Caffeinated Politics

Concerns over budget cuts at the Redgranite Library in Waushara County have created much conversation and disgust in recent weeks,

Library board members voiced their concerns over the unexplained and deep $11,000 cut, nearly 21% of last year’s funding amount. It need not be explained to my readers that the library is an essential resource for this community–any community. The board stated that 436 patrons were served in January alone.

The Winnefox Library System is a source of funding for local libraries in that area of the state. Also, there are county and village monies. allocated. Winnefox and county funding are dependent on the number of patrons served, so the library depends on the village for the majority of its funding.

In 2025, the library received $54,645.62 from the village, which was cut down to $43,000 in the 2026 budget. Library Director Jeannie McBeth reported that they had requested $60,000, and they did not receive an explanation as to why their request was not met. The 2026 budget has received final approval from the board and cannot be changed at this point.

Redgranite Library has had an increase in circulation and has seen more participation in its programs. In January, they served 436 patrons and assisted with 159 reference questions. This has already increased as of mid-February, with 440 patrons and 178 reference questions as of the meeting date.

When we talk about the best bang for the taxpayer’s buck, it would be hard to surpass the impact made on individuals and communities by the funds that support local public libraries. Two years ago, the Waushara Argus reported a story about how each of the eight libraries in the county was faring. The newspaper from the county where I grew up provided ample space to highlight why these places matter so much to the many local patrons they serve.

The Wild Rose Library (the town where I was born) reported there were 89,989 visits, a 20% increase over the previous year. The library offered 1167 programs, such as lectures and authors addressing avid readers. Those events pulled in 15,234 people from the area. Given the growing rate of online reading of books, I was interested to learn that 146, 000 books and other items were checked out at their circulation desk

At the Coloma Library, the local homeschooling students met once a month, and I trust those kids found great works of literature and books filled with facts about science. (I have no faith in homeschooling.) Like the other county libraries, the Summer Reading Program was well-attended. It was also noted that libraries are safe places for people who need such an environment. Additionally, as in the case of Hancock, the library serves as a business and office center where WIFI allows access for resume writing and research. At the Poy Sippi Library, each week, the “liveliest day of the week” is when 15-25 kids arrive for story hour. They have also added a family story hour, which occurs once a month.

At the Redgranite Library, a farmers’ market takes place each Saturday morning to increase usage. As libraries morph and change to meet the growing needs of locals, it was reported that in Wautoma, the county seat, new study and meeting spaces were created to allow for book clubs, tutoring, and even supervised visits. (This is a stark difference from the small building, a one-room library with white painted siding, of my youth in Hancock.)

For history buffs and those who dive into genealogy, the library in Wild Rose has focused efforts on those who want to use or work with 8mm film reels, VHS, and other formats. I am pleased to see that the local libraries have developed their own sense of what works and is needed by the folks who reside in the area. They have access to a wide variety of books to be found through the inter-loan system with the Winnefox Library System.

Deb Sadowski made a comment that not only summed up her local library in Coloma, but all the others when stating, “The library supports the community, and community supports the library.” The folks of Redgranite are making that case now.

It would appear that the shallow end of the swimming pool (Redgranite Village Board) was not thinking about the library funding issue in a constructive fashion that best suits the needs and expectations of the community. I can address this topic from my personal experience.

Having grown up in Hancock, I can absolutely attest to the value and need of local libraries. Better yet, I saw my Dad, over his 40 years of serving as an elected town supervisor in Hancock, continually support the funding of what for me was a lifeline to the future. Small towns can be smothering at times, and the bigger world seems so far away. It is the local library that provides not only books with ideas and concepts not often the norms in the communities where they are constructed, but also the hopes that many children need to attach to as they grow up. Yes, the best bang for the taxpayer’s buck in rural counties is with the local library.

Let the Redgranite Library do its mission for the community. Revamp the funding for the library, allowing this integral part in the lives of locals to not be constrained.