- Possibly the most frequent answer given is "to keep out of legal trouble." This is an answer I myself may have given before doing this Web site. I now think there is a deeper, more profound answer.
- If we read the laws together as a group and then ask, "What is the legislative intent/purpose of the laws as a whole?," then the reasons for following laws become idealistic, laden with cherished, democratic values.
Remember the Revolutionary slogan, "No taxation without representation"?
Laws about specific library types (See "What type of library do I have?" on the right.) establish good representative government (i.e., the library board) for the library and the authority to request tax money tor support the services and programs provided by that government.
Open Meeting Laws, Cash Basis Laws, etc. are instructions to representatives on the library board for providing good, democratic government that uses money responsibly and to the benefit of the community providing that money. - So when reading the instructions given in laws, Attorney General Opinions and articles, please look behind the literal meaning of the words for the role these instructions play in creating and maintaining good, representative government for the library.
- If trustees and librarians expect other subdivisions of municipal government to provide good government services, then they should return the favor for that part of the municipal government under their control.
- Chris Rippel
Central Kansas Library System
1409 Williams Street
Great Bend, Kansas 67530
620-792-4865
crippel@ckls.org
Central Kansas Library System
1409 Williams Street
Great Bend, Kansas 67530
620-792-4865
crippel@ckls.org