A little advice for library supporters: If you're waiting for the Jackson County commissioners' scheduled Jan. 31 public hearing on the future of county libraries, don't.

The commissioners have actually scheduled two hearings: one on the 31st of this month and one on May 2 — nearly a month after the libraries are scheduled to close indefinitely.

Meanwhile, the county's elected leaders have given no indication that they are eager to find a long-term solution to library funding. In fact, the commissioners have told us that they intend to get the county out of the library business entirely.

Where that would leave the countywide system of new library buildings is an open question.

By now everyone in the county knows — or should know — the unpleasant facts:

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• County voters in 2000 authorized $38.9 million in bonds to build or remodel 15 libraries. Three of those remain unfinished, but they will be finished because, by law, the bond proceeds must be spent and cannot be used for anything but construction.
• Federal payments to the county in lieu of receipts from timber harvests on federal land will end this year. Congress failed to renew the payments last year. The payments amount to $23 million, a large portion of the county budget.
• The county asked voters in November to approve a property tax levy of 66 cents per $1,000 assessed value to keep the libraries open for five years. If Congress had renewed the timber payments, the tax would not have been levied. Voters said no.

Now a few facts that may have been overlooked in all of the discussion about libraries:

• Jackson County voters have steadily supported their libraries with tax levies as federal timber receipts dwindled. Beginning in the mid-1980s, voters approved a series of operating levies, the last in 1996, a three-year levy that cost property owners 63 cents per $1,000.
• In 1997, that levy was made permanent and became part of the county's general tax base, along with other special-purpose tax levies including that of the Southern Oregon Historical Society. The shift came courtesy of Ballot Measure 47, which clarified Measure 50, the property tax limitation initiative.

The bottom line: The county is still collecting taxes that voters approved to fund libraries. And when federal payments that have kept the rest of county government going dry up, the county's response is to close the libraries.

If this bothers you, speak up.

The county commissioners meet in public session at 9:30 a.m. every Wednesday in the auditorium of the county courthouse. Every meeting includes a public comment period.

It's your county, and they are your libraries. Let your elected representatives know how you feel.

For more facts about the library situation, visit the library system's Web site, www.jcls.org/infoblog.