Comments on: Shut Down the Libraries, because I Never Use Them

By: Jean Costello

Jean Costello — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:56:51 +0000

Thanks Library Worker – I was a plenary panelist at Reference Renaissance 2010 and this Spring the iSchool at Univ of Toronto hosted me for 2 days of programming with students, faculty and administration.

The organizations you mentioned respond best to inquiries from within the profession, so feel free to submit my name to one of the conferences you’ll be attending next year. I’ll be happy to join if I can. My best, Jean

By: Library Worker

Library Worker — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:14:35 +0000

Jean Costello, I would love to hear you speak at a library conference. Please submit a proposal to ALA, PLA, CLA etc. You have a very rational, even-handed, non-inflammatory writing style – I’m guessing that you would be an engaging speaker. I have worked in public libraries for 25 years and my fellow librarians need a wake up call on the future of libraries. I don’t have the answer…I wish I did. I see a lot of desperation in some of the things we do to look “relevant”. I’m guilty of it myself. We desperately grab onto the latest fad that we think will be our salvation.

By: Joyce

Joyce — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:55:57 +0000

Here in MI we must be not in the know…our library millage just passed by 9,000 votes. We are suppose to be an upscale community too.
Personally, even though I could afford to buy my books I do not. I do not need the clutter. I love getting my books from my library. I love getting some DVDs from my library. Less clutter, more money. Come talk to us, we love our public library.. and over 12,000 voters went to the polls to make sure the library lights stay on.

By: Bonnie Powers

Bonnie Powers — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:26:38 +0000

Sounds like the right place to me! : )

By: Jean Costello

Jean Costello — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:12:41 +0000

How right you are, Bonnie. The biggest problem I see is that there are no “right places” to have the conversation.

I’d like to invite you, Joneser, Oleg, TechServing, Randal, Spencer and Children’s Librarian up to Massachusetts for a few drinks. I’ll spring for a few icy cold pitchers and a few bottles of wine and we’ll figure this whole thing out!

Jean

By: Bonnie Powers

Bonnie Powers — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:33:39 +0000

I have followed this discussion from the beginning and have learned a lot along the way. It seems to me that this entire thread is representative of the very basic divide that exists in “libraryland” (not a fan of that term): Those who believe libraries will continue to go on forever just as they are, and those who believe that radical change is necessary to ensure libraries’ survival. If a few respondents can’t agree on what’s wrong with libraries, if anything, then how can we ever hope to achieve a common, institutional vision for the future?

Many of you have more answers than I, for sure. And I appreciate the different perspectives presented. But I wonder where that leaves us as a profession? And just how divided are we? My hope is that more and more conversations like these will be had in all the right places. Thanks for the education.

By: Spencer

Spencer — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:03:34 +0000

How many people in your city have a library card? Of those, what percentage uses the library at least 2 times a month? I’m willing to bet you’ve got about 5000 people who use the library at least 2 times a month.

If that’s the case- and your library isn’t a national anomoly- you are failing as an institution- IMO- regardless of how many people stop to ask you questions. If not and you’re techniques fly in the face of what the rest of the profession in general is doing- good for you. You should put on seminars on how to succeed, but realize you are NOT indicitive of libraries in general- YOU are a beacon on the hill.

By: Jean Costello

Jean Costello — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:02:37 +0000

Hi Spencer - interesting analysis. I try to guage public support by analyzing the size of friends groups and also how many people come out to protest library closures and budget cuts. The numbers are small. I'm on my lunch hour at work and don't have access to all my records ... but can cite a few examples. In mid-2009, I referenced two large libraries that quoted some numbers on their cardholders and Friends. For one, 71% of their population were cardholders and .3% were friends. For the other, the numbers were 45% and .4%. And this from memory: When I read about protests around the country, I compare the population served to the number of supporters that show up in person to lobby against cuts. (I realize people also write and phone their elected officials, but here too the numbers appear small.) In early 2010, the Boston Public library announced significant closures and cutbacks. I remember these stats because I live an hour away from Boston. The big protests at City Hall were covered on the news. 85 protesters were there one day, 130 the next day. The population served by the main branch alone is roughly 335,000. Another vivid memory is from 2009 when the library in my town faced closure. We have 7,000 residents and 2,500 properties that are assessed taxes. Appr 25 people showed up at the selectman's office to protest library cuts. I know because I helped mount the "Save the Library" campaign and took the podium at that meeting in support of our library. The people with me were almost all women over 50 years old. We mounted a letter writing campaign that generated 40-50 letters (including those of us that went to the selectmen.) We also mounted a petition campaign at our annual booksale and local supermarkets and collected 400 signatures. The stats above are pretty consistent with reports I follow from around the country. They suggest deep public library support comes from a small segment of the population.

By: Children's librarian

Children's librarian — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:55:25 +0000

Spencer, you haven’t heard what I had to say. The way you describe is ineffective on reaching out is NOT how what I do to reach out. There are more effective methods. It seems to be working in that if I go to a community event, a grocery store or whatever, people stop me to ask questions about upcoming programs, when I’m going to be back at their school, how this or that puppet is doing… I can’t go anywhere without people I don’t think I’ve ever met stopping me, and I live in a community of 50,000. But I’m not to convince you either. That’s okay.

By: Children's librarian

Children's librarian — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:40:23 +0000

I honestly don’t know why I decided to spend some time on my day off to try to present an alternative perspective about public libraries because I won’t convince people who have already made up their minds. I’m also one of those who rarely visits this blog, perhaps because so many negative perspectives are given about public libraries/librarians. I like some of Jean’s ideas about virtual material collections — that is something we haven’t done. We’d have to find professionals to be willing to work for free to do something like this, and I think it’s a problem now that professionals are being asked to work for virtually nothing on stint work.