Cuts undermine 'house of wisdom'

- Another great library story in the St. Petersburg Times!

By Bill Maxwell, Times Columnist Published Friday, September 19, 2008 3:59 PM

Tampa Bay area public libraries have been in the news a lot of late and not for good reasons. Most recently, because of budget shortfalls, Treasure Island commissioners voted to stop funding the Gulf Beaches Public Library system that serves Madeira Beach, Redington Beach, North Redington Beach and Redington Shores.

Earlier, the Hillsborough County library system ruled that beginning in October, residents of other counties won't be permitted to borrow anything unless they cough up a $100 per-household annual fee. St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Hernando County have cut hours to save money.

I empathize with Tampa Bay area residents who lament the hard times that have hit this American icon. Indeed, public libraries — collectively referred to as the "house of wisdom" — have played a major role in the lives of millions.

They certainly have been central to my life. As a child who grew up following my father up and down the U.S. East Coast as a migrant farm worker, I always found the local public library. After work, I would go to these places for refuge. I was free to sit and read anything I wanted, at least in the Northern states.

Although my father would be tired after work, he'd drive me to the public library in the towns we lived, drop me off and pick me up at an agreed-upon time.
The public library that meant the most to me as a child was in Crescent City.

My grandmother was a maid, and one of her sites was the Crescent City Women's Club, which doubled as the library. It had a collection of about 2,000 volumes.
I often went with my grandmother to clean the building, but I spent more time reading than working. At first, my grandmother scolded me for not working. Later, she encouraged me to read.

Mrs. Anna Hubbard, the director, saw my interest in books and suggested works for me to read — Native Son, Of Mice and Men, The Catcher in the Rye and many others. She'd bring me into her office and discuss the books with me.

Because blacks weren't allowed to use the library, Mrs. Hubbard would put books in a grocery bag and let me bring them home. I took an oath of secrecy, because she could have gotten in trouble.

When I attended Wiley College in Texas, I gave up my football scholarship and took a work-study job in our Carnegie Library. Because of theft and romantic assignations, students weren't allowed in the stacks. I had the wonderful task of finding students' requests.

I had the entire collection to myself. When I wasn't in class, I spent most of my time in the stacks reading and just browsing. Another great thing about the library was that although it was on Wiley's campus, local blacks, who weren't allowed in the downtown library, could use it free of charge.

Since those days at Wiley, I've moved around a lot as a teacher and a journalist. Everywhere I've lived — from Fort Lauderdale to Chicago, to New York, to San Angelo, Texas, to Tuscaloosa, to Key West, to St. Petersburg — I have obtained a public library card. In fact, getting a library card is one of the first things I do wherever I move.

The public library is an integral part of the American fabric. In addition to providing books and other reading materials, it's a place for, among other functions, authors to read and sign their works and where afterschool reading programs for children are held.

A 1999 study, titled The Significance of the Public Library on a Child's Reading Achievement, suggests that above-average students used the public library more than below-average students; parents of above-average students took their children to the library at an earlier age than parents of below-average students; and students in the below-average group did not participate in library programs as often as above-average students.

Libraries also hold a prominent place in popular culture. When Fronzie, the "king of cool'' on the TV's Happy Days got a library card, for example, libraries across the nation reported a huge spike in the number of people, especially teens, applying for library cards. Believe it or not, the New York Public Library was one of the few adult things that interested the disillusioned Holden Caulfield.

Ironically, public libraries in many parts of the country are in crisis at a time when they are more popular than ever. According to the American Library Association, visits to public libraries increased 61 percent from 1994 to 2004, and the numbers have continued to rise.

So what's the future of public libraries? No one has the definitive answer, but one thing is for sure: If the economy continues to tank over time, forcing municipalities to further trim their budgets, the value and accessibility of this grand old institution will diminish in ways we can't imagine.

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Adults learn to read, write at library

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
By Christina Veiga
Special correspondent
September 14, 2008

When he's not spending time mastering chess, Aaron Thomas is at Lauderhill Towne Centre Library learning how to read. Thomas, 29, is one of more than 250 adults learning how to read and write through Each One Teach One, Broward County Library's adult literacy program.

"It's very important to me to try to get an education. It doesn't really matter how old you are, especially living in the United States," said Thomas, a Jamaican native who came to the U.S. when he was 20. But Thomas, a club-level chess player, admits learning wasn't always a priority for him.

Growing up in Jamaica, Thomas never took school seriously. He didn't get along with the other students and would much rather "play around" than learn. "I think it was because I was so young and not understanding the importance of having an education," Thomas said.

That changed three years ago when Thomas decided to join Each One Teach One after deciphering an ad for the program in a local newspaper. Run by the library's Learning Services Department, Each One Teach One matches tutors and students who meet weekly to work one-on-one at their local library.

"By coming here and trying to go and fill out an application and not be able to do it, I decided to try to get in some program where I could be able to learn to read to be able to help myself and move around," Thomas said.

With the help of his tutor Carl Zettelmeyer, Thomas obtained his American citizenship since joining the program. He now can read a newspaper proficiently and is working toward earning his GED, or high school-equivalent diploma. Thomas hopes eventually to become a plumber to make a better living.

"I'm learning as much from him as he's learning from me.

I think of my role as more of a coach than a teacher, so to speak, because he brings a great deal to the situation," said Zettelmeyer, a retired high school English teacher. Reading and writing aren't the only skills Thomas has learned since moving to the U.S. He learned to play chess "by accident" about a year ago.

"I do maintenance and I was walking one day and I looked in the garbage room and I saw some chess pieces and a chess board," Thomas said. "I went to the park, and I asked somebody to teach me to play.

"Now, with an above-average rating of about 1,600, "The people that taught me how to play, they can't beat me right now," Thomas said.Just like chess, learning how to read and write has provided Thomas with newfound skills, confidence and independence. "It's a wide world out there.

Once you learn to read, you could step up — do other things, start a business, do whatever you want to do, go to college. But, you know, you have to take it step by step.

"Anyone interested in joining Each One Teach One should call Broward County Learning Services at 954-625-2820.

Copyright © 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Cafe has plenty to offer hungry patrons at Leesburg library

OrlandoSentinel.com
Rosalind Jennings
Special To The Sentinel
September 14, 2008

Guests visiting the city's public library can now get a cup of coffee and even a gourmet or vegetarian meal before hitting the stacks. The library finished construction of a roughly 1,500-square-feet area slotted for a cafe earlier this year.

And last month, Z-Caf, with an extensive food menu and coffee roasted on-site, opened on the first floor of the library at 100 E. Main St. in downtown.

The menu includes meat sandwiches and more than 50 coffees. It also has a large selection of vegetarian and vegan sandwiches and other vegetarian meals.

Co-owner David Kahan said he wanted an extensive menu because he expects the cafe to get many repeat customers because of its convenient location.

"We feel it's important in a community when you are selling to a lot of people -- people who often come in two or three times a day -- to have plenty," Kahan said. "You don't want your menu to be tiresome. You want it to be exciting. We try to be balanced.

"The menu lists breakfast and lunch-dinner meals. Breakfast offerings include sandwiches made with eggs, cheese and sausage. Deli sandwiches are made with tuna, ham, roast beef and chicken.

They also serve classic meals such as hot dogs, grilled cheese with tomato and mushroom, grilled tuna melt and grilled turkey melt. They have quesadillas with chicken, turkey or beef, and offer a house salad, hummus salad and gourmet salad.

The cafe serves 12 varieties of wraps, including grilled pesto with turkey, grilled pesto with pepperoni, grilled roast beef Reuben and a grilled Mediterranean eggplant and bacon.

The other half of the menu is vegetarian.Both Kahan, 47, and his co-owner and wife Haemi Kahan, 47, are vegetarians, so coming up with vegetarian recipes comes natural to them.

"Our menu is like an artist's palette," Kahan said. "We create different paintings with our food.

"The canvas includes vegetarian breakfast meals and classics such as a vegetarian chili dog and a vegetarian bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Also on the menu: eight vegetarian quesadillas, five types of vegetarian burgers and 13 varieties of vegetarian wraps, such as vegetarian teriyaki turkey and falafel-hummus.

The Kahans also serve 15 vegetarian gourmet sandwiches such as grilled pesto with eggplant, grilled vegetarian meatball sub and grilled vegetarian roast beef Reuben.

"We are definitely fulfilling a need here," Kahan said. "Vegetarians are not a stereotype. They come in every age and every demeanor. We get lots of retired folks -- some people drive all the way from Mount Dora. When they come in and see the menu, they say, 'Oh my gosh, there's all these choices.'

"Coffee selections come from a host of countries.Java fiends can enjoy such brands as Hawaiian Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain along with coffees from lesser-known sources such as East Timor and the Galapagos Islands.

"We like people to know we are set up like a wine bar for coffee," he said. "Anyone [coffee variety] that you want, we can grind the beans and make it.

"The cafe also has shakes, smoothies, iced lattes, cappuccinos and more. There's energy coffee, which has twice the caffeine. Fruit milkshakes come in such flavors as guava and passion fruit.

Those steering clear of dairy also can find a drink, Kahan said. And the cafe prepares sugar-free beverages.

"We offer vegan [without dairy] milkshakes," he said. "Any drink we have we can make soy-based.

"Library Director Barbara Morse noted that wireless Internet is available in the cafe -- just as in the rest of the library.

"It's so neat to see people reading books and working on their laptops," Morse said. Morse said the chicken salad is one her staff's favorites. She drinks coffee herself and loves the large variety.

The Kahans began their coffee business in 2002. They opened their first Z-Cafe at the Orlando Public Library in downtown Orlando about three years ago. They also operate in the Cagan Crossings Library in Clermont and in the Florida Hospital in Apopka.

For more information, call the restaurant at 352-326-2439.


Copyright © 2008, Orlando Sentinel

Sarasota Library in the news

The Tampa FOX station often profiles the Selby Library in their "What's Right with Tampa Bay" segments. This was one of our favorites from this summer!

Watch the video by clicking here

Libraries win quiet battle: Institutions transformed in Web age

FLORIDA TODAY - September 2, 2008

By SUSANNE CERVENKA

The Internet was supposed to send America's public libraries the way of eight-track tapes and pay phones.

But it turns out, they're busier than ever.

Libraries have transformed themselves from staid, sleepy institutions into hip community centers offering Internet service, classes for kids and seniors, and even coffee and video gaming nights.

Some have classes on citizenship for recent immigrants or provide sessions on improving computer skills.

Most offer wireless Internet service, and many consult teen advisory councils for guidance on how to attract young people.

At most libraries, traffic is up -- in some cases, way up -- fueled in part by the lure of free computer use, according to experts and a Gannett News Service analysis of state and federal data.

At the same time, budget pressures on cities and counties that provide most of the funding have forced dozens of libraries to cut back their hours or close.

"We're busier than ever," said David McMurrin, north area director for Brevard County libraries, where attendance is up more than 3.5 percent, according to the analysis.

"Our challenge is to maintain our services with the increased demand."

The newest improvement in local libraries services begins today as the library system reopens after a new computer system was installed over the weekend.

The new system tracks library inventories and will improve the process of checking out and renewing books and searching for materials online.
It will also make librarians' work more efficient.

Books remain a staple, but libraries also offer DVDs, CDs and electronic audio books for MP3 devices. Many allow readers to reserve and renew items online.

"As a group, libraries have embraced the digital age," said Lee Rainie, founding director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which has surveyed public attitudes toward libraries.

A December 2007 Pew survey found that 53 percent of Americans visited a library in the past year. That's expected to grow as more people look for free resources and entertainment in a slowing economy.

People between 18 and 30 were most likely to visit a library and also were the most likely to say they'd return, the Pew survey found.

At the Central Library in Cocoa recently, 27-year-old Scott Dunlap of Cocoa said he visits the library almost every day to use its wireless Internet connection.

He dropped his home Internet service to save money and now brings his laptop to the Forrest Street building to keep in touch with his daughter and do legal research.

He also regularly checks out books on CD and DVDs.

"There's a lot of interesting stuff people don't even realize is here," he said.

The GNS analysis compared data from 2002 and 2006 on the nation's nearly 9,200 local library systems, using information provided by the National Center for Education Statistics and by each state and the District of Columbia.

GNS also looked at state-level data compiled by NCES for 2005, because in some cases that data was more reliable or complete than information from 2006.

The analysis found that libraries are thriving in the Internet age:
Attendance increased roughly 10 percent between 2002 and 2006 to about 1.3 billion.

In Brevard, the total number of visits were up almost 112,000 to about 3.2 million, more than 3.5 percent over the earlier year's totals.

Circulation, which measures how often library visitors check out print or electronic materials, increased about 9 percent, from 1.66 billion to 1.81 billion during the five-year period. Brevard library visitors checked out materials almost 4.6 million times, an increase of about 13 percent over 2002.

Nationally, library spending on day-to-day costs was $31.65 per person in 2005. Brevard County spent $31.68 per person.

The number of Internet-capable computers in the nation's libraries soared 38 percent between 2002 and 2006, from about 137,000 to nearly 190,000. Brevard County libraries increased the number of computers 70 percent during the span, from 165 to 281.

The increase in Internet access is thanks in part to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which launched a national program in 1997 to bring the Internet to libraries.

By 2003, the foundation had spent $250 million on some 47,000 computers, as well as training and tech support, said Jill Nishi, deputy director of the foundation's U.S. Libraries initiative.

Free Internet access is particularly important for low-income people, said Ken Flamm, an economics professor at the University of Texas at Austin who has studied the role of the Internet in public libraries.

Only about a third of households with incomes below $25,000 have Internet access, according to federal data.

"In a world in which Internet access is increasingly important for all sorts of things, from getting a driver's license to preparing a homework project or looking for a job, this is becoming a vital lifeline for the least advantaged segment of the population," Flamm said.

More often, businesses and government offices are pushing customers to their Web sites for job applications, assistance needs and other contacts, Brevard County's McMurrin said.

Still, the most popular material used in libraries remain the books, McMurrin said.
"Books are the perfect technology," he said. "It doesn't need batteries. If you drop a book, it doesn't break."wong

Ledyard King and Robert Benincasa of Gannett News Service contributed to this report. Contact Cervenka at 242-3632 or scervenka@floridatoday.com.

Beach Library Turns 1

Beach Library Turns 1

130,000 people visited facility over past year

Lorraine Thompson
Record Correspondent
Publication Date: 09/02/08


Patrons and members of the Friends of the Anastasia Island Branch Library gathered Aug. 24 to celebrate the library's first birthday.

Library branch manager Susan Flynn and St. Johns County Library director Debra Rhodes Gibson welcomed visitors after a slide presentation which reviewed the year's activities.

More than 130,000 patrons of all ages visited the facility in its first year.

The Island Branch library is located at 124 Sea Grove Main St. in the Sea Grove community off A1A South.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The library is closed Sunday and Monday.

For Anastasia Island Branch Library information call 209-3730.

http://www.staugustine.com/stories/090208/community_090208_036.shtml