National Library Worker’s Day and more
April 19, 2010
A belated happy National Library Worker’s Day (April 13) to everyone working in all types of libraries. Where would our society be without you? To get a look at the many different types of jobs it takes to keep a large public library up and running visit our website:
http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/news/2010/libraryworkersday.html
You’ll see it takes lots of people doing everything from payroll to truck driving to make our Library work. Thanks to each and every one of you.
Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits for Internet Access at U. S. Libraries
Newspapers across the country including the Cincinnati Enquirer, reported on the findings of a recent study looking at the ways people use Internet access in public libraries. The study, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and conducted by the University of Washington Information School gathered information through a telephone survey, in-person interviews with Library patrons at four public libraries and an online survey completed by 45,000 people who had logged on to use a public library computer. The study found that Internet access is now one of the most sought after public library services and was used by 45% of the 169 million public library visitors over the past year. More than three-quarters of those using a public library’s Internet access had Internet access at home, work or elsewhere. 77 million people age 14 or older used the Internet at a public library or 32% of the US population. Although the report found that people of all ages, races, incomes and educational levels were using library computers for a variety of reasons, use was highest among those living below the poverty line with 44% of people living in households below the poverty line turning to the Library for Internet access and the percentage climbed to 61% for young adults (14-24) living in households below the poverty line. The study ranked key uses of library computers with social connections highest at 60%. Education was close behind at 42%, employment 40%, health and wellness 37%, government and legal 34%, community engagement 33%, managing finances 25% and entrepreneurship 7%. The report includes a number of recommendations primarily urging inclusion of public libraries in a range of initiatives from broadband deployment to economic and workforce development strategies. The full report and a much shorter executive summary can be found online at:
The Friends of the Public Library held another booksale, this time at the Pleasant Ridge Branch Library. No word yet on how the sale did, we’ll find out tomorrow. Late Friday afternoon when I stopped by the sale, quite a few shoopers were browsing and buying, so I expect the sale to have done well. The Annual Meeting for the Friends of the Public Library is Friday April 23 at 1:00 at the Main Library. All Friends members are invited to attend.
I was also at Pleasant Ridge on Monday just to visit with the staff. Lots of great questions as they prepare to join other branches in adding self service checkout equipment and additional computers through a grant from the Gates Foundation. Both changes will be coming to Pleasant Ridge in the next month or two. The staff there is also hard at work on implementing floating collections. So far, several formats are floating and it’s working as planned. Once the book collection starts to float we’ll see the biggest change. I left just as the branch was opening. As always, a crowd was outside waiting for the branch to open.
The same was true at Norwood, where I stopped on my way back downtown. The branch was already busy after being open for only a few minutes. No chance to talk with staff on that visit – they were all hard at work!
Monday evening, two Library Trustees, Bill Moran and Bob Hendon, Clifton Branch Manager Jenny and I attended the Clifton Town Meeting to present a proposed relocation of the Clifton Branch from its current rental location to Parkview Manor, the former home of George (Boss) Cox. This amazing house, located just a few blocks from the current branch Library was built in 1896 by noted Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford. At 10,000 square feet it is four times the size of the current Clifton Branch, offering a unique opportunity to provide a larger branch library to a community that heavily uses its Library, Clifton ranks 15th in circulation among our branch libraries depite having only 2,500 square feet of space, and preserve an important part of Cincinnati’s history. The folks at the presentation were very supportive of this relocation, one even wrote a check for $500 to help with the estimated $3 million renovation costs.
The Friends were instrumental in putting together an exhibit of pop up books at the Main Library. Carolyn Hughs, a Friends member and volunteer shared her outstanding collection of pop up books with the whole community by allowing the books to be displayed in the Cincinnati Room. The exhibit will be up until June 27. Mrs. Hughes also brought paper engineer Bruce Foster to the Main Library last week. Mr. Foster was at a special reception for Friends members then did a talk for everyone. Hundreds were in attendance. We thank Mrs. Hughes for sharing her love of pop up books with all of us.
Speaking of author talks, did you miss Rick Steves when he was at the Main Library on March 27? The Atrium was filled to absolute capacity with an estimated 1,500 people in attendance. Mr. Steves did an interesting and informative talk holding the audience rapt for more than 2 hours. He signed books and allowed photos before heading off on another trip. A fundraiser benfiting the Library Foundation included an international lunch, was held right before the talk. Mr. Steves joined the 50 supporters in attendance, presenting an informal more persoanlized talk to this much smaller audience. What a great turnout for this author’s talk.
In addition to visiting branch libraries I also visit with the departments at the Main Library. I recently visited with two, Magazines and Newspapers and Genealogy and Local History. I enjoyed talking with both groups of staff although our meetings have to be brief. With the Main Library opening at 9:00 we try to get right to any questions or concerns before the doors open and the crowds start pouring in. I was happy to let the staff in Genealogy know that we have applied for an LSTA grant to get the Fontayne and Porter 1848 Cincinnati Panorama daguerreotype on display. The grant would make it possible to put the daguerreotype on display for the first time in more than 50 years.
On Tuesday the Success By 6 Steering Council, of which I am a member, held its meeting at the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency. Our Bond Hill Branch is in that same facility so I was pleased to invite the Council members to arrive a few minutes early to tour the branch. Several did and we were delighted to have the chance to talk about this collaborative project. The Bond Hill branch is the only branch library in the country to share a facility with a community action agency. This allows the hundreds of children in the Head Start program on site to visit the library regularly, resulting in Bond Hill having the highest program attendance of any of our branches. When Bond Hill opened at this site, we merged the Bond Hill and Roselawn branches into one facility. It’s worked very well serving both communities from this much larger facility without raising our operating costs – crucial in these times of declining State funding for public libraries.
Since I last wrote I’ve also visited the Westwood, St. Bernard and College Hill branch libraries. At both Westwood and College Hill we talked about self service checkout, upgrading computers, the strategic plan and lots of other things. College Hill is not eligible for new equipment from the Gates grant, providing new equipment for so many of our branch libraries. We have applied for a grant that would update computer equipment at branches like College Hill that won’t be getting new equipment through the Gates grants. We should know later this summer whether or not our grant will be funded. Through the generosity of the Dater Foundation, Westwood is upgrading its computers in the children’s room. My stop at St. Bernard was brief and since the branch was open I only had time to talk quickly with staff that afternoon.
