Scott County's libraries

Residents of southern Scott County who live in the Sikeston School District but outside the Sikeston city limits will be able to use the Sikeston Public Library for another two years under an agreement that gives the Riverside Regional Library board some breathing room.

For the past six years, Riverside has paid the Sikeston library $15,000 a year so residents in Miner and several other areas around Sikeston within that city's school district could use the Sikeston facility. That agreement expires Aug. 31.

A couple of months ago, it appeared southern Scott County residents would have to drive to a Riverside branch in Scott City, Benton or Oran when the agreement expired.

The Riverside board has considered the possibility of adding a branch in Miner, and those discussions have led to speculation that one of the northern Scott County branches would be closed. Benton residents have started an effort to keep their branch open.

But last month the Riverside board agreed to extend its partnership with the Sikeston library for another two years or until a southern Scott County branch opens, whichever comes first.

All Scott County residents outside of Sikeston pay a tax that helps support the Riverside library system, which also has branches in Cape Girardeau and Perry counties. Last year, the Scott County tax generated $219,000 for the Riverside system, including $51,000 from residents in the Sikeston School District outside the Sikeston city limits.

One consideration for future planning would be to assess how many patrons from the area in question actually use the Sikeston library currently. If that number is large enough to support a branch of its own, then that certainly would be worth considering. The problem is that, no matter which branch might be closed in the process, those patrons will feel shortchanged when paying their library tax.