Evidently you have never had to work with volunteers much less individuals needing to do community service hours or people who have to work for receiving public assistance. Most places will not take community service or public assistance workers because 90 percent of them either don’t show up when they are supposed to or think they can show up then do nothing but sit on their behinds killing time. Believe me I know of what I speak, I have tried the “someone has to give them a chance, there is nothing in our area and they certainly can’t go to Pensacola because of transportation”. Learned the hard way! Now I seldom work with them. They do have to interview and I set down the rules. Must show up on time, dress appropiately, if you can’t come I expect a phone call in advance, and you will actually work. Want to guess how many then want to work for me? Am I asking them to do something out of line? Regular volunteers are nice but ask any non-profit how hard it is to get dependable volunteers who are willing to show up on a schedule. Most people think that volunteering means working when you feel like working, not when the facility actually needs someone. And don’t forget, working in a library is not sitting on your tail reading a book. Boxes of books are heavy, must be able to bend and stretch dealing with the book shelves. Must have the ability to learn the dewey system and actually know your alphabet. Must have good eye sight, making sure books are kept as they should be means a lot of eye strain. Must be people friendly or no one wants to come back. Then I haven’t even brought up what has to be learned on the computer system. For every community service person it seriously takes two good employees to clean up after them. Community Service and public assistance individuals don’t care what kind of job they do, they know it is only temporary then they can be on their merry way. There are that 10% that are good but as a business the work hours involved in the 90% dones not make it feasible.

I still think that my idea for the staffing would save enough money to allow for this to become a reality.

LOST funds = Local Option Sales Tax.

Local option sales tax funds are used for “CAPITAL PROJECTS” such as:

*Paving roads

*Improving drainage systems

*Fire, law enforcement and public safety services

*Building libraries, sidewalks, community centers, parks and
recreational facilities

*New and improved court systems, community services and
public facilities