By Bill Dipaolo
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Monday, November 24, 2008
PALM BEACH GARDENS — Banks are tanking and the auto industry is ailing, but business is booming at county libraries.
Circulation and attendance are up 30 percent in the past two years. Book clubs and community meetings at the 16 county libraries are thriving. More job seekers are using the computers to update résumés. Parents who can't afford day care or summer camp are using libraries as an alternative.
That's why the 14-month closing of the North County Regional Library on PGA Boulevard starting in January will be tough for patrons and other nearby libraries which will have to pick up the slack.
Leaders of groups now meeting at North Regional have already started asking for space at North Palm Beach Library next to Village Hall, library director Donna Riegel said. She is talking with county officials about moving North Regional's children's program to North Palm Beach while North Regional is closed.
In Lake Park, budget cuts have forced the Park Avenue library to cut staff and hours.
"The closing couldn't come at a worse time," said Mike Kennely, director of the Lake Park library.
The 14 months of inconvenience will be worthwhile, said Palm Beach County Library Director John Callahan.
"Usage at the expanded library will skyrocket. There will be more community space and modern equipment," Callahan said.
A new children's wing is planned, with areas for story time and crafts. The number of computers will be doubled to about 50. The 125-person meeting room, now used for library and other events, will become a community meeting room. There also will be five individual study rooms, and four group study rooms.
And a new-fangled return system called Radio Frequency Identification will allow librarians to rapidly accept returned books and refile them.
When the North County Regional expansion is complete in April 2010, the 40,000-square-foot building will be the largest in the county system. It will be renamed the "Gardens Branch Library."
"Librarians will have more time to do what they are trained for — help people find information," said Callahan.
Seven county libraries — including North County Regional — are planned for new construction and renovations by the end of 2009. The $68 million cost will be paid by the 2002 county voter-approved $55 million bond issue, tax dollars and impact fees, said Callahan.
The county library system has about 400 full-time employees and an annual budget of about $49 million. Last year, county libraries had about 5 million visitors who borrowed about 7.5 million items, said Callahan.
"When economic times are tough, our business goes up," said Callahan. "Libraries are no longer just a place for research. We are community centers. It's a reaction to the Internet. People love technology. But they still crave personal interaction."
For more library information, go to pbclibrary.org or call (561) 233-2600.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
It is time to invest in first-class libraries
Pensacola News Journal
November 17, 2008
Editorial
The economy is down but the circulation at the West Florida Public Library system is up, which shows the desperate need to improve a system that ranks among the worst in the state.
Clearly, no community should be without a first-rate library. The library is a portal to the world of knowledge for people of all ages, and should reflect that value.
During these tough economic times, it hard to dismiss the importance and popularity of the public library.
The West Florida Public Library system had significant increases in books and other materials checked out during the 2007-08 fiscal year, compared to the previous year.
Circulation of books and other materials increased from 680,000 to 747,000, a roughly 10 percent increase. Use of library computers increased 15 percent, from 138,000 users to 159,000 at the various branches of the library.
People who used the library to check out materials, use the computers or read newspapers and magazines increased about 5 percent, from 584,000 to 613,000.
Clearly, an enhanced library system that serves the needs of area residents is a good investment.
For too long, the West Florida system has had the unfortunate distinction of ranking at or near the bottom statewide in library investment and facilities.
At some point — at least we hope — more area leaders and residents will begin to grasp the connection between the investment in things like libraries, and the community's economic vitality.
To its credit, the local public library does the best it can, given its age and deteriorating condition, but there is only so much to be done.
It's time to make the investment to provide a first-class community a first-class library.
The payoff will be worth it, and not only in learning or research. There will be payoffs in economic opportunity as well.
November 17, 2008
Editorial
The economy is down but the circulation at the West Florida Public Library system is up, which shows the desperate need to improve a system that ranks among the worst in the state.
Clearly, no community should be without a first-rate library. The library is a portal to the world of knowledge for people of all ages, and should reflect that value.
During these tough economic times, it hard to dismiss the importance and popularity of the public library.
The West Florida Public Library system had significant increases in books and other materials checked out during the 2007-08 fiscal year, compared to the previous year.
Circulation of books and other materials increased from 680,000 to 747,000, a roughly 10 percent increase. Use of library computers increased 15 percent, from 138,000 users to 159,000 at the various branches of the library.
People who used the library to check out materials, use the computers or read newspapers and magazines increased about 5 percent, from 584,000 to 613,000.
Clearly, an enhanced library system that serves the needs of area residents is a good investment.
For too long, the West Florida system has had the unfortunate distinction of ranking at or near the bottom statewide in library investment and facilities.
At some point — at least we hope — more area leaders and residents will begin to grasp the connection between the investment in things like libraries, and the community's economic vitality.
To its credit, the local public library does the best it can, given its age and deteriorating condition, but there is only so much to be done.
It's time to make the investment to provide a first-class community a first-class library.
The payoff will be worth it, and not only in learning or research. There will be payoffs in economic opportunity as well.
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