It is snowing to beat the band today, with fierce winds and poor visibility. Rumor has it that a herd of Musk Ox has taken up residence downtown, but that remains unsubstantiated. The library is closed, as is most everything else hereabouts. This seemed like an opportune time to dig into the pile of library related articles I have been accumulating, and offer at least one of them for your further perusal. One that I especially enjoyed is Jessamyn West's interview with Jaron Lanier, author of You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto (Library Journal, 2/1/2010). There are many good observations to read here, but my personal favorites are Lanier's comments on the role of libraries as thinking space. That is really a very old idea, and one we tend to downplay because of the connotations it evokes. The shushing librarian, the oppressive silence and implied or active censure of those who dare to speak above a whisper. Lanier rightly points out that we are in dire need of thinking space, a refuge from digital distraction, where you can focus and organize your thoughts, free from the distracting buzz and flash of everyday life. There ought to be space for reflection, one amenable to thinking, designed as an escape from the false paradigm that being "busy" is being productive.
This latter misconception recalls a comment in another article worth reading, Heather Havrilesky's "'Digital Nation": What has the Internet done to us?'(Salon.com, 1/31/2010). Built around a critique of PBS's Frontline report "Digital Nation" which explores the side effects of "our digital immersion", Havrilesky quotes Sherry Turkle, director of MIT's Initiative on Technology and Self on the shortcomings of a plugged-in environment: "I've been busy all day and I haven't thought about anything hard, I mean the point of it is to be our most creative selves, not to distract ourselves to death." There should be room in our institutions to meet multiple requirements. Especially in a library like Otis, with patrons representing so many diverse needs, we will find ourselves balancing digital access with space for quiet contemplation and deliberation, and the desire for group interaction with individual pursuits. Identifying, assessing and responding to these challenges helps the library remain a dynamic and responsive institution, regularly in touch with the people it serves and changing community requirements.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Shifting priorities and the case for libraries
Sunday's New London Day contained an interesting piece on the front page. Entitled Buying Less, Doing More, the summary notes "Quietly but noticeably over the past year, Americans have rejiggered their lives to elevate experience over things." Among the experiences benefiting from this shift are spending time with family and friends, reading, and on hobbies. This is good news for libraries, which are designed to encourage communal activities, civic engagement and of course reading. Visit the library's home page and you will encounter reading groups for adults and teens, and story and craft activities for children. There is a link to a calendar filled with club, civic, and community events. I might add too that thanks to the support of the City of Norwich, Sachem Fund, the Friends of Otis Library, AHEPA, the Norwich Rotary Clubs and Kiwanis Club of New London, and generous individuals, there are new books and materials to read, watch and listen to.
When the library committed to maintaining its location in downtown Norwich these were the sorts of results envisioned. The Otis Library would be a destination, and a facilitator of the activities that make communities work. A library serves many functions, and its role as a forum, a gathering spot for community members to exchange ideas, interact, and learn are high on the list of priorities. I hope you will take advantage of the myriad opportunities at the library to engage with other residents in learning, discourse, and community enhancement.
When the library committed to maintaining its location in downtown Norwich these were the sorts of results envisioned. The Otis Library would be a destination, and a facilitator of the activities that make communities work. A library serves many functions, and its role as a forum, a gathering spot for community members to exchange ideas, interact, and learn are high on the list of priorities. I hope you will take advantage of the myriad opportunities at the library to engage with other residents in learning, discourse, and community enhancement.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Recent articles:Libraries are essential
Dear library patrons,
In her recent New Yorker review of Cass R. Sunstein’s new book, On Rumors: How Falsehoods Spread, Why We Believe Them, What Can Be Done, Elizabeth Kolbert provides more than ample evidence that we continue to mistake information for knowledge, and knowledge for wisdom. Not that library advocacy is the purpose of her essay; indeed, libraries are never mentioned. Nonetheless Sunstein’s book is a study of the Internet and other emerging technologies, and their aiding and abetting the “growing power of consumers to ‘filter’ what they see,” and I might add, hear and eventually say. Again, according to Sunstein, while many of the major Web sites remain the most popular-CNN, the BBC, and the New York Times-people increasingly turn to information in a customized form, via e-mail updates, RSS feeds, and other vehicles. These allow access to one’s favorite topics-and similarly oriented correspondents-without the discomfort of sifting through, or exposure to information and points of view which in Kolbert’s words, might be “less congenial.”
Libraries are not the sole means of addressing this imbalance and its pernicious results. It is worth noting that with its shelves of periodicals and wide ranging selection of books, DVDs and CDs, -and diverse patronage-libraries can be a counterbalance to the tendency to seek out only those people and that information we agree with, while discarding or ignoring reports and people that might raise questions. While never directly addressing the distinctions between information, knowledge and wisdom, there is ample evidence that libraries provide the resources, expertise and diversity of perspectives to encourage critical thinking, interpret and assess information and nurture the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom.
Kolbert’s review is not the only recent article which merits further consideration. First Monday’s November 2 installment features a lengthy but worthy article entitled “Public Libraries and the Internet 2008-2009 Issues, Implications and Challenges”. While the article confirms what we long suspected based on observation, namely that “patrons and communities have embraced the Internet-related aspects of library services as essential contributions of the library”, it also confirms several points we would rather not contemplate. Chief among these are: patron and community needs for Internet access are fast outpacing the ability of public libraries to meet these needs; and, while libraries in urban areas continue to experience growing demands for Internet services, the library hours of operation have decreased on average, with especially large drops among libraries in high poverty and urban areas. This second point is particularly resonant in Norwich. In each of the last 10 years, Norwich has ranked among Connecticut’s 25 most distressed municipalities. Like its peers in other urban areas, the Otis Library lost operating hours as state grants, which are essential to Norwich’s operating budget, have contracted and the city’s capacity to provide support has diminished. From an average of 59 service hours per week in 2008-2009, the library experienced a contraction to 46 service hours in 2009-2010. The timing could not be worse: “people are using library computers to apply for jobs, and assistance at record numbers, but have to contend with fewer hours that the library is open, inadequate numbers of computers and connection speed, and time limits that constrain their ability to fill out online applications, send e-mail messages to potential employers, and search and apply for assistance.” Fortunately, the Otis Library’s computers are new enough, and the connection speeds fast enough to cope with some of these shortcomings for the near future. Demand is high enough however, to require restrictive time limits of 45 minutes per session.
While the news may not be entirely felicitous, both articles provide ample evidence that libraries remain essential community assets. The multiplicity of ideas and perspectives embodied in library collections, and the provision of free access to the Internet in library computing facilities are two ways in which libraries, and ours in particular contribute to a healthy and sustainable community.
In her recent New Yorker review of Cass R. Sunstein’s new book, On Rumors: How Falsehoods Spread, Why We Believe Them, What Can Be Done, Elizabeth Kolbert provides more than ample evidence that we continue to mistake information for knowledge, and knowledge for wisdom. Not that library advocacy is the purpose of her essay; indeed, libraries are never mentioned. Nonetheless Sunstein’s book is a study of the Internet and other emerging technologies, and their aiding and abetting the “growing power of consumers to ‘filter’ what they see,” and I might add, hear and eventually say. Again, according to Sunstein, while many of the major Web sites remain the most popular-CNN, the BBC, and the New York Times-people increasingly turn to information in a customized form, via e-mail updates, RSS feeds, and other vehicles. These allow access to one’s favorite topics-and similarly oriented correspondents-without the discomfort of sifting through, or exposure to information and points of view which in Kolbert’s words, might be “less congenial.”
Libraries are not the sole means of addressing this imbalance and its pernicious results. It is worth noting that with its shelves of periodicals and wide ranging selection of books, DVDs and CDs, -and diverse patronage-libraries can be a counterbalance to the tendency to seek out only those people and that information we agree with, while discarding or ignoring reports and people that might raise questions. While never directly addressing the distinctions between information, knowledge and wisdom, there is ample evidence that libraries provide the resources, expertise and diversity of perspectives to encourage critical thinking, interpret and assess information and nurture the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom.
Kolbert’s review is not the only recent article which merits further consideration. First Monday’s November 2 installment features a lengthy but worthy article entitled “Public Libraries and the Internet 2008-2009 Issues, Implications and Challenges”. While the article confirms what we long suspected based on observation, namely that “patrons and communities have embraced the Internet-related aspects of library services as essential contributions of the library”, it also confirms several points we would rather not contemplate. Chief among these are: patron and community needs for Internet access are fast outpacing the ability of public libraries to meet these needs; and, while libraries in urban areas continue to experience growing demands for Internet services, the library hours of operation have decreased on average, with especially large drops among libraries in high poverty and urban areas. This second point is particularly resonant in Norwich. In each of the last 10 years, Norwich has ranked among Connecticut’s 25 most distressed municipalities. Like its peers in other urban areas, the Otis Library lost operating hours as state grants, which are essential to Norwich’s operating budget, have contracted and the city’s capacity to provide support has diminished. From an average of 59 service hours per week in 2008-2009, the library experienced a contraction to 46 service hours in 2009-2010. The timing could not be worse: “people are using library computers to apply for jobs, and assistance at record numbers, but have to contend with fewer hours that the library is open, inadequate numbers of computers and connection speed, and time limits that constrain their ability to fill out online applications, send e-mail messages to potential employers, and search and apply for assistance.” Fortunately, the Otis Library’s computers are new enough, and the connection speeds fast enough to cope with some of these shortcomings for the near future. Demand is high enough however, to require restrictive time limits of 45 minutes per session.
While the news may not be entirely felicitous, both articles provide ample evidence that libraries remain essential community assets. The multiplicity of ideas and perspectives embodied in library collections, and the provision of free access to the Internet in library computing facilities are two ways in which libraries, and ours in particular contribute to a healthy and sustainable community.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Recent Events: August and September
August was a short month for the library, with the most significant feature being a two-week closing at the end of the month. Considerable time was devoted to preparing the library and the public for this hiatus. In response to an article in the Norwich Bulletin referring to the closing as a vacation, I composed a letter to the editor reiterating the reasons for our two-week hiatus and distinguishing between a vacation and a furlough.
Among the preparatory tasks required were circulating a special issue of the news letter with information on the closing period and other details, arranging for our consortium and the state inter library loan system to defer loan transactions involving the library, circulating information to patrons and residents on alternative library sites, and ensuring that adequate forewarning was provided to the public in order to avoid frustration and upset.
Ironically, even as the library prepared to close, the demand for services increased. While the overall statistics for circulation reflect a decline in absolute numbers, a comparison of numbers of items circulated per service day shows that in August of 2009 about 650 items were circulated per service day, while in 2008, the number was 596. For inter library loans, the figure was 90 per service day, versus 75 in 2008. One other, albeit unscientific measure of the use made of the library is the need, for the first time, of multi-lingual signage that includes announcements in Mandarin as well as Spanish and English. This was based on observations made after reducing hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the beginning of July.
Prior to closing we also prepared a mailing to all candidates for city council and mayor, inviting them to an informal gathering with board and staff following the September 21 board meeting. This proved to be an exemplary event, with board, staff, current city council members and candidates getting an opportunity to discuss their perceptions of the library, the library’s role as a community resource and its essential service as a democratizing agent. The event was well received, and should become an anticipated part of each election season.
I want to recommend to all library patrons a recent article in the on line journal First Monday http://firstmonday.org/ entitled The Relationship between Public Libraries and Google: Too Much Information. There is a popular misconception, glibly espoused in certain uninformed quarters, that all information is available on line for free, thus making libraries anachronisms. For those needing a thoughtful rejoinder to this bit of untruth I encourage you to read and share this article.
Among the preparatory tasks required were circulating a special issue of the news letter with information on the closing period and other details, arranging for our consortium and the state inter library loan system to defer loan transactions involving the library, circulating information to patrons and residents on alternative library sites, and ensuring that adequate forewarning was provided to the public in order to avoid frustration and upset.
Ironically, even as the library prepared to close, the demand for services increased. While the overall statistics for circulation reflect a decline in absolute numbers, a comparison of numbers of items circulated per service day shows that in August of 2009 about 650 items were circulated per service day, while in 2008, the number was 596. For inter library loans, the figure was 90 per service day, versus 75 in 2008. One other, albeit unscientific measure of the use made of the library is the need, for the first time, of multi-lingual signage that includes announcements in Mandarin as well as Spanish and English. This was based on observations made after reducing hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the beginning of July.
Prior to closing we also prepared a mailing to all candidates for city council and mayor, inviting them to an informal gathering with board and staff following the September 21 board meeting. This proved to be an exemplary event, with board, staff, current city council members and candidates getting an opportunity to discuss their perceptions of the library, the library’s role as a community resource and its essential service as a democratizing agent. The event was well received, and should become an anticipated part of each election season.
I want to recommend to all library patrons a recent article in the on line journal First Monday http://firstmonday.org/ entitled The Relationship between Public Libraries and Google: Too Much Information. There is a popular misconception, glibly espoused in certain uninformed quarters, that all information is available on line for free, thus making libraries anachronisms. For those needing a thoughtful rejoinder to this bit of untruth I encourage you to read and share this article.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Dear Library Patrons,
The library reopens to the public on September 1, and perhaps Connecticut will have an agreed upon state budget. As I am sure you know, none currently exists, and the prospects for the development of a document agreeable to both the governor and legislature remain dim.
What you may not realize is that the governor’s current version of the budget includes massive cuts to existing library support. The total estimated reductions amount to approximately $5,000,000, which effectively wipes out a number of essential services. These include:
• Reduce funding for interlibrary loan services by 30%, (-$82,000), which would result in a 50% reduction in federal funding, and potentially cuts in ILL personnel and longer waits for materials to be delivered.
• Suspend Funding for the State-Wide Digital Library, (-$1,968,794), these monies provide Connecticut residents with access to a wide selection of databases and electronic resources to support their educational, cultural, economic and personal interests.
• Suspend funding for Connecticard Payments (-1,226,028), this funding is provided to libraries who allow patrons to borrow and return items to any of the approximately 195 participating libraries. There are approximately 4.6 million loans bringing the reimbursement rate to about .37 per loan. It costs libraries an average of $1.05 to circulate an item. Any reduction in state funding will result in an approximately 50% in federal funding.
I do not mean this to be a definitive list. It does illustrate the deep and likely irreparable damage that could be inflicted on public, college and university libraries if the full implementation of these budget reductions does occur. I recommend that you visit Web Junction CT http://ct.webjunction.org to learn more about the budget process, the reductions envisioned, and the extraordinary levels of library use being reported across the state. It would seem counterintuitive to reduce and eliminate the very small amounts allocated to fund library programs, given the increasing demands placed on those services by the public. Yet, that is what will happen unless the public speaks up. Please visit Web Junction and then let your state representatives know how you feel. In the mean time, my best wishes to you for the remainder of the summer. Please visit us on September 1, and thereafter.
Best regard,
The library reopens to the public on September 1, and perhaps Connecticut will have an agreed upon state budget. As I am sure you know, none currently exists, and the prospects for the development of a document agreeable to both the governor and legislature remain dim.
What you may not realize is that the governor’s current version of the budget includes massive cuts to existing library support. The total estimated reductions amount to approximately $5,000,000, which effectively wipes out a number of essential services. These include:
• Reduce funding for interlibrary loan services by 30%, (-$82,000), which would result in a 50% reduction in federal funding, and potentially cuts in ILL personnel and longer waits for materials to be delivered.
• Suspend Funding for the State-Wide Digital Library, (-$1,968,794), these monies provide Connecticut residents with access to a wide selection of databases and electronic resources to support their educational, cultural, economic and personal interests.
• Suspend funding for Connecticard Payments (-1,226,028), this funding is provided to libraries who allow patrons to borrow and return items to any of the approximately 195 participating libraries. There are approximately 4.6 million loans bringing the reimbursement rate to about .37 per loan. It costs libraries an average of $1.05 to circulate an item. Any reduction in state funding will result in an approximately 50% in federal funding.
I do not mean this to be a definitive list. It does illustrate the deep and likely irreparable damage that could be inflicted on public, college and university libraries if the full implementation of these budget reductions does occur. I recommend that you visit Web Junction CT http://ct.webjunction.org to learn more about the budget process, the reductions envisioned, and the extraordinary levels of library use being reported across the state. It would seem counterintuitive to reduce and eliminate the very small amounts allocated to fund library programs, given the increasing demands placed on those services by the public. Yet, that is what will happen unless the public speaks up. Please visit Web Junction and then let your state representatives know how you feel. In the mean time, my best wishes to you for the remainder of the summer. Please visit us on September 1, and thereafter.
Best regard,
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
During the intermission
With renewed interest in the YMCA site as a community based recreation facility-I trust that does not sound too facile-this is a good time to pause and consider the opportunities presented for invigorating our community. The absence of a site for recreational activities convenient to the downtown area has been exposed since the YMCA closed, and it is a serious omission. While the library is, by reasonable definitions, a center of community activity it has a mission and vision which do not encompass many of the enhancements formerly provided by the YMCA. Beyond the obvious need to ensure that the mission and planning for this new facility acknowledge and complement the services provided by the library, there is an equally salient need to recognize this as an opportunity to address the renascence of the city center. There are many earnest and thoughtful groups dedicated to establishing a unique identity for Main Street and environs. There is an opportunity here to incorporate both fully articulated and still inchoate visions for such essentials as parking, visitor services, retail, and transportation into a collaborative plan. I hope that the broader concerns of community development will be integral to the planning process.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Ongoing matters
It has been an extraordinarily busy time for the library. The year ending June 30 was, statistically, one of the best since we started compiling information on circulation, Internet and numbers of patrons.
At the end of June fiscal year circulation figures attain record levels, with approximately 159,000 items circulated, versus 148,342 for 2007-2008. For the month of June, both incoming and outgoing inter library loan totals continued to show steady growth. Outgoing loans rose by 55% vs. June of 2008, while incoming loans increased by 26%. While complete Internet use figures for 2007-2008 are not available due to early software configuration problems, a comparison of those months available reflect an approximately 35% increase during 2008-2009 even with the absence of the foreign students employed seasonally at the casinos. Despite the hard times and fiscal uncertainties, the library's annual appeal and signature "Evening with an Author" fund raising event were enormously successful and combined for a total of over $80,000 in support. Also, despite a shaky economy the library finished the year with a balanced operating budget.
The month of July witnessed a new fiscal year and unfortunately, a reduction in the funding designated for the library's operation. The city of Norwich, like the state in general is suffering through a difficult financial time, so every organization affiliated with municipal government is affected. One of the unfortunate ramifications is a staff furlough and library closing between August 17 and September 1. I hope that this is the first and only time the library finds itself in such a position. The statistics reflect the need for the services provided by the library, and not being available to the public is deeply frustrating.
At the end of June fiscal year circulation figures attain record levels, with approximately 159,000 items circulated, versus 148,342 for 2007-2008. For the month of June, both incoming and outgoing inter library loan totals continued to show steady growth. Outgoing loans rose by 55% vs. June of 2008, while incoming loans increased by 26%. While complete Internet use figures for 2007-2008 are not available due to early software configuration problems, a comparison of those months available reflect an approximately 35% increase during 2008-2009 even with the absence of the foreign students employed seasonally at the casinos. Despite the hard times and fiscal uncertainties, the library's annual appeal and signature "Evening with an Author" fund raising event were enormously successful and combined for a total of over $80,000 in support. Also, despite a shaky economy the library finished the year with a balanced operating budget.
The month of July witnessed a new fiscal year and unfortunately, a reduction in the funding designated for the library's operation. The city of Norwich, like the state in general is suffering through a difficult financial time, so every organization affiliated with municipal government is affected. One of the unfortunate ramifications is a staff furlough and library closing between August 17 and September 1. I hope that this is the first and only time the library finds itself in such a position. The statistics reflect the need for the services provided by the library, and not being available to the public is deeply frustrating.
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