The Central Kansas Library System supports library services in 17 counties in Central Kansas: Barton, Cloud, Ellis, Ellsworth, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee (contracting), Phillips, Republic, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, and Smith counties.

Executive Board

Find more information about the Executive Board here, including board packets, meeting date/location, and board members. The CKLS system plan and budget are also available at the linked page.

Vision
CKLS strives to provide leadership, information, and support for our member libraries.

Mission
The Central Kansas Library System improves and supports library service within its region.

The goal of the Central Kansas Library System is to respond to needs articulated by member librarians and trustees through specific programs that offer a level of service not affordable in local communities. CKLS pools resources and uses modern technology to help local librarians serve their patrons better. CKLS also offers direct services to rural residents and those who need special services because of disability. Anyone living within the System boundaries can get the library materials they want by using the collections of local libraries or by contacting CKLS directly.

• Cooperating with our colleagues to help all libraries meet the needs of all Kansans.
• Working together, helping each other at CKLS meet the needs of all our clients.
• Supporting local libraries, helping them give their patrons what they want when they go the library.
• Providing direct service to those who cannot go to a library or cannot benefit from regular library services.

The Central Kansas Library System receives most of its funding from a General Mill Levy on rural property (i.e., property not taxed by a city library) in sixteen of seventeen counties in the CKLS region. Pawnee County is a contracting county. The Jordaan Memorial Library in Pawnee County contracts for CKLS services.

In 1965, acting on the idea of State Librarian of Kansas, LeRoy Fox, to levy a tax on rural property in exchange for providing library services to rural residents, the Kansas Legislature established seven regional systems of cooperating libraries. In 1967, a group of active citizens, who had been working together since the System legislation had been passed, hired the first CKLS Administrator, and the System program was underway. From that time, through successive changes in administration and staff, CKLS has grown and developed, never losing sight of the purposes for which it was created.

The System is like a municipality, as such it has the authority to levy property taxes for the support of the System.  The System tax is levied on property that is not otherwise taxed for the support of a local public library in 16 counties. The governing body of the System shall be the Full System Board, consisting of one System voting representative or proxy elected by the local library board of trustees of each participating library, located in a CKLS taxing county, from the residents in its taxing district (Public Library Voting Representative); one voting representative of the school district located in a CKLS taxing county, appointed by school administration (School District Voting Representative); and one representative from each CKLS taxing county appointed by each taxing county governing body (County Appointee), to represent territory not within the district of any participating library, but within the taxing district of the System.  The Full System Board meets annually to conduct the business of the System, to approve the budget, any resolutions, bylaws amendments, and elect members to the Executive Board.  The Executive Board meets monthly at various System library locations, to conduct the general business of the System and to approve the System Plan.