What Does That Plaque Mean?

Many years ago, 11 to be exact, I read about two vacancies on the Round Lake Area Library Board in the paper. Since I am a big believer of getting involved in the community, I went and applied, the process required writing a letter of intent, and then being interviewed by the current board of trustees. Somehow the library board saw fit to choose me and a gentlemen named John Noe as the new trustees.

It was quite the thrill to be sworn into office and then of course to vote on all sorts of stuff! The then director of the library Barb Pfannkuche talked about how the board decided 10 years earlier to build the existing library building, with an eye towards expansion during my orientation. They had passed a referendum in 1989 that added nine cents to the tax rate to pay for the original building construction which was expiring and we decided on two things.

First we needed to advocate another referendum to fold the expiring nine cent rate into the general fund, and second if we could use those new funds to renovate and modernize the lower level of the library to better address the growing library needs of the Round Lake Area.
When the board decided to move forward with the referendum, I was volunteered or was volunteered (can't recall, but probably volunteered) to go to all the village halls and make a presentation to them about the needs for the referendum. In fact it was actually the first time I spoke to the Round Lake Village Board (although by that time I was on the Village Planning Commission). Well come election night the yes's got 53% and the no's 47% and we had completed the first step!

Step two was much more complex, we had to hire and retain an architect, construction manager, and then plan out how to maintain services while doubling the physical size of our library. All of this took place over 18 months and finally was complete in 2000. Barb announced her retirement in the middle of the process so we as a board decided to dedicate the renovation to Barb.

You can see that on the picture above! Every single time I go to the library I see the plaque and I always smile because I know what we did as a library board, bettered the community, was done without raising taxes, and gave us the added space that we needed!