3-13-2026

The ETLPL Board and East Troy Village Board have both voted to hire JT Library Planning for the next stage in our progress toward a new library.

Technically speaking the Village Board only voted to release Impact Fees. These are fees paid by developers to defray Village costs due to the need for increased services such as libraries as a result of the development. The monies are held by the Village for 10 years. If they are not spent in that time frame, they are returned to the developer. Use is extremely limited. It can be used for building expansion projects but not additional programs. Impact Fees also paid for HGA’s services in the building design.

JT Library Planning’s task is to help determine the operational cost of running a larger building. HGA was able to provide estimates for utilities, but not more library tailed items such as staff and programs. To do so, the consultant will pour over a variety of documents including our 2024 and 2025 Annual Reports prepared for Wisconsin’s DPI Bureau of Libraries, our current Strategic Plan, and the 2026 Library Budget. Those are the easy documents. The information on staff positions will take more time to gather/create.

JT is John Thompson who is a former library director and currently is the director of IFLS Library System located in the northern-ish part of western Wisconsin. IFLS includes just over 50 libraries including the one in Eau Claire. I’ve volunteered to meet with him in person, just for an excuse to visit my daughter at school. Unfortunately for me, email is likely to be too efficient to make that necessary. Thompson’s experience with so many libraries a variety of community sizes, made his firm very appealing as I’ve worked in exactly one public library.

Following the Operational Cost Study the ETLPL Board will present the information to the Village and set fundraising goals.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch we continue to fill our current building. This week’s book shipment contained more nonfiction than I may have ever ordered at one time. New books include biographies by Christina Applegate (You With the Sad Eyes) and Reality Winner (I Am Not Your Enemy). Winner’s book focuses on one incident and its repercussions. Selfishly, I wish it explained how her name was selected.

For patrons whose sinus suffer this time of year, we have All About Allergies by Zachary, Rubin, MD. For those of us who wish weight loss really was as simple as fewer calories, Jason Fung, MD explains why it is more complicated than that in The Hunger Code. These are just a few of the new books to be found on the new shelf against the back wall of the main level of the library if you’d like to come peruse.

Reading Now: The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamakli

Listening to Now: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt