LIBRARY SURCHARGE SURPRISES SOME RESIDENTS

Yvonne Lossing and her family moved to the city Cape Girardeau four and a half years ago to afford their children a good education and avail themselves to the valuable resources found within the city's sizeable library.

Lossing works near the Cape Girardeau Public Library, at 711 N. Clark, and frequents the facility.

But last week when Lossing checked out some books - just as she's done for four and a half years - she was told by the librarian that it would be the last time she would be able to do so without paying for her card.

Beginning Oct. 1, the Cape Girardeau Public Library will begin assessing a charge to some residents living within the corporate boundaries of the city, but outside the municipal library district.

Library Director Elizabeth Ader claims the charge is nothing new to residents living outside the city limits, but a must for those living outside the municipal library district.

In 1965, Missouri enacted a law which forbids the growth of municipal library districts. Because of this law, boundaries for the Cape Girardeau Public Library have remained the same since 1965, while the city continued to expand.

So as of Oct. 1, residents living outside the city limits and residents within the limits but outside the boundaries of the municipal library district, will be required to pay $24 per year for a family card, or $8 for a 90-day family card.

Cards will continue to be issued without charge to all city employees, students and faculty members at Southeast Missouri State University and teachers in Cape Girardeau schools.

"We could be called on the carpet for stretching our services so far that we couldn't meet everybody's needs," Ader said.

"We've worked very closely with the city and the county assessors offices to make sure we have solid information about the boundaries," she said.

To try and make the transition easier for residents, Ader has made maps available at the library, depicting its municipal boundaries.

"We tried to put enough landmarks on the map so people can get some idea," Ader said.

But it is still somewhat confusing. For example, people who live on the south side of Lexington are within the Cape Girardeau municipal library district. Those who live on the north side -- like Lossing and the rest of the Brookshire and Northfield subdivisions -- are considered to be in the Riverside Regional Library District in Jackson.

"If I lived in the country I would understand all of this," Lossing said. "But we live within the Cape Girardeau city limits and now they're telling me I have to drive five miles to Jackson to rent library books.

"I don't even know where the library in Jackson is," she said.

Lossing's four children use the library frequently, she said, as do her neighbors in the Brookshire subdivision.

"Some of these people have lived here for 15 years, using the library; paying their taxes," she said. "Now they're telling us our cards are no good there anymore."

Ader said patrons of the library can be sure of what district they live in by checking their last tax bill.

If the bill lists "library" as one of the items, that person's taxes go to Riverside Regional Library. If the bill doesn't mention library taxes at all, they are in the city's municipal district.

"We're hoping that people will understand," Ader said.

"As time goes on, the population outside the limits of the library district and inside the city limits continues to grow," she continued. "But the tax base stays the same."

Lossing had not realized her taxes were going to the county library system every year.

"I was just shocked," she said. "We've paid our $10 every year thinking we would always be able to use the public library.

"And to think that the next time I take my books back, we will no longer be affiliated with this library," Lossing lamented. "It's a shame -- just a horrible shame."