Makosky

You should still be able to trace the family tree at the library in Westminster.An advisory group met last week to develop a plan to keep the local genealogical program there despite library budget cuts.The panel was appointed by the library's board of trustees following a proposal by Martha M. Makosky, the county library director, to move the genealogy section out of the Davis Room of the Westminster branch and save about $30,900 over the next two years.The library board had proposed letting a nonprofit group or a private, for-profit company take over the collection.

Public libraries are, or should be, the heart of a community's cultural life. They pass on the accretion of human knowledge and culture to the present generation, while preserving and nurturing that record of our treasured past.While libraries today are often compelled to deal in junk novels, scratched forgettable records and remaindered videos, they still are the principal repositories of a more lasting, significant cultural tradition that cannot be readily acquired from private retailers in the nearby mall.

Was it a book review or a budget review?Presentation of the Carroll County Public Library's proposed $3.43 million spending plan for fiscal 1993 took on tones of both Thursday before the commissioners.Before they talked numbers, they talked books.Literary-mindedreaders might want to know that Commissioner Julia W. Gouge is reading "Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind," and Library Director Martha M. Makosky is studying "Reinventing America," a book about reforming American government.

Asking the local librarian to let you know when your favorite novel is returned will now cost you 30 cents per notice.In light of this year's county and state budget woes and an economic situation likely to worsen, Carroll County Public Library board members reluctantly passed the new fee at their monthly meeting Wednesday night.Members also created a furlough policy in case money is cut from library budgets next year."We are passing a reserve fee tied to the cost of postage that can be raised as postage rates increase at the discretion of the director," said Gail Griffith, the library's assistant director.

Carroll's bar association won't need to beg for help with its lawyerreferral service if the library won't run it.When the library trustees tabled a motion to run the service, the county Department of Citizen Services called county attorney Charles W. "Chuck" Thompson and offered to fill in the gap."The library could do a fabulous job, but we thought we'd let Mr.Thompson know they had a back-up if they need it," said Joleen Sullivan, director of citizens services. "We have a person on staff who isa paralegal with Legal Aid in Frederick, but I haven't had a chance to talk to them yet."

Del. Richard N. Dixon, D-Carroll, plans to introduce four bills thisweek to increase protection for residents living near quarries and ensure that land is reclaimed.Last week, he introduced a bill thatwould compel mining companies to compensate property owners or repair damages caused by sinkholes within a "zone of dewatering influence."Sinkholes are sudden subsidences of land that can occur naturallyor be caused by extracting ground water.Dixon said two bills would "change the legislative intent" of mining laws.

The committee formed to study whether Carroll County Public Library budget cuts will affect its genealogical collection has scheduled its first meeting for 1 p.m. tomorrow."

For nursing home residents who cannot get to the library, Library Link volunteers bring the world within their reach."Our eyes may become dim and our muscles may become weak, but we can soar through space to places we've never visited with books," said County Commissioner Elmer C. Lippy at the program's 20th birthday celebration last month.Since 1971, Library Link has provided books and games to nursing home residents. Currently, 15 volunteers visit 102 residents in sevencounty nursing homes once every other week.

Genealogical materials will be moved to a new area of the Westminster library, where volunteers, instead of employees, will assist family researchers.The county's library board unanimously approved last night an ad hoc committee's plan to retain the genealogical collection in a separate area, instead of having the volumes removed from the library as initially proposed.The library's administration had proposed eliminating a staff position in the genealogical program and moving the collection from the Westminster branch's Davis Room to cut $10,653 from the fiscal 1993 budget.

WESTMINSTER -- After 40 years of serving Carroll through donations of money and time, the Junior Woman's Club of Westminster is still going strong.In a ceremony to commemorate their four decades of community service, past and present members gathered Thursday at Carroll Community College for a tree-planting ceremony.Merri Hollinger, president of the Junior Woman's Club of Westminster, and Carol Bare, who in 1952 was the club's first president, helped plant two cherry trees at the main entrance of the college.