More Check Out Free Services as Funding Dips
BY PATRICK PETERSON FLORIDA TODAY
Gunnery Sgt. Richard Irizarry of Viera is one of the few Marines stationed at Patrick Air Force Base. He saves money by getting movies at the Suntree/Viera Public Library on Jordan Blass Drive, especially family-friendly ones for him and his son to watch. (Tim Shortt, FLORIDA TODAY)
Hard times have made public libraries more popular.
Patrons are flocking to the 18 Brevard County Library System branches, which have become an economical alternative to paying for Internet service, cable TV and DVD rentals.
"You get free movies and CDs. I get books and use the computer," said Yolanda Jordan, 32, of Merritt Island. "I get e-mail and an application for school."
The recession has prompted an increase in library usage for Jordan, who comes to the Cocoa branch at 308 Forrest Ave. several times a week. The library helped Jordan save $60 a month since she canceled her cable service.
"You've got to cut back," she said.
Last year in Brevard County, 5.48 million books, a 5 percent increase from 2007, were checked out by about 3.5 million library visitors, a 3 percent increase. Some 1.67 million DVDs have been circulated since September. And last year, nearly 59,000 people each month used personal computers in the libraries, an 8 percent increase. Most of those new users appear to be job hunters or those applying for unemployment or food stamps.
This increased usage come as libraries, like their patrons, are dealing with their own financial issues.
After a 19 percent budget cut last year, the county library system faces a proposed 20 percent cut to its cut $25.35 million budget in October.
"Our revenue is down but our business is booming," said Frank Vestal, department finance manager for the library service.
At the Melbourne branch at 540 E. Fee Ave., a job center was set up five months ago in the reference department to assist the growing number of job hunters. Reference librarians have developed a new expertise in employment resources, since judging by the questions they are asked, more patrons are searching for jobs on the Internet and using the wireless signal with laptops. (The library does not ask patrons why they are using the Internet.)
"We just notice that we have more foot traffic," said Jeri Prieth, director of the Melbourne branch. "Some will say, 'I've cut my cable and we're coming for books and movies.' Some will say, 'I've cut the cable service and I'm using the Internet.' "
The library offers 4,000 DVDs and videos and stocks new releases as well as classics.
"We buy the latest DVDs," Prieth said.
The number of visitors has increased, despite a decrease in the number of hours the library can remain open due to a hiring freeze.
"We all expected a decrease in usage after the library closed 10 hours a week, and it didn't happen," Prieth said.
At the Palm Bay Public Library, ten computers were refurbished and repurposed to provide Internet service to patrons. That gives the library a total of 16 computers.
"This particular library has increased Internet service due to the economy," branch director Lisa Olzewski said. "The computers are pretty much busy all the time."
In June, the library, at 1520 Port Malabar Blvd. NE, posted an 11 percent increase in visitors over the same time last year.an style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"I just know that a lot of people seem to be looking for services in order to obtain jobs or to obtain government assistance of some sort," Olzewski said.
Palm Bay short-order cook Michael Austin, 31, a regular library patron, uses the free DVD checkout to save money during the recession. He also relies on the library for information.
"In the past year I've used the library more," he said. "I just finished training a dog, so one of the librarians helped me find a book for that."
Though he lives in Palm Bay, he prefers the larger Melbourne library branch on Fee Avenue. He has noticed that the library has become crowded with job seekers searching the Internet for employment.
"I try to jump on the computers when I can," he said. "But there's always so many people."
Additional Facts
Ups and downs
At the Brevard County Library System, checkouts in 2007-08 were up 5 percent from 2006-07, and visitors were up 3 percent. At the same time, Brevard County Libraries are also experiencing budget cuts.
Here's the system-wide budget, with the actual or proposed cut:
2008-09: $25.35 million, down 19 percent
2009-10: $20.2 million, (proposed) down 20 percent -- Brevard County Library Service
Contact Peterson at 242-3673 or ppeterson@floridatoday.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment