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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Oregon charter fishing company accused of pocketing money for licenses ... The writing's on the wall ... Oregon Republicans bruised by 'partisan' legislative session ... Oregon charter fishing company accused of pocketing money for licenses ... The writing's on the wall ... Oregon Republicans bruised by 'partisan' legislative session ... OUR VIEW Our View: What's in a name? Not that much, really Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 30, 2014 at 12:01 AM Posted Nov. 30, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Social News In the end, what's important is what's inside the buildings, not what they're called. We speak of Jackson County's libraries, still working out the details of a new existence as a special district separate from Jackson County government for the first time. Voters gave the libraries a new lease on life last spring, creating the Jackson County Library District and authorizing it to levy property taxes to pay for operating expenses. The district board is redesigning the libraries' logo to differentiate the system from the county government, which previously operated the libraries. Some library officials thought a name change might be in order, too. The existing name is Jackson County Library Services, while the new operating entity is the Jackson County Library District Also, the district is preparing to print formal announcements of expanded hours of operation at many branches, lending a sense of urgency to any name change. Operating free of county control is no small matter, given the history of relations between the libraries and the county commissioners. Historically, the libraries operated with money from a serial levy that voters renewed every several years specifically for library services. Voter-approved property tax limitation measures in the late 1990s made such levies permanent and rolled them into the county tax base, and the libraries had to compete with all other county departments for their share of the budget each year. That levy amount is still being collected, but after shutting down the libraries and then reopening them with reduced staff and hours, county commissioners told library supporters they had to find separate funding to continue operating past this year. The district is running a survey on its website asking patrons to choose one of three possible names: Jackson County Libraries, Libraries of Jackson County or the current Jackson County Library Services. If those sound pretty much the same, you can understand why some people have questioned the necessity of changing the name at all. We concur. In fact, library officials say a name change isn't a major issue, and the survey resulted because the board couldn't agree on a new name and decided to ask the public. "Maybe we're over-thinking this," Board Member Maureen Swift said. Yes, they're over-thinking it. Our vote: Avoid the distraction of changing for the sake of change and leave the name as it is. Instead, concentrate on providing excellent libraries.    MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 30, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501