new focus for the CCL was developed: show the
people of Christian County the library is a
professional, progressive organization that sees
books as just the beginning of what a library can offer
to its community.
The goal is for CCL to become the library the people
of Christian County need and deserve through
programming, services offered, educational
resources, customer service, and innovation.

Current Library Services

Delivery of materials to schools, nursing

homes, group homes etc. through
Books 2 Go
Childrens Outreach to child care
centers, schools, and more
Job search and application assistance
Public access computers
Free WiFi
Internet access
Home Bound Patron services
Online research databases
Local history and genealogical
resources
Technology courses
Voter registration and notary services

Comprehensive collection:
Books, DVDs, Playaways, Audiobooks, eBooks, Magazines, Newspapers

Legal forms
Test proctoring
Teen Area Safe Place
Programs and events for all ages
Five early literacy story times in multiple
county locations every week
Friends of the Library
Book Sales
Fund special projects for the library

Christian County Library Foundation

Assist in just about any way possible

Programming
Early Literacy events to help
caregivers create day-today interactions that help
children be ready to read
and write
Education resources for
parents and educators
Engage teens so they may
become productive
members of society
Assist adults with personal
and professional growth

Statistics Summer 2015:

Adult Participation increased
by 260% from 2014
Teen Books read increased
by 20% (2014 numbers were
a massive increase from
2013)
Childrens Entries increased
195% from 2014
Overall Program Attendance
increased by 175% from
2014

Problems with Current Facility

Not enough computers to
meet demand
Overcrowded, with no
room to expand
Lack of storage
Inadequate parking
Meeting room too small;
need more than one

Building is 44 years old,

and built like a pole barn
Childrens area is not big
enough, with no separate
space for story times

Problems with Current Facility

Building has been
freshened up with paint,
new furniture, and
rearranged; however, still is
dated
Building is not technology
friendly
Shelving issues too
Big Problem: Limited
access for all residents of
Christian County

Community Partnerships
Physical library locations
are only in Ozark and Clever
However, library services in
the form pick-up locations
and book returns for library
materials are located
throughout the county.
The bookmobile, which is
actually a delivery van,
makes stops throughout the
county several days a week.

Clever Public Library

Partially funded by Sims
Memorial Fund administered
by the City of Clever
Limited hours; 25 hours per
week
Small, store front location

Pick-up Locations:
Town and County Grocery
Store in Sparta, MO
Nixa Community Center
Magic Library Express at the
Highlandville Express Mart

Librarys Expansion Plans

New plans being
developed for expansion
4 locations along HWY 14
corridor in Sparta, Ozark,
Nixa, and Clever
Will allow for 85% of
Christian County
residents to be within a
few miles of a library
location

The land the current

library in Ozark sits on
would be used to build a
new library building
It would be 15,00020,000 square feet in
size
Plans are being
developed, but no
architectural renderings
are available

Librarys Expansion Plans

The plans for Sparta and Clever have not changed
These two towns have always been supportive of
tax levy increase and building of library locations

A location in Nixa
Different locations are being
investigated for a location in
Nixa
The Board of Trustees want to
stay north of HWY 14 and as
close to HWY 160 as possible
Building size desired is
15,000-20,000 square feet
It is hard to define a cost with
100% accuracy
A rough calculation estimates
it would take $4.5M to $5.5M
to purchase land and build a
library in Nixa

If Granted the Funding Request

If monies were donated sooner rather than later, the childrens area is in need of
renovations. Plans: picture book bins, new layout, new shelving, removal of
partial wall, new windows, paint, new cabinets, upgrade technology,
implementation of early literacy play centers, address safety issues, reading
nook, and much more
The design and purchases would be done in such a manner that as many
elements as possible would be transferred to new library location
The new childrens area could be a naming opportunity, and the name
transferable to a new location

If Granted the Funding Request

Future Plans:
Educational Resource Lab
Advanced technology for
creation and design
MakerSpace
Small Business Resources
3D Printers
Music creation stations
Book printing
Other new technologies yet
to come out

If Granted the Funding Request

It is possible to name a
branch after Mr. and Mrs.
Ball
As outlined in prior slides
the naming opportunities
range from the childrens
area to an entire branch
It depends on the amount
of money donated

The Christian County

Library Foundation can
make a recommendation
to name something after
Mr. and Mrs. Ball to the
Christian County Library
Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees is
the governing body and
the decision belongs to
them.

Christian County Library changes lives.

"I don't know what I would do without the Library. I am home-bound and I never
go anywhere. The books the Home-bound program brings me take me all over
the world. I love my books and I love the Library".
-Carol Merritt of Sparta. Since September 2014 she has read 421 books.

The Stanley and Elaine Charitable Foundation can help us magnify our
impact and enrich the lives of many more members of our community in
a significant way, in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Ball.

Questions?