The volunteer board that oversees Lafayette Parish libraries decided against putting tax renewals on any ballots this year.
The deadline to get the renewals, which failed in April, onto the November ballot already has passed, but the board could have put the renewals on the December ballot. Last night, they decided not to, said director Teresa Elberson.
"Instead, we’re going to take this opportunity to look at our finances and expenditures and long-term projects," Elberson said.
As construction wraps up on the regional library in Scott, which is the last of the major projects funded by the bond issue approved by voters in 2002, it’s a good time to take stock and make additional plans for the future, she said.
Because of the heavy use libraries get, maintenance is always going on, she said. Technology also is constantly evolving and the library has to keep up with it, so that’s another piece of the puzzle, she said.
"South Regional will be 10 years old next year, and North Regional already is 10 years old," she said. "It’s the perfect time to look and see what we need going forward to maintain our buildings and to possibly expand."
For now, the library has hired a firm to analyze the system’s buildings and mechanical systems and produce recommendations for the future, she said. That should be done in about six months.
"We have a lot of things to catch up on," she said. "So we’re going to take a breather to get caught up."
