Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Uncle Bobby's Wedding was again under fire, this time from Maplewood residents.
A Brentwood library book that was contested last month for its portrayal of a same-sex marriage, was again under fire at the library board meeting on Monday. The book, Uncle Bobby's Wedding, was challenged by a Brentwood resident who's daughter brought it home without his knowledge. That led to the resident, James Vandervoort, requesting that the book be pulled from the shelves. His request was denied. Three visitors at the library board meeting on Monday again asked for the book to be pulled, and two came to support the book and the board's original decision to keep it in the library. George Wu, a Maplewood resident, said he came as the "parent of a young daughter." He said he recently found out about Uncle Bobby's Wedding at the library…
Thursday, October 25, 2012
All nine libraries in the consortium would lose the book, if the Brentwood Library board votes to remove it.
The book, Uncle Bobby's Wedding, now being contested at the Brentwood Public Library, would be gone from The Municipal Library Consortium catalogue if Brentwood removed it. A Brentwood resident has asked that it be taken off the shelves. His stand is that the main topic of the book is same-sex marriage, which is illegal in Missouri. The Maplewood Public Library is also in the group, and Maplewood director Terrence Donnelly said Brentwood bought the book. "They own the book, they bought it with their own money," he said. "It's a shared catalogue, but if you buy a book, it belongs to you, so if they withdrew it, it would be gone for everybody." The Brentwood Library board is scheduled to vote on the book's future at its Nov. 12 meeting. …
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
A resident's daughter brought the book home, and now he wants it removed from the library.
The Brentwood Public Library hasn’t had a book challenged in the seven years that Ellen Walther has been on the board, but a children’s book that touches on the subject of gay marriage is now under consideration to be removed. Brentwood resident James Vandervoort’s daughter brought home the book, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, without his knowledge, and now he wants it removed from the shelves. He met with the library board (though not a quorum) Monday, Oct. 15, to make his case. "The purpose of the book is to help foster acceptance, and to glorify homosexual marriage," he said. "I think that’s a realistic synopsis of what the book is about." Using gerbils as characters, a girl (gerbil) is upset because her favorite uncle is getting married, and …
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Brentwood Library Director Vicki Woods said nobody in the city had experience with raising the library tax rate, and there was lots of confusion.
Brentwood Library Director Vicki Woods, at Patch’s request, made an attempt to clarify some of the confusion around the library tax rate, the Hancock amendment and the vote, which passed. Woods wanted it to be clear that her comments are her interpretation of the laws. “I’m not a lawyer,” she said. “This is how I interpret the statutes.” The Hancock amendment was intended to limit the amount of revenue raised by the state, giving the voters the final say on whether they pay higher taxes. “When housing prices go up, Hancock says that libraries can’t cash in on that,” Woods said. She said the library tax rate has been at 25 cents since 1984, but that rate was only collected in 1984. It went down to 15 cents in 1985, and has been only as high…
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Head librarian Vicki Woods said part-time help will be rehired.
Brentwood voters have passed Proposition L by a wide margin, approving a 5-cent increase in the library tax rate. With all seven Brentwood precincts counted, the measure passed 988 votes to 495. The last rate increase happened in 1984. The rate will go from 25 cents to 30 cents as a result of the approval on Tuesday. The increase will equate to an additional $19 in taxes annually on a $200,000 Brentwood home. Head librarian Vicki Woods said the library has had to eliminate two part-time positions, and the budget to buy DVDs and CDs had shrunk by 50 percent. She also said the wide variety of book formats, including e-books, is expensive. Woods said her predecessor used all of the library's reserves to rehab the building in 2005. “A good …
38.617897
-90.347286
Brentwood Public Library
8765 Eulalie Ave, Brentwood, MO
/articles/brentwood-voters-overwhelmingly-approve-library-proposition-l
1444122
/locations/7579481
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The library is asking for a 5 cent increase in August, which would equate to an additional $19 in taxes annually on a $200,000 home.
On May 23, the trustees of the Brentwood Public Library unanimously passed a resolution calling for an election on August 7 for an increase in the library’s tax levy. Residents of the Brentwood Library District will be asked to consider Proposition L, which calls for an increase of a nickel from the current Library District tax rate of 25 cents—the last increase was in 1984. For perspective, a 5 cent increase in the tax rate equates to an additional $19 annually on a $200,000 home. The Brentwood Public Library opened its door to the citizens of Brentwood on September 18, 1938, with 1,100 books and 85 cents in its treasury. Today 75 percent of residents have a library card. Next year the library will celebrate its 75th anniversary and …
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The St. Louis County Library Board of Trustees approved a tax levy ballot issue Monday.
The St. Louis County Library Board of Trustees approved a tax levy ballot issue at its meeting on April 16, aimed at long overdue renovations and replacements of the library’s aging facilities and enhancements to programs, collections and services. The measure, which will appear on the November 2012 ballot, is the first increase the library has requested of voters since 1983. According to Jennifer McBride, St. Louis County Library Communications Manager, the tax levy is not County-wide. "It will impact the areas served by the St. Louis County Library system," she said. "Not the nine-member municipal library district." Brentwood and Maplewood are not part of the St. Louis County Library system. The Brentwood Public Library and the …
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Do any of these titles surprise you?
The Brentwood Public Library went through some big changes in 2011. A very popular change has been the teen room, said library director Vicki Woods in an email to Patch. The room, which is reserved for teens at 3 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, allows teens to browse the Young Adult collection, work on a table space, use an iMac or draw on a whiteboard. (For instant updates about Maplewood and Brentwood, follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MaplewoodBrentwoodPatch) The library also added a computer for preschoolers to access several learning programs in multiple languages, Woods said. The ability to check out laptop computers and Kindles is also new. Finally, the "book a librarian" program has given library-goers the opportunity to…
38.617897
-90.347286
Brentwood Public Library
8765 Eulalie Ave, Brentwood, MO
/articles/2011-most-checked-out-books-from-brentwood-library
1444122
/locations/6047602
Saturday, December 24, 2011
New ways to start the New Year — and make a difference.
With holiday shopping (hopefully) behind us, it’s time to think forward and plan ahead — for your New Year’s resolutions. Besides the usual (yawn) I "will-exercise-more” and “will-lose-weight” mantras, how about volunteering? Make your life and community a better place in the upcoming year. Share some of your personal time and gain insight into the lives of others. You might even get some muscle in the process. Here are some places to consider in 2012. And if you have any other ideas, please let us know in the comments. (For instant updates about Maplewood and Brentwood, follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MaplewoodBrentwoodPatch) Salvation Army — The Army is looking for few good men and women to help around its Community Center in…
38.623843
-90.334716
Animal Protective Association of Missouri
1705 S Hanley Rd, Brentwood, MO
/articles/5-places-to-volunteer-your-time-in-2012
1427259
/locations/6047615
38.624064
-90.338517
Lutheran Senior Services
1150 Hanley Industrial Ct, Brentwood, MO
/articles/5-places-to-volunteer-your-time-in-2012
1427940
/locations/6047616
38.613955
-90.314829
Mother to Mother
7225 Manchester Rd, Maplewood, MO
/articles/5-places-to-volunteer-your-time-in-2012
1427859
/locations/6047617
38.616654
-90.326447
Salvation Army
7701 Rannells Ave, Maplewood, MO
/articles/5-places-to-volunteer-your-time-in-2012
1426907
/locations/6047618
38.61488
-90.32523
Maplewood Public Library
7550 Lohmeyer Ave, Saint Louis, MO
/articles/5-places-to-volunteer-your-time-in-2012
1427106
/locations/6047619
38.617897
-90.347286
Brentwood Public Library
8765 Eulalie Ave, Brentwood, MO
/articles/5-places-to-volunteer-your-time-in-2012
1444122
/locations/6047620
Friday, November 18, 2011
Lynne DeVaughan hopes her accounting background will be of service to the public library.
Lynne DeVaughan, a CPA and treasurer of the Mark Twain Elementary School PTO, has been appointed to a three-year term on the Brentwood Public Library's board of trustees. She and her husband, Allen, have two children attending Mark Twain: Amy and Mark. “My family is full of voracious readers,” she said. “As an active patron, I certainly have a personal interest in helping maintain the library’s resources,” DeVaughan said. “I am also pleased that my accounting background can be of service beyond the ability to earn a paycheck.” DeVaughan’s appointment was approved by the Brentwood Board of Aldermen during a meeting last Monday. She is replacing Joan Beeman, who left the board earlier this year.
38.617897
-90.347286
Brentwood Public Library
8765 Eulalie Ave, Brentwood, MO
/articles/devaughan-appointed-to-brentwood-library-board
1444122
/locations/5837029
Striek
10:06 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
It is hard to believe people are still griping about that book. Bill, thanks for the broad blanket insult. Jackass. more ›