Legislature approves merger of city and county libraries

A bill allowing the beleaguered Minneapolis Library to merge with the more stable Hennepin County system has passed the state Legislature.

The state Senate and House approved the bill today with very little debate.

Once an education funding bill, which includes $4.5 million in transitional costs to pay for a merged library computer system, passes as expected, all that’s left is Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s signature to make the merger official.

"This will make for one of the premier library systems in the United States," said Rep. Lyndon Carlson, DFL-Crystal, who sponsored a house version of the bill. "We’re bringing together two strong systems and it's collections will be benefical statewide."

The combined system would have 41 libraries with more than 5 million items in 37 languages.

"This is a historic day for libraries in Minneapolis and Hennepin County," said Minneapolis Council Member Betsy Hodges, who served on a city-led library advisory committee, shortly after today's Senate vote. "It's the best option for the residents of the city and the region."

"I'm very excited. This is a huge step," said Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, who sponsored the senate version of the bill.

Amy Ryan, Hennepin County Library Director, who attended today's Senate vote at the Capitol in St. Paul, said after hearing the House vote, "It's important to realize that this allows us to join together to achieve the not only one of best systems in country but in the world for that matter."

Under the proposal, the city would turn over to the county some $200 million in assets, including the sparkling year-old, five-story, $100 million-plus Central Library downtown and a vast library collection.

Earlier this year, the merger was swiftly approved by the Library Board, the city and the county, but it stalled over concerns that Minneapolis library workers would have to take pay and benefit cuts and work longer hours once they became county employees.

A tentative agreement was reached Wednesday that would require Minneapolis to make up the wage disparity with a large payment to between 27 and 55 workers.

The deal would also protect city employee pensions, seniority and prevent layoffs as well as guarantee union representation for workers who already have it.

Merger talks have been bandied about for years, but the discussions intensified late last year after the fiscally troubled 122-year-old Minneapolis Public Library closed three branches because of budget concerns.

Those branches could reopen this fall and the merger could occur as early as January.

Minneapolis and Hennepin County would join other metro areas such as Atlanta, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Miami with unified city-county library systems.

Under the proposed merger, a single 11-member appointed library board would be formed and include at least three Minneapolis residents.

In the first year of the proposed merger, Minneapolis would contribute $6.8 million in state aid it receives to the library system’s projected 2008 operating deficit.

The city’s contribution to the merged system is expected to be phased out over a 10-year period.

Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin said there are still a lot of details to work out in the next few months. "But now we have two venerable systems joining forces and now we’ve set the course to keep them strong, efficient as well as continuing to provide quality service for another century," McLaughlin said.

He also praised the"maligned" Minneapolis Library Board. He said board members found the courage "for the good of the public... to vote themselves out to make this merger possible.

"They served the public interest."