Circulation Situation

It has become apparent throughout these uncertain economic times that the library as an institution remains an important resource to members of a given community. Take for example the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library in Kansas. In November of 2009, the library received four out of five stars in a review by The Library Journal in recognition of its excellent service to patrons during tough times. Local patrons access the library for both personal education and entertainment needs and take advantage of the free exchange of information and ideas. In a period where citizens are tightening their budgets and becoming more concerned about economic matters, libraries such as TSCPL are proving to function as helping hands. The Library Journal reported in 2009 that almost eight in ten libraries that responded to a recent survey reported increased circulation. With increased circulation and public usage of libraries, we may see a more informed public that is sympathetic to the needs of local libraries.

Library Crisis in the News

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

On June 11th, The Today Show did a segment called "Beyond Books: Libraries Lend a Hand in Recession." This video does a good job in summing up all the difficulties faced by libraries, from budget cuts to helping patrons find jobs and use the internet.

If video does not load, visit http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31237988#31237988

A Library's Open System to Dealing with its Budget

Canton - not just home to IKEA, they also have quite a noteworthy public library.

Like any other city, Canton has seen its ups and downs during these tough economic times. For instance, take a look at the Budget,

2008 Budget: $6.4 Million

2009 Budget: $ 5.8 Million

2010 Budget: $ 5.2 Million

Notice a trend?

It does not take a mathematician to see that the past two years has led to more than $1.2 Million in budget cuts. At the same time, library usage is up 25% since 2007.The library knew it was going to have to cut the budget for 2010, so it did the unthinkable – in June the library Director, Eva M. Davis, posted an article explaining the situation and made an open forum where library patrons could voice their say about what should be cut or preserved. Davis responded to each post,

and the amount of participants was surprising - over 40 responses in two weeks!

By September, big decisions and budget cuts arrived. The library preserved its ability to stay open 7 days a week, with 72 hours of operation total. Reasons are listed for why the cuts were necessary and ranged from fewer property tax dollars (94% of the budget), to reducing the library millage rate from 1.5437 to 1.4980 - cutting taxes by $6 for every $100,000 in taxable value (millage rate is the amount per $1,ooo that is used to calculate taxes on property). There also still is fear of what will happen with the statewide revenue and its funding of MeL Cat, which affect statewide Databases and Interlibrary loans.

This library does not hide its facts, instead it forewarns patrons of things to come: longer lines, less staff, longer waits for books on hold, waiting on upgrade computers, less programs for computer classes & story time…the list for this library (like many others) continues.

PDF of 2010 Budget

Images from Flickr

GDP and Libraries

This video is a recording of Bobby Kennedy giving a speech about GDP from 1968. He goes into detail about all of the misleading things that are taken into account in calculating GDP. He then goes on to share that those things that aren’t taken into account are what actually makes our country so great. He concludes that GDP encompasses many things that make up the U.S. economy but it cannot tell us what it is to be an American. I decided to take this idea and apply it to the realm of the library and how poorly we measure its success in terms of GDP.

GDP does not measure the ability to teach patrons to be life-long learners or cultivate a community spirit. GDP does not include our passion to build a better library that serves the community or the knowledge that can be found in the libraries’ collections. GDP does not gauge the delivery of service or the drive for change in technology. It does not measure our enthusiasm or fervor. It does not measure our understanding or experience. It does not measure our compassion or devotion. GDP can measure so much, but it does not measure the need for the library in our communities or tell us why it is still relevant in today’s society.

Some Good News!

I came across this article on Library Journal and thought I'd share it with everyone since it involves good news. The Madison Public Library in Wisconsin will be receiving $37 million from the city to build a new library. The mayor of Madison, Dave Cieslewicz, supports this. He emphasizes that this is a decision to benefit the community in the long run. I think it is very refreshing to hear that not all politicians and city councils have given up on libraries as unimportant. Hopefully the city of Madison can be an example to other cities to keep funding their libraries. How great would it be to start reading more and more stories about libraries receiving additional funds instead of having their budgets cut or eliminated?

However, we must remain realistic as well. I realize that most cities right now do not have $37 million to give to a library. I just think that city councils should think twice about cutting library budgets. Instead, maybe city councils could attempt to keep library budgets the same or even provide some extra funding if possible. This may be wishful thinking, but the city of Madison gives me hope!

We're all in it together!

As much as the library profession (or any profession for that matter) would prefer to be outside of the realm of a faltering economy, the fact remains that every job is affected by the current economic status. However, IF we all are indeed experiencing the same job and budget cuts, what better way for libraries to experience some solidarity than by grouping together for support? In an interview with Dr. Camila Alire, President-Elect of the American Library Association from 2008-2009, she emphasizes the extreme importance of great communication and strong relationships between all different kinds of libraries around the nation. She says There is no better time, with all the challenges we are facing, to promote the concept of collaboration in libraries. We don’t want competition to be stronger than collaboration.” She emphasizes the need for immediate interaction between all libraries, large or small. She also worries about an increase in competition between different libraries as budgets are strained. However, now is not the time to become an isolated and individualized profession, especially within the job itself. With the bad economy comes a requirement for libraries to work together towards a common goal. After all, every library shares goals concerning the preservation and expansion of knowledge, and influences tend to be stronger when there is more than one institution or group standing behind an ideal. We may all be thinking of how to persevere in our individual careers during this difficult time, but lets not forget about all of our colleagues who can offer support and strong ties when we need them the most!
Interview with Dr. Camila Alire: http://www.collaborativelibrarianship.org/index.php/jocl/article/view/5

Are Celebrities the Answer?

Drew Carey, after winning half a million on the Celebrity Edition of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” donated the money to a cause of his choice – the library! This happened in Ohio nine years ago, and is still being brought up in The Cleveland Leader. This rare happening was paired with his opinion on the Governors new plan to cut the library’s budget in half. His answer to this new ordeal – a fundraising carwash! Still, his playful solution is only a hypothetical answer.

Luckily, after much rallying and teamwork, the resulting budget cut in Ohio was not as drastic as Governor Ted Strickland proposed, with a reduction of “$84.3 million over the next two years, rather than the $227.3 million.” It is believed that the overpowering support of the community is one reason the governor’s cuts were rejected. This goes to show that with enough voices in a community, a library budget can be saved.

One thing I could not help thinking about is the strength of a celebrity’s voice in comparison to a community. A celebrity has the ability to get the attention of more people across the nation, while a community’s voice is usually not heard far beyond city limits. Celebrities have the ability to record public commercials and are used in pro-reading posters. So why not ask celebrities to join in on the community level of fighting to save libraries?

After further research I found a union of celebrities and libraries. In 2006 the U.K. began a campaign to improve libraries; it goes by the name Love Libraries. The campaign consists of “50 celebrity supporters from JK Rowling to the Hairy Bikers,” along with 500 champions, consisting of everyday people. As a Love Library Champion, it is easy to sign up to receive updates and the campaign uses this outlet to ask for consultations from supporters.

Perhaps we can utilize this hybrid idea from across the seas and make a Love Libraries for the United States. Who knows what can happen through the power of many voices.

For Some Free Poster Downloads of Celebrity's Promoting Reading visit: http://www.getcaughtreading.org/celebrityposters.htm

Don't Give Up On Me

Brian Kennedy, editor-in-chief of School Library Journal, discusses the point that even though public and school libraries are going through tough times, there are many great things going on in libraries today. His first point lies in the fact that libraries have received more press in the last six months than they have in decades. The articles range from how libraries are busier than ever to showing the wealth of technology and collections that many libraries offer. He also goes on to argue that it is a great time for libraries due to the fact that many collections are transforming and forming more connections with electronic sources. These digital and print brooks, audio books, and graphic novels are interacting with each other more than ever before and are changing the face of library collections. Librarians have a greater opportunity than ever before to engage and connect with the community. We need to take the economic disadvantages that plague our profession and use them to bring more patrons to the library.

Kenney, B. (2009). Mamma mia: Tough times present unprecedented opportunities. School Library Journal. 55(3), p. 11.

Academic libraries, not just public libraries, being affected by the economy

Library Journal has an interesting article about how the economy has affected the University of California Berkeley libraries and how people responded. Due to budget strains, the university decided to close many libraries on Saturdays and to limit exam period hours at one library. Well, many students, parents, and faculty did not take kindly to these cuts. A group of people occupied one of the libraries in protest of the reduced hours. Also, parents of alumni donated $80,000 so that the libraries could return to the previous hours of operation. The decisions to cut hours and limit access at the libraries have now been reversed due to the work of these people.

This article made me wonder how many other academic libraries are facing budget concerns. Will more and more libraries have to make decisions similar to those made by the University of California Berkeley? If so, how will these decisions impact students and faculty who depend on the libraries for study, research, and resources? Budget problems could result in cuts other than just reduced hours. For example, maybe an academic library will have to reduce the number of databases it subscribes to. Overall, budget cuts could potentially cause major changes at academic libraries. Librarians and patrons alike will have to deal with the changes.

The University of California Berkeley was able to recover from the cuts it made, largely due to very generous donations. However, not all academic libraries will be able to find donors to give large sums of money. The University of California Berkeley is a very prominent school so it was able to get donations. I do not think the library of a small college with less exposure, for example, would be able to get the same kinds of donations. Thus, many academic libraries will have to find different solutions or be forced to cope with budget cuts and their affects.

When Places of Refuge Need Help

The Boston Globe article, “Library budget cuts put book borrowing at risk” by Eric Moskowitz, reports that some public libraries in Massachusetts are jeopardizing their certification with the Board of Library Commissioners.

What does this mean?
Without the certification, “libraries would not be eligible for the state grants that round out local library budgets, and their residents would be deprived of the ability to borrow from most other public libraries.” Without the ability to make interlibrary loans, each public library would become its own entity. The problem with this is that libraries are mean to serve the public, and this is best achieved through pooling mass resources like books, audios, and videos.

One example of this single entity problem is when a library book club selects a book of the month. They are left with few options: to base the book off of if the library has enough copies or to buy your own copy, which defeats the purpose of a library. Without interlibrary loans, this book club may not be possible. Libraries need their certification to receive book loans.

14 out of 348 local libraries in Massachusetts have lost their certification.

How could such a thing happen?
“To be certified, communities must meet multiple standards, including a requirement that they increase library budgets each year by 2.5 percent, compared with the average spent in the three previous years.” In today’s economy these standards seem strict and impossible. How can a library be expected to increase its budget when each year it is cut?

The certification board has realized this problem and has “granted 22 of 26 requests [to keep certification], rejecting only those towns that stripped library funding disproportionately to other departments.” This means that certification and interlibrary loans can continue as long as the town evenly cuts the budget to public services like schools and the fire/police department. So the main answer to this problem is to make sure that the value of the library is a SHOUT out, rather than becoming something overlooked on a bookshelf.

Troy: Say It Ain't So!

The city of Troy is going through a major overhaul trying to figure out how to keep many community buildings open to the public. Due to the lack of property tax revenue, a projected 10.5 million dollar loss over the next five years may cause the city to close its libraries, museums, and community centers. City Manager John Szerlag said the city would have to cut 67 police department jobs to keep open the libraries, museums, and community centers, stating that Troy “can no longer economically sustain our organization”. The city leaders met on September 28^th to discuss the city’s options for dealing with this dilemma and three proposals have emerged:

1. The city could close the library, community center, museum, and nature center. Under this plan, the city would also cut back on police and fire by 25% and privatize some departments.

2. The library, community center and museum would stay open on a limited basis, but the city would lay off other employees, including police.

3. City Manager John Szerlag proposed a two million dollar operating levy that would keep the public safety services intact and fund the library, nature center and museum. That would equate to about $103 on the average residential tax bill, according to the Detroit News.

Whatever plan the city of Troy decides to follow in this budgetary crisis, I hope it includes finding a way to keep the public library and other services open to the community.

Patron Lifelines

I saw this sign in the Bloomfield Township Public Library the other day. I think it’s great that local libraries are staying current with the needs of their patrons and providing services that reflect their needs. This sign shows that the library is promoting important programs and resources that are available for patrons that they might not have known about. This is a great PR move to help keep the library current in times when many think it is an outdated resource. My only question is who is going to create a life line for the sinking libraries?

"Next generation librarians are those who are going to be around for the next few decades to deal with the aftermath of what we do now, and are those who will oversee the field's transformation in the future. They will be the ones to recognize that our profession is, in a number of ways, fighting for its own survival." This quote, taken from the book "The Nextgen Librarian's Survival Guide" is an excellent point of reference for those of us preparing to embark on a journey through the Library and Information Sciences profession. As students we will learn all of the facets of this particular field and by the end of our graduate career we will be able to make educated decisions about the next step, which is employment. But is there information accessible today that will help better prepare us for what the economy is doing to libraries around the country? And when we retrieve that information, what do we do with it?
The worst situation libraries find themselves concerning the economy involves lack of information about the situation, which ultimately leads to less concern about libraries as a whole. It's a fact that lack of awareness pushes libraries into the foreground of those establishments that experience severe budget cuts. In Michigan alone, library budgets are being cut by nearly half, from 10 million dollars to 6 million dollars. If we are the ones who want to establish careers in libraries and library service, what can we do now that will push for a more stable financial situation in the future? When we became students of the Library and Information Sciences program we took on a responsibility to the field that will be with us for the rest of our lives. In light of that, we are a part of the professional community, and we do have an influence. As "The Nextgen Librarian's Survival Guide" so aptly sums it up, "we have the chance to impact a changing institution and a changing profession, and to build the experiences we need to lead our libraries in the future".

A Library Funds its own Renovation: A New Trend or a Future Necessity?

In today’s economy, one library is ready to step towards the future. While at MacDonald Public Library, in New Baltimore, MI, I was surprised to be encountered with construction plans. Finally some exciting news, considering that nothing about libraries will make the headlines anymore, except for the increase in patrons and the cuts within the budget. My only remaining question was…how?

Earlier that day I was able to interview the assistant director, Annette, to find out that “there has been a big increase in people within the last five years and circulation has almost doubled; the only negative thing is that property levels have dropped.” The big problem about this is that when property levels drop, the tax revenue goes down and that gives libraries less money to work with. This is one major problem that so many libraries are encountering today. So how was it possible that this library was gaining a new porch entrance, an enlarged meeting and children’s room, and updated bathrooms? (The Voice) No, this was not through winning the Michigan Lottery or a big donation; it was through good old dependable savings.

As writer Candice Williams for the Detroit News discovered, the budget of one million dollars came through in due part as advice by the planning commission to the director Margaret Thomas, to save her pennies for the next decade instead of asking the voters for the money. (DetNews**) Without this advice from the future, the library may have had to postpone such plans until the economy improved.

As it is, the deal is still a work in progress. As Lisa Gervais in the local newspaper, The Voice, reports that construction bids are the culprit for the holdup; the original plans are being cut back to work within the budget. (The Voice) This library has put its finance book down and is not willing to budge. Luckily the forward thinking MPL can look ahead to a newly updated and larger space.

Hopefully, other future planning libraries may be able to take this story as an example to start saving pennies and know that within a few years success will be reached.


(Pictured: The current facade of the Library)
**The Detroit News article is no longer available and must either be retrieved through buying the article or searching the Wayne State University Databases (Det News - "Library to Self Fund Fix Up" by Candice Williams on June 13, 2009) Sorry about the extra steps**

Budget cuts affecting local library

Here is some information about how the economy is affecting a local library here in southeast Michigan. It was recently announced that the City of Livonia has proposed to cut $450,000 in funding to its libraries for the city's 2010 budget. This would result in the closing of two of the branches on alternating days and would likely result in layoffs of library employees. The proposed cuts are already being challenged by members of the Livonia Library Commission. They bring up points like the fact that more and more people are using the libraries because of the economic troubles. Therefore, the library should not receive such a big cut. I think this is a valid point. However, cities are being forced to make budget cuts. Why is it that libraries seem to be one of the first things to be affected concerning budget cuts? Is it out of necessity or do city planners value libraries less than other services? How important are libraries to a city or community? I feel that these are the types of questions that more and more cities will have to address during the economic crisis.

As the current economic crisis drags on, librarianship is in a conflicted position. Although the public is benefiting from the services that libraries are offering during hard times, many libraries are facing budget cuts and closings. Luckily, the Free Library of Philadelphia weathered the storm. However, the library still faces the uncertainty that comes with Pennsylvania lacking a state budget. One can see that those who are employed within library systems, as well as new MLIS graduates, may find themselves having to find different avenues down which to pursue employment. The diversity and flexibility of the MLIS degree is inherent in the instruction we receive from the very beginning of our studies. Perhaps the changing face of the profession with the adoption of new technology will pave these roads. Is diversifying our skill set the answer to potential instability in the job market? Or can we harness new technologies in order to make our skill set and profession incredibly relevant?

Library Budget Cut Interview

Hello everyone! I just posted a video in the video bar of an interview I had two days ago with the director of the library I work at (the Chesterfield Township Public Library). Her name is Midge Lusardi and she's been the director at the library for 13 years. I asked her to explain how the budget cuts in libraries around the country are going to ultimately affect the future of both librarians and the professionals who work within them. She gave some great insight about how the economy is reflecting the value of libraries, as well as how anyone can become more involved in the issue. Please check it out and feel free to comment!

The economic downturn continues to affect millions of people in the United States. However, not every business is scrounging to stay afloat. Public libraries are thriving in the new economy, says Joseph Berger of the New York Times. People are coming into libraries to benefit from all of the free services they have to offer. According to the Boston Globe, libraries around the country are posting double digit percentage increases. Why buy a book for $20 when you can get it from your local library for free? Many patrons are not just coming in for books but also DVDs, periodicals, internet services, and reference services offered by their public library. Libraries are creating new programs and instituting new services to help patrons face the economic crisis head on. Information devoted to resume building and job hunting has been integrated into many libraries’ programming. But even with the new patron boom, many libraries are facing budget cuts and are being forced to close their doors due to lack of funding. Will libraries be able to accommodate new demands from their ever-growing community without the funds? How can they make a dollar out of fifteen cents? How will we as a profession come together to keep our services free and available to all patrons? We could be heading down the road of pricey one-on-one reference services, steeper late fees, or more community fundraising. Or maybe the answer is simply to add new features to your everyday library, as Freakonomics suggests.

Welcome!

***Attention*** our official launch date is September 30, 2009…the countdown continues!

Hello world,
This blog is intended to bring to light the impact of the financial crisis on American Libraries, librarians, and patrons.

Discussions will be as diverse as the effects of libraries being forced to reduce work hours and staff, to the results of shrinking budgets congruent with increased library use.

Come join our conversation - we want to know what you think!

The Stimulibrarian blog is brought to you in part by five dedicated MLIS students (your future librarians) at Wayne State University.

"The best reading for the largest numbers, at the least expense." Melvil Dewey