The state is the culprit in the Butler County Federated Library System board's decision to curtail bookmobile service to the northern part of the county. Any discussion about the bookmobile's fate must acknowledge that from the start.

State funding for the library system was slashed to $508,484 from $767,049 under the state's 2003-04 budget morass, which also had many school districts contemplating shutting down in late 2003 because of a long delay in receiving state subsidies.

But the state's uncomplimentary bookmobile role aside, the library system board didn't earn any plaudits for good judgment when it decided to leave northern Butler County without library service. Despite the financial hardship caused by the state's poor decision on library funding, the BCFLS's withdrawal of book service from the rural northern area of this county so early in the year borders on the unconscionable.

Thus, the county commissioners' evolving approach to the issue does merit positive notice. It is an approach that works with federal mandates handed down to the states, and with mandates handed down by the states to counties and municipalities. It also can work with the county's dealings with the BCFLS, although it is unfortunate that the bookmobile situation has reached the point where the commissioners regard the approach as necessary.

Oftentimes, the federal and state governments tie eligibility for money to compliance with a mandate. In essence, that is what the commissioners have proposed to do by suggesting that if bookmobile service isn't restored, the commissioners might consider cutting the county's donation to the library system.

During each of the past two years, the county has donated $238,000 toward the library system's $1 million budget - a pittance when compared with overall county spending. Last year, the county also made what was termed a one-time supplemental donation of $50,000.

It's also appropriate to point out that a county that spends in excess of a half-million dollars for tourism - albeit by virtue of a hotel tax - ought to be able to find much more money than $238,000 for something as valuable as libraries. A workable approach to that would be to designate a half-mill or so of current county tax collections to fund library services - or levy an extra half-mill or so for library purposes.

According to Commissioner Glenn Anderson, the commissioners approved the extra money last year "in good faith" that the bookmobile would remain in service. However, the big reduction in state money for this year's operations resulted in the BCFLS board's increasingly controversial 4-3 vote last month to halt service at the end of March.

The plan is to resume service from June 14 through the end of August, then shut it down again for the rest of this year.

Anderson has made it clear that the plan isn't good enough - it isn't - and his commissioner colleagues Scott Lowe and James Kennedy are agreeable that unless there is a change of heart on the library board, the board might have bigger financial challenges with which to deal.

"We are not going to divide this county as one-half with libraries and one-half without libraries," Anderson said.

Instead of curtailing bookmobile service so early in the year, the BCFLS board should have allowed the service to continue while efforts were stepped up to reduce its shortfall in money, either through the county government or via municipalities.

It's well known that most county municipalities are shamefully cheap in regard to support for library services. That's true in many, probably most, counties in the state.

However, the growing outcry that has greeted the BCFLS board's action should cause northern municipalities to rethink that unfortunate attitude. Meanwhile, the county government should also ponder how it can provide more financial support, assuming, of course, that the bookmobile is put back on the road permanently.

The commissioners should opt for fiscal strong-arm tactics as a last resort, but the library board's misstep has justified an added financial incentive for the board to rethink its move and schedule another vote.

Under the circumstances, all aspects of library service should feel some pain because of the decreased state funding, but that doesn't mean one sector of the county should bear a disproportionate amount of pain.

That is the fate that the BCFLS board imposed on northern Butler County last month, and the bottom line is that it isn't fair.

- J.R.K.