By Casey Jarmes | The News-Review
SIGOURNEY – During the Feb. 4 meeting of the Sigourney City Council, the council approved a letter of intent to pursue a 28e Agreement with the Sigourney School District to share a librarian with the Sigourney Public Library. Library Board President Kathy Utterback explained that, currently, the school receives librarian services through the AEA. However, this arrangement only provides a librarian eight days each school year, with the libraries being managed by paraeducators the rest of the year. Library Director Amanda Kelly explained that she currently works 37.5 hours a week at the public library. Under the 28e Agreement, she would instead work 30 hours a week at the public library and 7.5 hours split between the elementary and high school. Kelly stated that this would save the city just under $10,000 per year and that there was day-to-day staff at the library who could manage it while she was at the schools.
Kelly stated that she already spent a lot of time at the schools and that she was 100% for this idea. She stated that she knows the kids, that this would get junior and senior high students more involved with the library, and help with the public library’s summer programs. Councilman David Goldman stated that this would help them get more use out of the public library; Kelly stated that a lot of kids, especially at the high school, don’t think the library is cool anymore. Councilman Randy Schultz stated that they had made a huge investment with the public library and that this could help keep the library from losing popularity.
