Library boosters make final vote push

In the last days leading up to Tuesday's special election to fund a $9 million addition to the Cape Girardeau Public Library, supporters are making the last push for yes votes.

"We're feeling very positive right now because Cape Girardeau is such a generous community and people time and again have stepped up when they see there's a real need," said library director Betty Martin.

The measure will ask voters to approve doubling the portion of the property tax for library use. The owners of a home valued at $120,000 would pay $34 more a year in property tax to the library over the next 20 years.

If passed, the measure would double the size of the library to 38,860 square feet and gut the inside of the existing building, replacing the heating and air-conditioning systems. The proposed "destination library" would boast a drive-through window, larger meeting areas, more computers and a larger, more colorful children's area.

Martin hopes Tuesday's vote, where only those living within the boundaries of the municipal library district are eligible, will have similar results to past special elections.

In August 2005, 8.7 percent of eligible voters went to the polls to approve the third Transportation Trust Fund tax. In June 2004, 21 percent turned out to pass the fire safety tax.

If past successes set a good precedent, supporters still are not relying on that precedent. Friends of the Cape Girardeau Public Library, a not-for-profit booster group, launched a three-pronged effort to get out the vote.

The first part of that effort was an e-mail campaign where supporters are asked to send a form letter to friends asking for support. The campaign has reached nearly 1,000 people.

"It's very informal. We're just asking people to e-mail their friends. Many don't use the library on a regular basis, but we have found that there's a nice number of people in the community who are very much in favor of having the library up-to-date," said Carolyn Ford Bock, president of the Friends foundation.

Secondly, the library has sent letters home with schoolchildren Friday encouraging their parents to vote yes. The letter is signed by all the principals of local parochial schools and by Cape Girardeau School District superintendent Dr. David Scala, who signed the letter as a private citizen.

The committee also mailed out about 4,000 postcards to library users reminding them of the election day and asking for their vote. Postcards arrived Saturday or will arrive Monday.

"Because funds are limited, our campaign couldn't send those out districtwide," Bock said.

The campaign is funded by Friends of the Cape Girardeau Public Library, which raises about $15,000 annually through book sales, bookbags and membership dues. The "get out the vote" drive and the general "awareness campaign" in 2006 cost the Friends about $10,000.

Martin said the more people learn about the project, the more likely they are to vote yes. She has given 47 presentations outlining the proposal and feels the committee has done all it can to ensure victory.

"We believe very strongly in the mission and vision; otherwise we wouldn't be doing it. I think Cape Girardeau is a great place to live and the citizens deserve a much better public library. And I'm willing to work for that," she said.

tgreaney@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245