Florida Library Association Media Clippings Blog

Manatee Teens Geek the Library

2011-08-19T09:02:00.002-04:00

These Florida teens from Manatee County Public Library have put together a great video about their passions. They all geek the library in a different way.
http://geekthelibrary.org/archives/2011/08/florida-teens-geek-the-library.html

Unemployed without Internet service head to libraries

2011-08-02T10:25:00.002-04:00

Sun Sentinel story describes impact on libraries of new Florida law requiring that unemployed persons now file claims online.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/careers/ask-marcia/sfl-unemployed-online-filing,0,6365487,print.story

At The Library: Online Resources Available For Job Seekers

2011-07-06T15:09:00.002-04:00

At The Library: Online Resources Available For Job Seekers
By VIC NUNEZTHE LEDGER
Published: Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 12:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, July 1, 2011 at 4:31 p.m.
Job-seekers often come to the library to search for jobs online; indeed, many companies expect prospective employees to fill out their applications, and submit their resumes electronically. Polk County libraries offer more than just Internet access.
Visit www.cityoflakewales.com/library, and check out "Career Transitions" available on their home page. This is a well-conceived web application that residents access with their library card. Once validated, users can create a personal account and explore their career interests, prepare a proper resume, and search jobs via their database search tool.
Another opportunity -- the Job & Career Accelerator atwww.lakelandgov.net/library: click on "Services" on the bar, then "Online Resources" to the left, and then the "Research" tab in the center pane. JCA is the bottom link, and invites users to create an account, validating with their library card number as "User Name." As above, JCA leads users to explore careers, create their resume, and search for jobs across many databases.
Contact your librarian for information on how to access these services.
http://www.theledger.com/article/20110705/NEWS/107055005/1308/TIMEOUT?Title=At-The-Library-Online-Resources-Available-For-Job-Seekers

Libraries and Independence - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

2011-07-05T13:30:00.003-04:00

Libraries and independence
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
by M.C. Coolidge
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110704/COLUMNIST/110709950

Americans no long have to fight for our independence, as we did in the Revolutionary War, but we pay homage to the hard-won struggle every year on the Fourth of July, most notably with fireworks - our version of the "rockets' red glare."

As a community, we take that celebration of triumph very seriously. In 2008, when budget concerns led officials to decide that the city of Sarasota should no longer fund the bayfront fireworks, private businesses and individuals generously stepped up to the plate to continue the tradition of lighting up the sky to celebrate our freedom.

Now, local leaders are considering new cutbacks to our budget - but this time to something far more integral to preserving our independence than a fireworks display. They're talking about closing public libraries on Sundays.

There are only two Sarasota County libraries open on Sundays - Selby and Jacaranda. Closing their doors an additional 52 days a year would probably shave a couple of hundred thousand, maybe more, from our county budget. All libraries are generally open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and most stay open three days a week until 8 p.m.

Carl Sagan said, "... the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries." I couldn't agree more.

Contemporary independence is not won on a battlefield, but gained largely through individuals' ability to support and sustain themselves and their community. That ability is dependent upon access to education and resources that allow citizens to inform their minds, gain context for their experiences, and have access to the tools and information necessary to feed, clothe and house themselves and their families over the long haul. By offering spaces for knowledge-sharing, the communication of ideas, and technology not available in every home, our public libraries create and preserve a culture of independence and democracy for all. An informed public is a voting public.

The American Library Association's 2011 "State of American Libraries Report," released in April, suggests that people are using public libraries more than ever - to search for jobs and gather information about starting businesses, and they are particularly used by working mothers.

The recession means that more people might also be using the library to learn about government services and assistance, and that more people might not be able to afford Internet access and need to use the library to research career options and stay in touch with professional contacts.

Children in particular should be plowing through one book after another to stretch their minds and ignite their imaginations. Libraries are the most affordable way parents can feed the demands of a growing young mind.

Sunday library closings, on top of already restricted schedules, will surely impact the very people in our community who might need it most - people who, because of work, family or other scheduling constraints, are only able to get to the library on Sundays.

Sarasota County is the heart of Florida's "cultural coast." There's irony in the fact that we are in danger of losing Sunday access to one of the most crucial elements of a cultured, democratic and independent society.

Libraries are repositories of truth and power. They hold the veritable foundations of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness within their walls. And they hold their doors open to all, regardless of wealth or circumstance, to come inside and seek their own path to independence.

I hope we can find a way to preserve that.

M.C. Coolidge is a columnist for the Herald-Tribune's Ticket section and a free-lance writer. Website: www.coolidgewords.com

UF Libraries now adds Creative Commons CC0 to original catalog records

2011-03-25T13:27:00.003-04:00

Beginning March 2011, the University of Florida Smathers Libraries implemented a policy to include a Creative Commons public domain dedication in all of its original cataloging records. The records are considered public domain with unrestricted downstream use for any purpose.

The following MARC 588 field (Source of Description Note) is added to new records contributed to WorldCat. It has not been added retrospectively to University of Florida original records in WorldCat.

588::|a This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CCO public domain dedication. The University of Florida Libraries, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

The University of Florida OPAC (a Solr/Lucene search engine) is configured to display a Creative Commons CCO statement based on the presence of a University of Florida OCLC symbol in the MARC 040 field |a. The specified 040 |a is mapped to the original cataloger_text field in the Solr/Lucene record if it exists in incoming records. This allows the statement to be displayed in the OPAC for original records retrospectively, i.e., records without the 588 field, and appear in RSS feeds.

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.

The University of Florida Libraries has waived all rights to this bibliographic record worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

Examples from the OPAC:

Alachua and Orange County Libraries recognized by Harvard program

2010-10-11T21:27:00.003-04:00

Two Florida library systems, both winners of the Florida Library Association's 2010 Library of the Year Award, have received national recognition.

Harvard University's Bright Ideas program, which is administered through The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, recognized 173 programs across the nation.

Alachua County Library District was selected for its Library Partnership, a collaboration with social service agencies. Orange County Library System was recognized for Library Without Walls, a home delivery service.

The two Florida systems were among only three U.S. library systems honored. More information and a complete list of programs recognized is available at http://www.hks.harvard.edu/news-events/news/press-releases/ash-bright-ideas

FAU library budget to be cut $500,000

2010-10-11T09:01:00.003-04:00

FAU Library Dean William Miller has announced that the Florida Atlantic University Library budget for resources will be reduced by $500,000 for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/fau-library-bracing-for-500-000-cut-to-964719.html

Friends of Franklin Library awarded Recovery Act funds

2010-09-25T18:59:00.004-04:00

Friends of the Franklin Library, Inc. has been awarded a loan of $177,859 and a grant of $200,000 to construct a 5,000 sq. ft. building. The project is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act).

On September 24 U.S. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced awards in 30 states to benefit 129 rural communities. These projects will create jobs by building and enhancing libraries. The Franklin project is the only one awarded to a Florida library.

More information is available at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2010/09/0486.xml

Libraries' role in future?

2010-09-20T23:28:00.002-04:00

Florida libraries are featured in Sun Sentinel articles on evolving role of public libraries.

"Palm Beach County, cities building new libraries even as budget woes force cutbacks - Electronic books, money crunch changing perceptions" - Sept. 19 article in Sun Sentinel. Read full story at http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-09-19/news/fl-libraries-future-palm-20100919_1_new-libraries-library-director-john-callahan-county-library-system

Related story posted Sept. 20 includes video interview with Broward County Library user. See "Broward libraries in state of flux; new libraries go up while commissioners slash library budget." Article and video at http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/09/broward_builds_libraries_and_t.html

UF - Alachua Library Speaker Series on Libraries

2010-09-15T08:12:00.004-04:00

The University of Florida and the Alachua County Library District will offer a 6-part lecture series on the evolution of libraries in public life featuring speakers form across the U.S. Topics include ancient Egypt, the French Enlightenment, the Carnegie movement in the U.S. and the impact of digitization and the age of Google. The series, held in Gaiensville, begins Sept. 16 and concludes Dec. 2.

Details at http://news.ufl.edu/2010/09/14/library-series/

USF library bustling, but not with books

2010-09-13T11:18:00.002-04:00

The Starbucks at the USF library stays open unbtil 3 a.m., but students want it open even later. The library is the most heavily used building on the Tampa campus, with 2 million visits each year.

USF library bustling, but not with books

By LINDSAY PETERSON The Tampa Tribune

Rodrigo Lodeiro can't remember the last time he pulled a book off the shelves of the University of South Florida library. But he spent plenty of time there last semester, especially in the early morning hours of finals week.

"I'd leave here at 4 or 5 in the morning and go straight to class," he says, hanging out in front of the hulking seven-floor structure, built 35 years ago when eight-track tapes were popular.

His friend Jamie Lago also considers the library something of a second home, but he has one complaint: "Not enough plugs.

" USF Libraries Dean William Garrison hears a lot about how much students need.

"Anywhere, anytime, any-device access," he says.

That's why the library is now open 24 hours a day, from noon Sunday to 6 p.m. Friday. And why it recently doubled the number of computers in the first floor Learning Commons and got rid of 100,000 volumes of printed journals to create more study space.

The future of printed books may be in doubt, but students still flock to the buildings created to hold those books. They make themselves at home at the tables and chairs, spreading out with their laptops, study materials and to-go meals. Many sit in clusters working together.

"Here I don't have my Xbox and my Play Station 3," Lago says. "It's where I come to get away from all that.

"Students' quest for quietude has made the USF library the busiest building on campus, with 2 million visits a year, Garrison says.

But he knows it takes more than peace and study space to survive in the digital age. Since he arrived two years ago, he has overseen a gradual transformation of the library building and services.

It's happening across the country, says Kathleen Miller, library dean at Florida Gulf Coast University and co-chairwoman of a new taskforce on the future of Florida's academic libraries.

"Libraries are about nothing if not connecting people with information and recorded knowledge - in whatever form that takes," she says.

To pull students in, USF's library offers tutoring in half a dozen subjects, help with online research, and group study rooms complete with Power Point-equipped computers.

The library has created special collections, including:

• An oral history program with stories of the civil rights era, Ybor City, Florida food customs and local arts.

• A Holocaust & Genocide Studies Center, featuring interviews with Holocaust survivors and World War II soldiers who liberated the camps.

• An Internet portal on karst, the porous topography of Florida and other global regions.

And the books are still there, hundreds of thousands of ordinary and obscure volumes of fiction and nonfiction, from 30-years worth of the Texas Law Review to an 1883 account of life in "the Land of the Lorne and the Outer Hebrides."

Among the books are texts for dozens of courses, for students who can't afford to buy them.

Students don't even have to come to the library to use it. Through its website they can access thousands of online journals and eBooks and tutorials on how to search the web.

"A lot of students don't even know when they're visiting the library because they come in through the website," Garrison says. "They don't realize they were able to read the journal article because the library licensed it."

But behind all this change is a simmering debate about what it means to switch from tangible to digital information.

It has created confusion, for instance, about who owns the information they buy, Miller says. In the past, when a library bought a journal, it filled the shelves with those volumes year after year.

Now, with an online journal, they buy the access rights. And when they cancel a subscription, do they lose access to the previous years they paid for?

"When you have something in print, you have it forever, unless someone walks out with it," Miller says. "This is something completely different and we're trying to get it worked out."

These complexities mean lawyers are just as important to a library staff as an information specialist, Garrison says.

Many faculty members take opposite sides in the digital vs. paper debate.

"We know that new information is coming out in the online journals and blogs," Miller says. So the Internet is vital to instructors in the sciences and other cutting edge disciplines.

But in history and English, they still need the texts. Classics are increasingly available in eBook form, but some may never be digitized, Lisa Shapiro and Geneva Henry write in a Council on Library and Information Resources paper, "Can a New Research Library be All-Digital?"

Many professors believe the Internet is so full of short cuts it has degraded the process of learning itself. Some assign materials not found online to force students to find the print documents in the library, says student Sachy Rodriguez, during a visit to the USF library.

"Libraries are symbols of a continuity of past and present; they offer access to the cultural heritage," Shapiro and Henry write.

"As libraries move into the digital future, they need to take into account anxieties about what may be lost: immediate access to print stacks, a tangible connection to the past."

But move forward they must, Garrison says.

Some issues are easy to deal with, he says. Students, for instance, want the Starbucks in the library to stay open past its 3 a.m. closing time.

Some issues are not so easy. Increasing demands for space could require him to get rid of more print volumes. "That has the potential for controversy," he says.

It's a problem at every university, Miller says, so the State University System is planning to build a storage center in Gainesville that all the universities could use.

Garrison has his own dream: A whole new, all-digital library and learning center.

The current library could be used to hold the books while the new building would be filled with computers for online research, tutoring and multimedia production, he says.

Entire sections would be set aside for group studying. And it would have something the current library lacks - a lot of windows.

"Students want more light," Garrison says.

People don't want new things and more technology just because they're new, he says. They want things that help them get their work done and move forward.

"The technology that doesn't work or doesn't meet their needs doesn't last."

Jacksonville Public Library Graham Branch sends youth back to school in style

2010-09-09T14:41:00.012-04:00

The Graham Branch held it's back to school celebration and it was a huge success.

A total of 202 children and teens received Back to School supplies, and 75 of those also received personal hygiene gift bags to start the new school year. Kids were also able to choose a complete outfit from their special "Unique Boutique".

“Many of the youth don’t even have the necessary things to start back to school with, let alone new supplies or new clothes,” Delores Walker, library clerk at Graham Branch said. We wanted to provide the youth with new school supplies like writing utensils, paper, notebooks and folders but also gift bags we call ‘these necessary things’ which include toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap and more to help make sure the youth have what they need to get ready each morning before school.”

Staff had not held it for a couple of years; however, library clerk Delores Walker, who organized the previous events, went the extra mile putting this one together by soliciting for donations, putting together the gift bags, and organizing nearly every other aspect of the event.

“We have such a generous community and once our customers, friends or family of branch staff and other members in the community found out I was collecting items everyone was willing to pitch in,” Walker said. “We are so grateful to have such a supportive
community.”

FLA announces 2010 legislative awards

2010-08-13T13:50:00.000-04:00

The Florida Library Association (FLA) announces its 2010 legislative awards for support of Florida’s libraries. With these awards, the Florida library community thanks legislators and state leaders who advocated for libraries in the 2010 Florida legislature. By honoring these leaders, FLA encourages local library supporters to recognize the hard work done by their leaders in maintaining state funding for public libraries.

State Aid to Public Libraries grant funding is a priority issue for Florida libraries and the communities they serve. Due to the tight state budget facing the 2010 Legislature, harmful cuts or even elimination of State Aid were not averted until the very last minute of the budget process. Many legislators and state leaders contributed to the effort to save library funding. Because this year’s effort was so intense and prolonged, the Florida library community would like to thank the many legislators who helped to save State Aid.

Florida Library Association legislative awards will be presented to legislators in their home communities by local library officials and supporters.

Legislators Who Led the Way in Insuring that State Aid to Public Libraries Is Funded for Another Year

§ Senator Jeff Atwater – Senate President
§ Senator J D Alexander
§ Senator Mike Fasano
§ Representative Rich Glorioso

These individuals were closely involved in the budget process and played critical roles in the decision to fund libraries. Senator Fasano and Representative Glorioso worked tirelessly and closely with the library community all year long. They stood up for library funding time after time. Senator Atwater provided support throughout the session and Senator Alexander intervened in the final budget meeting and proposed restoring library funding to the previous year level.

Legislators Who Went Out of Their Way and Made Special Efforts to Make Sure that Libraries Were Funded

§ Representative Leonard Bembry
§ Representative Marti Coley
§ Senator Paula Dockery
§ Representative Audrey Gibson
§ Representative. Mike Horner
§ Senator Al Lawson
§ Representative Evan Jenne
§ Representative Marlene O’Toole
§ Senator Chris Smith

Each of these legislators in their roles as members of their respective houses stepped up and went directly to the House and Senate leadership and made personal appeals for library funding.

Legislative Leaders without Whose Support Library Funding Would Not Have Been Won
§ Representative Larry Cretul –House Speaker
§ Representative Dean Cannon – Speaker Designate
§ Representative Will Weatherford
§ Representative David Rivera
§ Senator Mike Haridopolos – Senate President Designate

Special thanks to Secretary of State Kurt Browning!
In Florida government, support for public library service is part of the Department of State. Though Secretary Browning retired on the last day of the legislative session, it was not before distinguishing himself as one of the most supportive Secretaries ever. He worked tirelessly for libraries, even continuing until after midnight on the last night of the budget committee meetings.

The individuals named here are those whose efforts on behalf of libraries have come to our attention. There may be others whose efforts were not reported to us. We extend our thanks to all legislators who advocated for library funding and our apologies to any who may not have been named.

The Florida Library Association is a non-profit organization of libraries, library staff and those who support libraries with more than 1,000 members across the state.

FLA advocates for excellence in all types of library service throughout Florida. FLA also develops the skills of librarians and support staff and works closely with the information industry.

More information about the Florida Library Association and its advocacy efforts is available online at http://www.flalib.org/advocacy.php

Library Guy honored by FAC

2010-07-28T08:23:00.005-04:00

Paul Clark, aka the "Library Guy," was honored yesterday by the Florida Association of Counties for his library advocacy efforts. In photo, Clark (l) is standing with former Secretary of State Kurt Browning.

Clark held signs in support of State Aid to Libraries funding for public libraries in the Capitol during the 2010 and 2009 legislative sessions. This is the first time FAC's "Lobbyist of the Year" award has gone to someone who is not a professional lobbyist.

Read the full story at http://jacksonville.com/community/clay/2010-07-27/story/clay-library-staffer-gets-florida-county-groups-top-lobbying-award

See the video of the presentation at
http://clayfl.swagit.com/player.php?refid=07272010-10

Masons Lay Cornerstone at Bay County Library

2010-06-18T10:39:00.004-04:00

by Will Hobson

Panama City News Herald

3/5/10

PANAMA CITY — King Solomon’s Temple, the U.S. Capitol, and the Bay County Library. Before Friday, the three structures had little in common, except that they are all buildings (or used to be; King Solomon’s Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.).

After Friday’s cornerstone-laying ceremony at the library, the three buildings are now linked by their connection to Masons. Solomon’s Temple is used by the Masons as an allegorical basis for their organization, while the U.S. Capitol also bears a Masonic cornerstone like the one installed Friday morning in the Bay County Library.

“As Masons we’re always looking for light. Not just the light from the sun, which supports all life on the Earth, but intellectual light as well,” District 6 Deputy Grand Master Wayne Wert said before the ceremony.

Bay County Commissioners, three of whom are members of the Masons, participated in the symbolic ceremony, in which a 70-pound stone was set into the corner of the 55,000-square-foot building, which opened in May 2008.

“This is a custom that has not been in place here for a number of years,” said Commissioner Jerry Girvin, a Mason along with Commissioners Mike Thomas and George Gainer. Friday’s ceremony was the first in Bay County since the last county library had a Masonic cornerstone installed in 1966.

“I think it’s only appropriate, since we seek light, that we put a cornerstone on a library for the first time in 50 years,” Girvin said.

The Masons sported their symbolic garb, aprons signifying the aprons worn by real stonemasons.

Dale Goehrig, grand master of the Masons in Florida, explained the link between the imagery of stonemasons and the goals of his organization.

“Stonemasons build a building,” Goehrig said. “Masons build a better man.”

Jacksonville Public Library receives Seal Shield Donation

2010-03-30T12:38:00.004-04:00

Seal Shield has donated 17 keyboards and mice to the Main Library Teen Department.

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Seal Shield manufactures completely waterproof, washable computer keyboards and mice. Unlike standard computer equipment, Seal Shield keyboards and mice are 100% spill proof, waterproof, antimicrobial and can be cleaned with soap and water, allowing the equipment to be cleared of germs regularly.

“Washable computer equipment is a great addition to the Teen Department,” said Keli Likins, Teen Librarian, Main Library. “With so much computer use in the Teen Department, washable keyboards and mice will save us from having replace equipment as quickly because of spills and exposure to liquid.”

“We are delighted to partner with Seal Shield to accept this donation on behalf of the Jacksonville Public Library,” said Maggie Hightower, Executive Director, Jacksonville Public Library Foundation, “and look forward to working with the Seal Shield in the future.” Demonstration of the waterproof feature of the keyboards and mice in the Main Library teen department is available upon request.

For more information about seal shield technology, visit www.sealshield.com.

The Friends of the Jacksonville Public Library working hard in 2010

2010-03-29T13:31:00.002-04:00

The Friends Great Jacksonville Annual Book Sale raked in more than $90,000 this month and the number of people that showed up at the sale reached more than five thousand.

“The Jacksonville fairgrounds has more than adequate space for the sale, but this year even parking was a challenge for people attending, and that’s a good sign for us,” Harry Regan, president for the Friends, said.

The Friends of the Library volunteer their time year round to several major revenue generators to raise funds for the library including the Great Jacksonville Book sales held twice a year now in the fall and spring seasons.

The Booktique owned and operated by the Friends, and staffed entirely by volunteers, is located in the Laura Street entrance of the Main Library. The Booktique offers great buys on books for readers of all ages. The Saturday Morning Bookstore, also staffed entirely by volunteers, is open each Saturday and operated out of the University Park Library Branch. Volunteers sell, sort and organize thousands of books in preparation to sell by Friends volunteers.

The Friends had such a great success at this past book sale they’re extending their specials at the Saturday Morning Bookstore at the University Park Branch to include buy one get one free on fiction and audio/video materials.

The Jacksonville Public Library South Mandarin Branch receives new addition to their outdoor space

2010-03-29T13:12:00.005-04:00

The South Mandarin Branch Library received a new addition to their outdoor space as another piece for the public park, located behind the branch, was completed.

A wooden pergola was constructed for the park so library customers and other groups may meet for program gatherings and a place to enjoy their favorite reading material while taking in the view.

"We hope the space will be one that everyone can enjoy and attract new visitors to the park as well as the library," Bill Walker, Rotary Club of Jacksonville member said.

The pergola was donated by the Rotary Club of Jacksonville in effort to complete the project that has been in the making more than five years. The club adopted the space nearly six years ago and has since added pieces to the park, after clearing the collected debris, including benches and soon-to-be trail markers that identify the plant life along the walking trails.

"This project has been one I've been most proud of during me as a Rotary member, " Walker said.

Jacksonville Public Library appoints new administrative supervisor

2010-03-17T11:07:00.004-04:00

The Jacksonville Public Library is proud to announce its newest Administrative Supervisor, Ava Barrett.

Barrett was a resident of Lee County where she most recently held the position of principal librarian/regional manager. Her professional experience includes serving as the assistant director of the Broward County’s African American Research Library and Cultural Center for five years and extensive experience in libraries abroad including manager of library services at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada and Director of Library services at Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, Jamaica.

Barrett is working on her masters in Public Administration and will graduate this summer. She received her MLS from New York State University in Buffalo and her undergraduate degree from the University of West Indies in Kingston Jamaica.

ZINE Machine program at JPL has kids creating and publishing their own work

2010-03-16T16:23:00.007-04:00

The children’s department at JPL is helping their library customers create their own zines using their imagination, creative talent and personal stories.

“We wanted to give our younger library customers the opportunity to share their creative talents and let them share their own stories and ideas through these alternative options,” Josh Jubinsky, zine librarian, said.

Zines are self-published pamphlets of all sizes and shapes, often covering subjects overlooked in larger scale publications. The Zine Collection at the Main Library was unveiled at the 2009 October Art Walk.

One of the first zine collections housed in a public library in the Southeast U.S. The purpose of the Zine Collection is to circulate and preserve alternative media resources that inspire readers to re-examine and learn from the underserved voices that represent their community.

The library’s zine collection focuses on regionally based zines, with a broad scope, including publications devoted to arts, culture, comics, politics, and advocacy. Information on the collection can be found on the web. Visitors can check the web site regularly for news, interviews, and announcements about zine events at the library.

JPL Friends of the Library reach more than 10,000 volunteer hours

2010-02-22T15:49:00.005-05:00

The Friends of the library donate their time year round to several major revenue generators to raise funds for the library including two annual Great Jacksonville Booksales held during the fall and spring at the Fair rounds where great literary buys can be discovered for a just a a few dollars.

The Booktique owned and operated by the Friends, and staffed entirely by volunteers, is located in the Laura Street entrance of the Main Library. Booktique offers great buys on books for readers of all ages. The Saturday Morning Bookstore, also staffed entirely by volunteers, is open each Saturday and oeprated out of the University Park Library ranch. Volunteers sell, sort and organize thousands of books in prepration to seel by Friends volunteers.

"I've always enjoyed working with people who enjoy the library and reading just as much as I do," Joyce Patten, Booktique volunteer said. "I love that the Booktique offers such affordable books for everyone and it all benefits the library!"

Great turn out at "How Can I Afford Retirement?" seminar at Jacksonville Public Library

2010-02-22T11:28:00.012-05:00

What a great turn out! More than 300 people attended the "How Can I Afford Retirement?" seminar held at the Jacksonville Main Library during the last 5 weeks .

Each session began with an introduction of a retirement related topic and was expanded upon by volunteer financial planning experts provided by the Financial Planning Assoc. of Northeast Florida.

Following the main session, participants were divided into smaller breakout groups to exchange knowledge and discuss and answer questions among their fellow attendees.

Each breakout session was monitored by a volunteer facilitator to generate ideas engagement among each group.

Library Director addresses Rotary Club of Jacksonville

2010-02-19T15:59:00.008-05:00

Library Director Barbara Gubbin attended the Jacksonville Rotary Club chapter meeting this week to share how JPL is meeting the needs of today's library customers.

Gubbin elaborated on the Center for Adult Learning (CAL) and its aid to help its literacy students acquire their U.S. citizenship as well as computer resources for those searching and applying for jobs and government services and the recent contract approval by City Council for Learn to Read.

Colonial sword fights and musical mania at JPL

2010-02-19T13:33:00.012-05:00

Families enjoyed an afternoon of free musical performances by period dressed performers at the Main Library presented by Friday Musicale, a non-profit organization that offers music programs to youth in Jacksonville.

Musical works by Afro-French composer JOSEPH BOLOGNE, LE CHEVALIER DE SAINT-GEORGES, the leading French composer and swordsman of his day, known as "The Black Mozart" filled the Hicks Auditorium.

New Panama City Beach library almost ready for furniture

2010-02-18T10:54:00.002-05:00

Panama City News Herald
by Pat Kelly/News Herald Writer
January 27, 2010

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The new $1.8 million Panama City Beach library is nearing completion and getting ready for new furniture.

Doug Gilmore, the chairman of the library’s fundraising committee, met recently with head librarian Frank Walker to plan for the unique needs of the new 10,000-square-foot library, including shelving, furniture and computers.

Preliminary estimates for the furnishings are $103,000, and the Northwest Florida Regional Library System already has pledged $30,000, Gilmore said. He will ask the City Council during its regular 2 p.m. meeting today to amend its budget and match the $30,000 amount.

“We are getting close, and we are ready to order the furniture,” Gilmore said Wednesday. “It’s getting down to the exciting part.”

City Manager Richard Jackson said construction for the new facility should be completed near mid-March with a grand opening near mid-April.

“That could be a bit optimistic, but they are moving along pretty good,” Jackson said.

The new facility is at the corner of Hutchison Boulevard and Lyndell Lane near the Senior Center and Lyndell Community Center. It will replace the current 4,500-square-foot building near U.S. 98 and State 79 that has outgrown its space.

Library officials said the existing library is used more than any other branch in the Northwest Regional Library System, which includes Bay, Gulf and Liberty counties.

Local groups of citizens and civic organizations have worked on the planning and fundraising for the project, for which a $500,000 state grant was awarded.

Gilmore said Wednesday his committee has raised about $300,000 for the project, with $60,000 more coming in pledges, but more is needed.

“We are starting another campaign right now,” he said. “I know that this is a really tough economic climate, but what we really need are corporate donations, even if they are just letters of commitment.”

City officials have said the total cost of the state-of-the-art library could reach $2.23 million after architectural, engineering and survey costs are included.

Seniors visit state legislators @ the library

2010-02-16T12:02:00.002-05:00

The Main Library Conference and Events Center hosted its sixth annual Legislative forum for Seniors on January 28, 2010. Each year the forum brings hundreds of senior citizens to hear the members of the Duval Delegation speak.

Over 280 seniors attend this year's forum at the Main Library. The legislators each gave talks on issues important to seniors and participated in a question and answer period.

JPL nominated for 2010 National Medal for Museum and Library Service

2010-02-12T13:31:00.005-05:00

JPL nominated by U.S. Senator Bill Nelson. The medal honors institutions that make exceptional contributions to their communities through programs that address the ever-changing needs of the communities they serve.

2010 National Medal for Museum and Library service

JPL awarded humanities and conservation grants, programs to be offered in spring 2010

2010-02-09T13:19:00.002-05:00

The library is the recipient of two prestigious national grants for which it will implement programs for during the next three years. The first, which awarded JPL $9,000 from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, administered through the Florida Humanities Council, will bring life to the topic of humanities to libraries through storytelling.

Prime Time is a six week program of reading, discussion and storytelling. The program features award-winning children's books to stimulate discussion about humanities themes and problems encountered in everyday life that include situations dealing with fairness, greed, honor and deceit.

A second grant, which awarded the library more than $300,000 in program funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, in partnership with Poets House and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, will shed light on the importance of conservation using poetry and creative language.

The Language of Conservation program will bring the transformative power of poetry to the service of wildlife conservation. The program will explore the use of poetic language a the Zoo's animal exhibits to increase the visitor's experience and deepen their understanding of conservation of some of natures most important wildlife.

"These two programs will be some of the most exciting JPL has offered," Pam McClellan, resource development coordinator for the library, said. "Planning has already begun and staff and committees are looking forward to being a part of such unique projects."

Jacksonville Public Library offering edu programs on green building

2010-02-09T10:59:00.002-05:00

The North Florida Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council in cooperation with the Jacksonville Public Library is offering free workshops on advantages and incentives for green building and remodeling homes.

The Workshops will offer an educational overview with tips and insights on emerging benefits of energy efficient and sustainable construction. Each session will include an opportunity for dialogue and questions and answers at the end of the program.

"This series will be a great opportunity for community members who are interested in improving their homes to receive accurate and trustworthy information," Luis Flores, director of facilities for the library, said. "The library is filled with materials on home improvements and do-it-yourself projects for customers. This is another free resource they can access to help further their knowledge and reap the benefits.

Green Building workshops

Jacksonville Public Library receives $100,000 to offer investment education seminars this spring

2010-02-03T15:26:00.006-05:00

"JPL on the Home Front" will offer a combination of group discussions with group facilitators to help encourage participants to share information and engage in conversation about seminar material.

JPL has been awarded a $100,000 grant to fund a one year program "JPL on the Home Front: Your Ticket to Smart Investing @ your library."

Smart investing @ your library is administered jointly by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Assocation, and The Financial Industry Regulation Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation. These organizations fund library efforts to provide millions of library customers with effective, unbiased financial education resources.

"Public libraries are ideally positioned to serve the financial information needs of their communities, and to do so without a sales pitch or a hidden agenda," said John Gannon president of FINRA Foundation. "With the help of these programs, Americans can turn to their libraries to get the best available financial information to make smart decisions for their families' financial future."

This series will especially reach out to Jacksonville military service members, veterans and their families.

Jacksonville Public Library receives Star Rating

2010-02-03T15:13:00.006-05:00

(Library staff gather in front of a holiday tree decorated with
customer creations of the library is "my ticket to")

The Jacksonville Public Library has been named of of America's Star Libraries in the Library Journal Index of Public Library Service. The LJ Index identified the library as a Star Library from 7,268 public libraries nationwide, based on circulation, visitors, program attendance and public internet use. The Institute of Museum Library Services, the federal agency representing American museums and libraries, provided the data.

The Jacksonville Public Library's usage has increased dramatically. Increase in library customer visits, materials borrowed and website count have further demonstrated the need for the Jacksonville Public Library to continue offering quality services to Jacksonville residents. The library's website, which can be accessed 24/7, had an 11 percent increase from 4.6 million to 5.1 million. An increase of six percent from 2007/08. Also, more than 220,000 people attended free programs at 21 library locations.

Library hits beach for stories and crafts

2009-12-09T17:55:00.019-05:00

Betsy Williams, Correspondent
Sarasota Herald Tribune

Published 12/2/09

Englewood Charlotte Public Library has moved to the beach; well, at least once a month for about an hour.

For the new "Beach Storytime," library Supervisor Lynda Citro takes the youth reading program for preschoolers to Englewood Beach.

The sessions, geared toward age 2 and older along with their caregivers, offers stories and a seasonal craft.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, the November event offered unique thank-you cards for the children and adults to decorate and "send to someone special, just to say thanks," Citro said.
Helping out with the program under the pavilion next to the playground was library volunteer Louise Hoffman.

"We tried it once right on the beach, but dealing with the sand was just too much," Citro said.

New to the area, Lisa Reedy and her children, Alyssa, 2, and Jacob, 5, have been checking out various youth programs around the county to see what the children enjoy. The family drove from Port Charlotte and planned to spend the day at the beach after the library program.

Jean Hunker and her 3-year-old granddaughter, Sierra Young, arrived early so the youngster could get some play time in before the library program.

"She misses going to preschool, playing with other children," said Hunker, who packed a lunch for the two and also planned to stay after the program for a picnic and more play time.

The next Beach Read is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Dec. 17th. There is no charge.

Indian River Opens Joint Use Library

2009-10-28T09:05:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to Indian River County Library System and Indian River State College on the October 27 opening of their new 30,000 square foot, 2-story library.

The Brackett Library is named for funders Bob and Sandy Brackett and was made possible by a combination of public and private funding. Read more at
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/oct/27/indian-river-countys-newest-library-branch-opens/

Library System Receives Grant

2009-10-06T15:10:00.001-04:00

October 3, 2009
by Elizabeth M. Mack /Tallahassee Democrat Staff Writer

Leon County Commissioner Akin Akinyemi is at the library at least two to three times a week — sometimes he even brings his kids. He comes mainly in between meetings.

"It's always full when I come," he said. "I'm fortunate that I have an office computer, but for some people this is all they have."

Akinyemi was among county officials celebrating news Friday that the library system received $83,250 in grant money from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The money will be used to buy 150 miniature laptop computers, which will double the amount of computers the library system has, said Helen Moeller, director of libraries. Demand is high for the computers; people have to wait up to an hour to use them for an hour-long session.

"There is a tremendous demand for the libraries' public computers," she said. "The world of information has changed so drastically that if you don't have the Internet, it can be difficult to get information and even do things like apply for jobs."

Moeller said the new computers will help decrease the "digital divide" among people who can afford computers and those who can't. Library card holders will be able to check out one of the mini laptops and go anywhere in the library to access the Internet.

Mike Pate, Tallahassee program director for the Knight Foundation, said studies by the organization have proven that a majority of the population in the country without access to computers go to public libraries.

"Libraries are the greatest providers of free Internet, offering residents access to the critical news and information they need to make decisions about their lives," he said. "At the least, we can put the libraries and their users in a situation where they don't have to wait as long for a computer."

Library officials said the computers won't be available for a few months. Staff members must first develop policies and procedures for their use.

Central Florida libraries reduce hours and services

2009-09-17T10:15:00.003-04:00

Orlando Sentinel story reports cuts in operating hours in Orlando and reductions in services at other central Florida libraries.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-orlando-library-hours-cuts-091609,0,814261.story

State tells schools hands off library funds

2009-09-16T07:53:00.003-04:00

Dave Weber reports in the Sentinel School Zone that a Florida Department of Education memo has warned school districts that school library funds are to be limited to a specific purpose. An e-mail message from public school chancellor Frances Haithcock advised superintendends that public library media categorical funds are intended for the purchase of library media resources to be checked out through the school library by students and teachers.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_education_edblog/2009/09/state-tells-schools-to-keep-hands-off-library-money.html

The future of libraries, with or without books

2009-09-08T11:10:00.003-04:00

By John D. Sutter

- From CNN, updated 8:14 a.m. EDT, Fri September 2, 2009

- Thanks to Chuck McClure for sharing

Libraries are trying to image their futures with or without books.

(CNN) -- The stereotypical library is dying -- and it's taking ist shushin ladies, dank smell, and endless shelves of books with it.

Books are being pushed aside for digital learning centers and gaming areas. "Loud rooms" that promote public discourse and group projects are taking over the bookish quiet. Hipster staffers who blog, chat on Twitter and care little about the Dewey Decimal System are edging out old-school librarians.

And that's just the surface. By some accounts, the library system is undergoing a complete transformation that goes far beyond these image changes.

Authors, publishing houses, librarians and Web sites continue to fight Google's efforts to digitize the world's books and create the world's largest library online. Meanwhile, many real-world libraries are moving forward with the assumption that physical books will play a much-diminished or potentially nonexistent role in their efforts to educate the public.

Some books will still be around, they say, although many of those will be digital. But the goal of the library remains the same: To be a free place where people can access and share information.

"The library building isn't a warehouse for books," said Helene Blowers, digital strategy director at the Columbus [Ohio] Metropolitan Library. "It's a community gathering center."

Think of the change as a Library 2.0 revolution -- a mirror of what's happened on the Web.

Library 2.0

People used to go online for the same information they could get from newspapers. Now they go to Facebook, Digg and Twitter to discuss their lives and the news of the day. Forward-looking librarians are trying to create that same conversational loop in public libraries. The one-way flow of information from book to patron isn't good enough anymore.

"We can pick up on all of these trends that are going on," said Toby Greenwalt, virtual services coordinator at the Skokie Public Library in suburban Chicago.

Greenwalt, for example, set up a Twitter feed and text-messaging services for his library. He monitors local conversations on online social networks and uses that information as inspiration for group discussions or programs at the real-world library.

Other libraries are trying new things, too.

The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, in North Carolina, has a multimedia space where kids shoot videos and record music. It also runs a blog dedicated to gaming and hosts video game tournaments regularly.

Kelly Czarnecki, a technology education librarian at ImaginOn, a kids' branch of that library, said kids learn by telling their own stories.

"Our motto here is to bring stories to life, so by having the movie and music studio we can really tap into a different angle of what stories are," she said. "They're not just in books. They're something kids can create themselves."

Czarnecki believes that doesn't have to come at the expense of book-based learning.
The Aarhus Public Library in Aarhus, Denmark, takes things a step further.

The library features an "info column," where people share digital news stories; an "info galleria" where patrons explore digital maps layered with factoids; a digital floor that lets people immerse themselves in information; and RFID-tagged book phones that kids point at specific books to hear a story.

"The library has never been just about books," said Rolf Hapel, director of the city's public libraries.

Community Centers

Jason M. Schultz, director of the Samuelson Law, Technology and Public Policy Clinic at the University of California at Berkeley Law School, said libraries always have served two roles in society: They're places where people can get free information; and they're community centers for civic debate.

As books become more available online, that community-center role will become increasingly important for libraries, he said.

"It depends on whether we prioritize it as a funding matter, but I think there always will be a space for that even if all the resources are digital," he said.

Some libraries are trying to gain an edge by focusing on the "deeply local" material -- the stuff that only they have, said Blowers, the librarian in Ohio.

"How do we help add that value to a format like the Internet, which is expansively global?" she said. "So we look at what do we have here that we could help people gain access to by digitizing it."

That material can be used to start community discussions, she said.

Librarians

This shift means the role of the librarian -- and their look -- is also changing.

In a world where information is more social and more online, librarians are becoming debate moderators, givers of technical support and community outreach coordinators.

They're also no longer bound to the physical library, said Greenwalt, of the library in Skokie, Illinois. Librarians must venture into the digital space, where their potential patrons exist, to show them why the physical library is still necessary, he said.

A rise in a young, library-chic subculture on blogs and on Twitter is putting a new face on this changing role, said Linda C. Smith, president of the Association for Library and Information Science Education.

Some wear tattoos, piercings and dress like they belong on the streets of Brooklyn instead of behind bookshelves. They're also trying on new titles. Instead of librarians, they're "information specialists" or "information scientists."

Libraries like the "Urban Media Space," which is set to open in 2014 in Aarhus, Denmark, are taking on new names, too. And all of that experimentation is a good thing, Smith said, because it may help people separate the book-bound past of libraries from the liberated future.

"It's a source of tension in the field because, for some people, trying to re-brand can be perceived as a rejection of the [library] tradition and the values," she said. "But for other people it's a redefinition and an expansion."

Funding woes

In the United States, libraries are largely funded by local governments, many of which have been hit hard by the recession.

That means some libraries may not get to take part in technological advances. It also could mean some of the nation's 16,000 public libraries could be shut down or privatized. Schultz, of the Berkeley Law School, said it would be easy for public officials to point to the growing amount of free information online as further reason to cut public funding for libraries.

Use of U.S. public libraries is up over the past decade, though, and many people in the information and libraries field say they're excited about opportunities the future brings.

"I came into libraries and it wasn't about books," said Peter Norman, a graduate student in library and information science at Simmons College in Boston who says he's most interested in music and technology. "Sure I love to read. I read all the time. I read physical books. But I don't have the strange emotional attachment that some people possess."

"If the library is going to turn into a place without books, I'm going to evolve with that too," he said.

FLA President Promoted

2009-08-27T08:28:00.003-04:00

Wendy Breeden, Lake County Library Director and President of the Florida Library Association, has been promoted to be the director of the newly created Lake County Department of Public Resources.

The new Department included the divisions of Library Services, Tourism & Business Relations, Parks & Trails and Agricultural Education. The Department also includes the programs of Public Lands Management and Volunteers.

Read full announcment at http://www.lakecountyfl.gov/media/news_releases/news_release.aspx?id=1049

Centennial Park Branch Library Faces Final Chapter

2009-08-26T12:20:00.002-04:00

by Kevin Wiatrowski/ The Tampa Tribune
August 26, 2009

HOLIDAY - Pasco County commissioners may sacrifice Centennial Park Branch Library, the first county-financed public library, to keep Pasco's other libraries open five days a week.

Commissioners' other option is to rotate staff between Centennial Park and the nearby South Holiday library, opening each on alternating weekdays. They'd both operate short-staffed on Saturdays.

Library Services Director Linda Allen will spell out those options in more detail at the county's next budget workshop Sept. 1 in Dade City.

Either option would take effect Oct. 1 with the county's fiscal 2010 budget.

Closing 21-year-old Centennial Park would shift its 28,700 regular patrons to South Holiday, doubling the burden on that newer but smaller branch.

The two libraries are about two miles from each other - Centennial Park on Moog Road, South Holiday on Mile Stretch - both residential neighborhoods.

Closing Centennial Park, however, could still pose a problem for some patrons.

"Even though they're so close together, we have a lot of people who use only one," Allen said.

The prospect of closing Centennial Park arose during commissioners' budget workshop with county staffers this week. It reverses commissioners' earlier opposition to closing any libraries as they try to close a $36 million budget hole for fiscal 2010.

Pasco County has seven county-owned libraries. New Port Richey and Zephyrhills have their own libraries.

The closing is among a host of changes Allen has proposed to cut costs.

Allen told commissioners she plans dramatic cuts to the libraries' offerings. Sixteen online databases popular with student researchers will disappear. The county will buy fewer paperbacks, fewer periodicals and no DVD movies or audiobooks.

"We are not looking to make sure there's something on every topic in the library," Allen said.

Maintenance of equipment will be done in-house, and landscaping work will be cut by about two-thirds, she said.

Also on the horizon are the elimination of library-sponsored events for adults, fewer activities for teens and children and cutting the summer reading program.

Commissioners could appropriate $408,000 in new taxes to keep the library system as is. The money would fill 18 of 32 empty jobs, but it wouldn't expand hours curtailed last year. Those cuts closed libraries on Mondays.

Outside the Centennial Park library Thursday morning, Cathy Tobias made a sour face after hearing the library might close.

"This is real close to my home," Tobias said, who lives within walking distance. "We use this library all the time."

The prospect of closing Centennial Park library was quickly followed by concerns the empty building could become a target for vandals. County officials said they would consider moving employees from leased space into the empty library if it is abandoned.

Commissioners quashed Allen's proposal to rotate staff between the New River library in Wesley Chapel and the Hugh Embry library in downtown Dade City.

That strategy was seen as a way to keep each library open at least part-time, but commissioners felt the 14 miles between them posed an obstacle for many of their patrons.

Commissioners want both libraries open full-time.

Commissioners also asked County Administrator John Gallagher to search the county's construction funds for money that could build a library in Trinity to replace Centennial Park.

The most likely site is on county-owned land next to a new fire station on Trinity Boulevard, but it's unclear when or if that library could be built.

St. Johns County teens learn money management at library

2009-08-12T23:38:00.002-04:00

St. Johns County Library offers a one-day financial literacy program for those ages 15-20 who want to learn to handle their money. Read the full story at http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-08-12/story/program_at_libraries_helps_teenagers_learn_to_manage_money

FLA Citizen of the Year Doug McNamara Recognized

2009-08-10T10:46:00.002-04:00

This Florida Times-Union story about FLA's 2009 Citizen of the Year Doug McNamara quotes several librarians and describes Mumford Library Books.
http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-08-10/story/mumford_library_books_is_a_book_lovers_paradise

FSU Libraries receive $100K from Athletics Dept.

2009-08-07T07:32:00.002-04:00

The FSU Athletics Department has given $100,000 to FSU Libraries. The donation was made possible by funds received for the Seminole football team's participation in the Champs Sports Bowl lasat December. See full story at http://www.seminoles.com/genrel/080609aab.html

Seminole County rejects privatizing libraries

2009-08-03T15:43:00.002-04:00

The Orlando Sentinel reported on July 28 that Seminole County won't turn its public libraries over to a private contractor.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/seminole/orl-seminole-libraries-private,0,6159827.story

Dining out helps Delray Library

2009-08-03T10:18:00.002-04:00

"Dine out for a cause" fundraiser benefits Delray Beach Public Library. Read full story at
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/delray-beach/sfl-fldineout0802pcaug02,0,5253522.story

West Delray Beach branch library celebrates first anniversary

2009-07-30T15:56:00.000-04:00

The Hagen Ranch Road Branch Library recently marked its first year in business and manager Karen Spano has declared it a success. For full story http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/delray-beach/sfl-flhagen0719pcjul19,0,4617698.story

Author Nancy J. Cohen Meets Fans At Library

2009-07-30T15:54:00.000-04:00

The Wellington library presented “Meet the Author: Nancy J. Cohen” last Saturday afternoon. For complete article http://www.thecrier.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=86&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=18032&wpage=&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1150&hn=gotowncrier&he=.com

2009-07-28T12:07:00.000-04:00

Library jobs, hours in Brevard face cuts
No branches slated to close, but 48 positions may vanish

Read full story at http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20090728/NEWS01/907280326/1006/Library+jobs++hours+face+cuts

Officials gather for official opening of library resource center

2009-07-14T17:51:00.003-04:00

By Sara Brubaker
Correspondent/The Gainesville Sun
July 9, 2009

About 150 people crowded into a new library and neighborhood resource center in northeast Gainesville on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate its official opening.

The Library Partnership - A Neighborhood Resource Center, located at 1130 N.E. 16th Ave., represents the culmination of a collaborative effort among the Alachua County Library District, the Department of Children and Families and the Partnership for Strong Families to bring much-needed resources to the community.

"We're just like any other fully functioning library," said Alachua County Library District director Sol Hirsch. "The biggest difference is our partnership. Our work complements each other."

Hirsch, along with administrators and directors of the DCF and the Partnership for Strong Families, came up with the idea of the joint library and resource center in October.

Construction began in March, and the facility opened unofficially on June 15, just eight months after the initiative was first discussed.

The full-service branch library boasts a community meeting room, a children's area, a teen room, 20 computers and a full collection of books, periodicals, magazines and DVDs, much of which was donated from other branches. It is about the same size as the Archer and Newberry library branches.

"Basic, traditional services are our foundation, but we're also concentrating on community outreach," Hirsch said.

Between 195 and 240 people a day have utilized the new facility since it opened in June, according to Anita Jenkins-McCarter, the library manager. She said she expects that number to double once school starts again in August.

Sixty percent of the 7,500-square-foot center is space shared by both the library and the resource center.

The resource center, operated by the Partnership for Strong Families, introduces people to social services and links them with organizations to assist them, such as FloridaWorks, the YMCA and about 30 other community partners.

Hirsch said the joint venture, which he said is the first of its kind in Florida, embodies the library district's motto, "Thinking outside the book," he said.

"We're not waiting for people to come to us, we're going out to the community. This partnership represents a common sense approach - When money's tight, why not come together?" he said.

Several members from the community organizations spoke before Wednesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Laura Shaw from the Alachua County Library Foundation and Scherwin Henry, a Gainesville commissioner.

Shaw presented the Library Partnership with a $15,000 donation for the Snuggle-Up Room, the children's area shared by the library and the resource center.

Henry said northeast Gainesville lacks positive attention and rarely sees the introduction of worthwhile community programs, but the library meets a very real need for neighborhood resources.

"This type of creativity and innovation is what makes our community the best place to live in the state of Florida," he said.

The speakers conveyed their excitement about the potential of the center to revitalize children, teenagers, working adults and grandparents.

Carressa Hutchinson, the Family Resource Center coordinator, said the library's location on a bus route, large parking lot and variety of resources housed under one roof make it indispensable to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Hutchinson grew up in northeast Gainesville and graduated from Eastside High School. She said she has recognized the lack of sufficient resources in her community for a long time.

"We're living in a time when there are so many budget cuts that people are finding it impossible to get the information they need," Hutchinson said. "This library is a new way of effectively delivering information so that people can actually take advantage of all the social services that are out there."

Tough times bring boom to Brevard libraries

2009-07-14T10:47:00.002-04:00

More check out free services as funding dips
July 14, 2009
BY PATRICK PETERSON
FLORIDA TODAY

Hard times have made public libraries more popular.

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)

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.

"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."

Contact Peterson at 242-3673 or ppeterson@floridatoday.com.

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

Tough times bring boom to Brevard libraries

2009-07-14T10:33:00.004-04:00

Tough Times Bring Boom to Brevard Libraries
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.

http://www.floridatoday.com/

Should Seminole libraries be run by private companies? Petitions say no.

2009-07-01T11:02:00.003-04:00

by Rachael Jackson, Sentinel Staff Writer

Orlando Sentinel, June 24, 2009

Alongside signs that read "Save Our Libraries," Margie Johnson and about a dozen volunteers are spending this week camped in front of Seminole County libraries, gathering signatures to oppose turning over the libraries to a private company.

The county, which faces a $19 million budget shortfall, doesn't yet know how much could be saved by "outsourcing" the $6.7 million library system, but it's exploring the idea.

"Our democracy is founded on free public information for everyone," Johnson, a member of the county's Library Advisory Board, said as she braved sweltering heat outside the Oviedo branch library, where every parking spot was full Tuesday afternoon.

If a private company were to run Seminole's five libraries, patrons would still be able to check out books, use computers and take advantage of other basic services for free. But people like Johnson, 75, worry that a company would put profits ahead of community needs.

Library Systems & Services LLC, a Maryland company that operates more than 60 libraries nationwide, boasts that it can help libraries save by getting deals on bulk book orders and by securing more grant funding. The company, known as LSSI, acknowledges that it typically reduces staff by 10 percent to 20 percent and that its 401(k) packages are usually less generous than government pensions.

Seminole residents have said they're concerned about how a private company would handle book-buying, hours and fees, but LSSI materials say those decisions are left to local officials.

The county is awaiting proposals from companies, and commissioners probably won't take up the issue until August.

According to the Florida Library Association, which opposes the outsourcing of library services, no Florida libraries are run by for-profit companies, though several local governments have recently considered it. Sarasota and Hernando counties decided against it.

But in Jackson County, Ore., Judy Baalman, the libraries' business and support services manager, said LSSI helped save the system. Libraries there were shuttered in 2007 because of budget cuts. Through a contract with LSSI, the libraries reopened six months later for about half of what the county had been spending. Some former employees were rehired, though the new staff had fewer professional librarians. Hours were cut, and some libraries are open only eight hours a week. Circulation decreased, though Baalman said it's approaching original levels.

"It appears for the most part that people of the county have fit their library use around the open hours," she said, adding that she still gets complaints about limited schedules. Some Jackson County communities have agreed to pay levies to keep libraries open more hours.

By Wednesday afternoon, Johnson and her team had collected more than 1,000 signatures. They've also launched an online petition and a blog, http://keepingpublicseminolepubliclibrary.blogspot.com./

Rachael Jackson can be reached at rjackson@orlandosentinel.com or 407-540-4358.

Librarians now add social work to their resumes

2009-06-15T13:59:00.003-04:00

By Will Van Sant, Times Staff Writer In Print: Tuesday, June 9, 2009

David Stoner, who directs adult services for the Clearwater Public Library System, helps Karen Prall post her resume on the Web. “The library is really the only place you can go to get direct help immediately,” said Prall.

Librarians have an image problem — stern face, thick round glasses, "shush!'' — which they parody with Web sites like Warrior Librarian and Macho Librarians with Guns.

Now, harsh reality has swept aside self-mocking pretensions to comic book greatness and turned librarians into real, if largely unsung, heroes of the recession.

Take mild-mannered David Stoner.

Trained to help adults discover the trial of Socrates and sixth- graders track the Oregon Trail, he now spends half his time in the trenches of a battered economy. There his job is far more urgent: helping people who need jobs, food stamps or Medicaid.

"These days, it's really social work in some respects," said Stoner, who directs adult services for the Clearwater Public Library System. "And it's really satisfying to see how much you are helping."

• • •

Karen Prall has been a Clearwater library regular since September, when she lost her dental assistant job. She doesn't like going to WorkNet Pinellas, a nonprofit workforce development agency. She said staff there are overworked, disorganized and dismissive.

When she visited the library on a recent Friday afternoon, Stoner swiftly had Prall, who has limited computer experience, posting her resume to the Web.

"The library is really the only place you can go to get direct help immediately," said Prall, 39. "You ask them and they don't say, 'I'll be with you in 20 minutes.' They'll come over and help you right away."

WorkNet president Ed Peachey said his organization gets criticized often, but there are plenty of people who appreciate its services.

"We do the best we can,'' he said, "with the resources that we have."

Andrew Breidenbaugh, chief librarian at Tampa's John F. Germany Public Library, understands Prall's contrasting opinions of those who tried to help her.

"I don't really think many people think of librarians as government employees,'' he said. "I think they think of librarians as members of a helping profession, like teachers.''

Some colleagues, he said, lament the "good old days," when the job was more about helping people find great literary works than navigating technology and applying for government aid.
Still, he said, they know times have changed.

With public access to government increasingly electronic, and libraries offering the Internet for free, librarians have in effect become gatekeepers for vital services now in record demand, although overall public use of libraries around Tampa Bay has not risen dramatically.

Juliet Douglas, a librarian at John F. Germany, has identified three primary areas where her patrons, hurting in the down economy, ask for help.

First comes Access Florida, the state's electronic portal for food stamps, cash assistance and Medicaid. Then comes Safelink, another Web-supported program that gives free cell phones to people getting government assistance. No. 3 on Douglas' list is using the Web to apply for jobs.
Her library and others around the bay area have developed specific programs to help patrons in these areas. In Clearwater, for instance, the library offers a program called "Hired! Putting Your Best Face Forward."

The trend is nationwide.

A recent Library Research Service survey found that 70 percent of librarians reported helping more patrons with computers in the past 12 months, 66 percent reported helping more look for work and 34 percent helping more seek jobless benefits.

Demand for these types of services has led to new types of on-the-job training for librarians. The Public Library Association's 2008 national conference featured several recession-related seminars including one called "The Disconnected: Who Are They? How Can We Help Them?" It examined how libraries can serve unemployed young people with job and educational opportunities.

• • •

Even as librarians have become facilitators of social programs, they're serving as hosts to the disenfranchised — and not just the homeless, who have long taken refuge in libraries.

Anne Shepherd, director of the Dunedin Public Library, said every morning unemployed people settle in at the library, almost as if showing up to work. Some, she said, bring laptops and use the library's free WiFi.

"It gives them a sense of belonging," Shepherd said. "They come here, they know the staff, they sit at the same table every day, like possibly they belonged to an office in the past."

• • •

Stoner, 41, got his library science degree from the University of South Florida in 1994. When he started his career, Stoner said, the social service aspects of his job were largely nonexistent.
Now he and other librarians in Clearwater rely on a kind of cheat sheet that details which government program can address a specific need, such as housing or filing for unemployment.
He has embraced his new role but remains uncomfortable with the idea of being any sort of hero-of-the-recession. He was less than thrilled to even be photographed for this story.
Still, he talks of his role much as Clark Kent might.

"Whatever people need,'' Stoner said, "we will try to help them."
Will Van Sant can be reached at vansant@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4166.

Santa Rosa Library System selected as Florida Library of the Year

2009-06-02T17:24:00.002-04:00

From The Pensacola News Journal
Special to the Pelican, May 27, 2009

The Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners recognized and commended the Santa Rosa County Library System during a recent county commission meeting for being selected as the Library of the Year Award by the Florida Library Association. Award winners were recognized at the association's 86th annual conference May 8 in Orlando. This award is presented to a Florida library that has demonstrated outstanding service to the community it serves.

The Santa Rosa County Library System was selected for its 2006 transition to a county operated system from the regional system and their significant increases in many library services including a 13 percent increase in circulation and a 21 percent increase in visitors. During this time, staff also launched a volunteer program, opened a new branch, renovated a branch and initiated new outreach programs.

Dirt turned for new Beach library

2009-04-22T10:53:00.003-04:00

Photo by Terry Barner The News Herald
An artist's rendering shows the new 10,000-square-foot Panama City Beach branch of the Bay County Library scheduled for completion near Hutchison Boulevard and Lyndell Lane in July 2010.

by Pat Kelly/ New Herald Writer

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Panama City Chamber of Commerce official Beth Oltman promised it will be "our newest gem in Panama City Beach."

County Commission Chairman Jerry Girvin noted that it will put the hushed and dusty libraries of yesteryear to shame, with a computer center, an adult literacy classroom and teen activities area.

"The libraries of today are not your grandfather's libraries," he said.

And Beach Mayor Gail Oberst, who first got the ball rolling when she applied for a $500,000 state grant, said the exponential growth of Panama City Beach, and the resulting impact fees, will now help pay for history in the making.

"Here is a perfect example of growth paying for growth," she said.

City and county officials grabbed some golden shovels and turned dirt for the latest branch of the Bay County Public Library system on Thursday, a new 10,000-square-foot building that city officials hope will be completed in a year.

The $1.8-million high-tech library will be located at the corner of Hutchison Boulevard and Lyndell Lane and share space with the Senior Center and Lyndell Community Center.

The total cost of the library could reach $2.23 million after architectural, engineering and survey costs are included, officials said.

The construction contract was awarded to Construct Two Group. Construction director Charles R. Lewis III said Thursday he hoped to be finished with the project by Christmas.

The new facility will replace a current 4,500-square-foot building near U.S. 98 and State 79 that has outgrown its space, said Doug Gilmore, a member of the Bay County Library Board and chairman of a group of citizens and civic groups that worked on planning and fundraising.

Officials have said that 71,000 people moved through the old library in 2008, and 64,000 books were checked out. More than 300 people might use the library in a single week.

"It's a great day for the Beach's community," Gilmore said Thursday. "We've got a fantastic library coming that everyone can be proud of."

The city was awarded a $500,000 state grant for the library's construction, and almost $260,000 has been collected from private donations, which are still being solicited.

The rest of the funding will come from $689,501 in projected impact fees and $781,806 from the city's contingency fund. The old library building will be converted into needed city office space.

Panama City News Herald/ April 10, 2008

Hefty budget cuts could affect Broward County libraries, parks

2009-04-19T18:10:00.002-04:00

Hefty budget cuts could affect Broward County libraries, parks

By Scott Wyman South Florida Sun-Sentinel

April 19, 2009

Don't expect to check out a book at your local library on Sundays or visit many of the regional parks on Wednesdays. And if you live in northern Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports, expect to drive farther to adopt a pet. Faced with having to reduce spending by up to $160 million because of the recession, county administrators are exploring severe cuts in community services. Seven smaller branches in the county's system of 37 libraries could be shut down, and the contract to help run the library at Nova Southeastern University in Davie canceled.

It could amount to the largest reduction in Broward government in modern history if county commissioners agree later this year. The closure of parks and libraries would come despite voters agreeing twice in the past decade to expand those programs. "Broward is a platinum county when it comes to services, but we won't be and may never be again," County Mayor Stacy Ritter said.

County commissioners will begin discussing the proposals Tuesday, but will not vote on a final spending plan until the end of September. Their financial forecasts call for the tax base to drop up to 15 percent this year, and the only way to avoid the spending cuts would be to raise the tax rates on homes and businesses.

Commissioners have not ruled out raising tax rates to make up for much of the lost revenue. But Ritter and other commissioners think such a move would be hotly debated and provoke public outrage.

The libraries that would be closed are the Beach Branch in Pompano Beach, the Hollywood Beach Library, the Riverland Library in Fort Lauderdale Is your Fort Lauderdale restaurant clean? - Click Here., the Pembroke Pines Library, the Galt Ocean Mile Library in Fort Lauderdale, the Century Plaza Library in Deerfield Beach and the Lauderhill Mall Library. Service at the branch library on Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale could be limited.

All libraries would be closed on Sundays, with hours at the 11 largest libraries cut to 48 hours a week from 58. Last year, operations at those libraries were cut from to 58 hours a week from 70.

Special programs organized for all libraries would be eliminated, including celebrations of Black History Month and Gay Pride Month.

About $5.7 million would be saved by breaking the contract with Nova Southeastern. The county and the university agreed in 1999 to build the Alva Sherman Library and signed a 40-year contract. The county has been paying for about 40 percent of the operations since.

In budget cuts made last year, the county shut most regional parks on Tuesdays. That would be expanded to Wednesdays. And, parks would be closed on Thanksgiving, New Year's Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day in addition to the current holiday closures of Veterans Day, the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Grounds-keeping would be slashed, nature centers would be open only five days a week and the pool at Markham Park would be closed. Free recreational programs such as Halloween parties would be dropped.

Also, the animal shelter in Pompano Beach would be closed to the public. Cities could still drop off stray dogs, but residents would have to go to the other shelter in Fort Lauderdale for adoptions.

Scott Wyman can be reached at swyman@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4511.

Sarasota - Privatized libraries: The notion gets a look

2009-04-16T10:45:00.003-04:00

Privatized libraries: The notion gets a look

By Zac Anderson & Roger Drouin

Published: Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 10:42 p.m.

Sarasota's public libraries might become not so public.

In an effort to trim $50 million from the county's budget next year, county officials are looking to cut expenses everywhere -- including the library, a service that some residents consider one of the most basic.

The county is checking to see which companies run libraries and if privatizing the library system would reduce costs. At a budget workshop last month, County Administrator Jim Ley told the county commissioners there are "no sacred cows" when it comes to trimming the budget.

"We're looking at a $50-million revenue loss, at best projections," Ley said Wednesday. "So we have a challenge."

Long-time library supporters were surprised by the privatization news Wednesday and wondered why the county had not given them more notice about plans to study what could drastically change the way the library is run.

"This is something totally new to me. I don't even know what to think," said Jane Forbush, president of the Friends of the Jacaranda Library group in Venice and a member of the county's library advisory board for 12 years.

Forbush said she had a hard time seeing how privatization would be a good thing for the library system.

"A tremendous amount of hours are given by volunteers. Volunteers keep the library afloat," Forbush said. "I would think it would be" more difficult to get volunteers to help a private company.

Forbush also cautioned that the county could end up losing more money by privatizing.
The Jacaranda friends group spent $3,000 recently to purchase a new computer for the library's children's department. It is unlikely volunteers would want to give money to a private company, Forbush said.

Ley said that the county is only studying the possibility, and that even if a company takes over operations, it would remain a county library.

Ley also said respondents to the county's annual survey said libraries are one of the areas they would prefer to see cuts in -- rather than "hard services" such as police, fire, street sweeping and road maintenance. "If there is a revenue shortfall and the county had to cut, they say cut parks and libraries," he said.

Before any privatization takes place, the County Commission and a library advisory board would have to approve plans.

The county commissioners have not discussed privatization yet. At last month's budget workshop, they talked in general about looking into streamlining aspects of local government.

"We're trying not to reduce services," Commissioner Joe Barbetta said. "If the administration thinks this can be done without reducing services, then they will come back to us. It is a fine line, and we have to do our best. In this tough economic environment, we have to explore all options."

A partial privatization is possible, Ley said. For example, a company could oversee book purchasing and inventory, while the county operates counter service and librarians.

"We have two responsibilities," Ley said. "One is to get the best service for the least amount of money. The second is to provide the best library experience. The question is if there is a mutually achievable overlap in there somewhere."

Sarasota library volunteer Lydia McIntire said the county would have to make a strong case for privatization, but she would at least be willing to listen.

"I certainly wouldn't condemn it without hearing the pros and cons, that would be kind of silly," said McIntire, who volunteers a few hours each week as vice president of the Friends of the Selby Library. "They obviously must have a reason for thinking of this."

But McIntire added that she has always viewed libraries as a basic function of government, and privatization "seems like such a dramatic change."

"Isn't there something in the constitution about having libraries?" she said with a chuckle.
Both McIntire and Forbush said there has been no hint that the county was considering privatization, even when the volunteers met recently with Sarasota County Commissioner Shannon Staub.

This story appeared in print on page A1

Reading into the Future - Great Newsweek Library Article

2009-04-16T10:23:00.002-04:00

Reading Into the Future: As a librarian, my world was always about books. But in this economy, I've evolved into a career counselor.

Eva Gronowska, Newsweek Web Exclusive

Libraries are my world. I've been a patron all my life, and for the past nine years I've worked at multiple libraries and archives in and around Detroit. The library as an institution has many roles, but as our country struggles through an economic crisis, I have watched the library where I work evolve into a career and business center, a community gathering place and a bastion for hope.

In the spring of 2007 I got a library internship at the Southfield Public Library, just north of Detroit. Summers at SPL were usually slow, but that year, we experienced a library that hustled and bustled like science-fair project week, midterms or tax season. Yet patrons weren't looking for Mosby's Nursing Drug Reference or 1040 forms. They were coming for information on entrepreneurship and growing their small business.

I interpreted people's interest in our business collection as the first step to pursuing their dreams, but these patrons were not motivated by dreams. They were responding to reality, and they were looking for Plan B. In Michigan, a slew of unfortunate circumstances caused the first rumblings of recession. Rising unemployment was compounded by rampant foreclosures. The auto industry went spiraling, and with it, their suppliers, then neighborhoods. Michigan's deficit grew, budgets were slashed and business slowed. Southfield used to headquarter five Fortune 500 corporations; today only Lear Corp. remains. As the city shed business, it shed tax revenue as well. Department budgets shrank and a hiring freeze permeated the city.

Things worsened in 2008, and in 2009 the economic crisis continues to suffocate Michigan. Interest in small businesses has remained high, but unemployment, the credit crunch and foreclosures command our patrons' attention and, consequently, ours. Last year, we put up a display with a variety of job resources that we restocked every hour. Each night the library closed, the display was bare. While we normally keep displays up for a week, we kept the job resources display up for months.

Our computer terminals began to fill up, too—this may not be unusual for smaller libraries, but SPL has more than 150 computers, and now some of the people coming in to use them had never even touched one. I challenge you to find someone that's never turned on a computer, explain to them how to use the mouse and keyboard, set up an e-mail address, and then fill out an online application. Now imagine doing that in less than 15 minutes while a line of people with more questions grows impatient at your desk. That's a typical weeknight at SPL.

Some of these folks are job seekers who are suddenly confronted with having to fill out online applications. I recently worked with a man in his mid-50s who was laid off after 25 years as a delivery driver. I helped him navigate the Web sites for UPS and FedEx, search through open positions, register his information and then apply for a job. He quickly became self-sufficient and returned often to check his application's status. I haven't seen him in a while; I'm hoping that's a good sign.

Housing is also a huge issue, and patrons routinely ask about rental vouchers, mortgages, foreclosure lists and apartment searches. A large number of low-income, mentally challenged or illiterate patrons often cannot comprehend the information and are in dire need of a social worker. At times, these conversations are trying, but demonstrate the extent of need.
Regardless of who they are, you can always hear the patron's voice quiver when living arrangements are uncertain. People are scrambling to keep a roof over their heads and as librarians we stay mindful that these folks are vulnerable. A local "company" publicized a free foreclosure-information event at SPL, unbeknownst to the library. The local news caught wind of it and aired a story without researching the company or contacting us. The next day we had ourselves a hubbub as people clamored to get their foreclosure packets. Worse yet, the representative of this "company" was asking for a $20 application fee just to give patrons what was freely available. One older woman was willing to forgo her medication for the week to pay the fee. A veteran librarian derailed the questionable practice by offering our service and the information for free.

Then there's the tightening credit market. People see the writing on the wall and they want to get educated. They can't afford a financial adviser, but checking books out is free. Some of the most popular titles now are "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," "Think and Grow Rich," and "Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan." We answer question about taxes, stimulus checks, grants, bankruptcy, credit scores, credit reports and many other personal-finance issues. Fortunately, we have all had comprehensive business training. Without it we wouldn't know where to start—especially now.
The crumbling economy affects us all. I have had to work long hours and don't get to see much of my boyfriend or experience any kind of social life lately, but I am thankful to be in a position where I can help people overcome this struggle. The long days are made great when I help job seekers find work, talk to teens about college, meet new business owners, have a discussion about literature and watch senior citizens send their first e-mail to their grandchildren. These small victories and billions just like them are why librarians continue to fight the good fight. In Michigan, we haven't lost hope. As long as there are libraries here, there will always be hope.

Gronowska Lives In Southfield, Mich.
URL: http://www.newsweek.com/id/192764

Hernando officials weigh library offer from LSSI, a Maryland for-profit company

2009-04-06T14:02:00.001-04:00

Hernando officials weigh library offer from LSSI, a Maryland for-profit company

By Dan DeWitt, Times Columnist Published Monday, March 30, 2009

Hoping to witness some residents pursuing knowledge at a sacred public institution, I stopped by the West Hernando branch library Monday morning — and found the parking lot empty.

Then I remembered. After last year's cutbacks, it doesn't open until noon on Mondays. Neither does the Main Library in Brooksville, which I didn't realize until I drove across the county and pulled into another deserted lot.

That's when I started to think harder about the column that I'd planned to write, one influenced by talking to Elaine Orlando, 73, a retired reference librarian from New York.

She is circulating a petition to prevent the county from handing the operation of Hernando's libraries over to a for-profit company.

I was inclined to think, as she does, that this is sort of like the Catholic church outsourcing Communion.

Because what purer form of democracy is there than libraries? Open to all; creating well-informed citizens and voters; spreading opportunity through self-education. Orlando, quoting Benjamin Franklin, called them the "people's university.''

And, just because I lost track of the Main Library's operating hours doesn't mean I don't go there frequently. I do. It's almost always packed. The librarians are usually well informed and helpful. The selection of books is about as thoughtful and complete as can be expected.
"The quality of service has always been excellent,'' Orlando said.

Right. So, why mess with it?

Well, we probably shouldn't. But the county has received a tempting offer from Library Systems & Services, also known as LSSI, which is based in Maryland.

The company says it can save the county $500,000 if it maintains the current hours, and $360,000 if it restores the hours cut last year. The company would rehire most of the current staffers, said company vice president George Bateman, and it would not set policy or select books.

Still, this would be a big step, even an experimental one.

Only 13 local governments across the country — none in Florida — have contracted with LSSI. Some of the clients, such as a county in Oregon that had briefly shut its libraries altogether, turned to the company only as a last resort.

And Barbara Shiflett, director of library services in Hernando, listed some of her concerns in a recent memo — that this might mean a fight with the county workers' newly elected union, that volunteers might not want to pitch in for a money-making enterprise, that LSSI would hire cheaper, less-qualified employees.

On the other hand, I think of those closed doors.

In the past two years, the library has seen nothing but cuts: Its budget has gone down by $644,000, to $2.5 million, its staff by the equivalent of 11.5 employees, the hours of operation at the Main Library, which is typical, from 54 to 40 per week.

Next year will mean less money and, I worry, even fewer hours and fewer new books and computers. So the county has been forced to at least consider LSSI's pitch, County Administrator David Hamilton said. He's referred it to a committee led by Commissioner Rose Rocco.

"It simply has to see the light of day,'' he said.

I guess it does. Because this is the kind of compromise we're forced to make when we decide we hate taxes more than we love democracy.

New Port Richey Library offers budding teen rock musicians a place to jam

2009-04-02T16:55:00.002-04:00

Through the Skylight band member Jason Dolinger, 17, center, gets the stage ready for a performance as Alexis Brown, 10, far right, tunes her electric guitar. Youth librarian Ghelder Arriaga hosts Garage Jams for teens some Wednesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. at the New Port Richey Library, 5939 Main St.

By Michele Miller, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 St. Petersburg Times

NEW PORT RICHEY

They start straggling in a little after 3 p.m. when school's out for the day. A few have guitars slung over their shoulders. Others simply bring their voices and an eagerness to share the stage with like-minded kids.

Music is the bond that connects the 15 to 25 kids that frequent the place: from the long-haired heavy metal screamers, to the International Baccalaureate kid with the awesome voice and two-tone blue electric guitar she got for her eighth-grade graduation, to the slight ponytailed 10-year-old drum aficionado who was brought up on Led Zeppelin and Elvis Presley but counts Taylor Swift as her all-time fave.

They always show up early, said Ghelder Arriaga, the youth librarian who runs things. But the kids have to wait, maybe check out some books or read over lyrics, because no one enters the upstairs community room until Arriaga is done setting up the mikes, the mixer, the sound system and the musical video game Rockband for kids who are too shy to sing or play on their own.

Then, as soon as the clock strikes 4, the purple neon "Open" sign is flipped on, and the Garage Jam session starts at the New Port Richey Library.

For the next two hours the music of today's youth (and sometimes their parents' youth) reverberates through the brick building on Main Street as patrons quietly peruse bookshelves upstairs and down or surf the Web on computers.

It's a different kind of mix to be sure, but times have changed. Libraries have evolved to meet the needs of all their patrons.

The youth jam sessions, held Wednesdays three times a month, are the brainstorm of Arriaga, who thought it would be a good way to use the library's equipment while reaching out to the younger generation.

"As a librarian, one of the things we want to do is expose them to all the arts — traditional art, music, theater — because we have a lot of material here for them," Arriaga said. "I think more teens would go to the library if there were more venues for them."

The first Garage Jam was held in November to highlight the new youth music collection purchased by the library's teen council. The sessions evolved from that, Arriaga said.

"I thought back to my own youth, growing up in New York, and how we would put together these bands. Whoever had an empty basement, that was the place to go," said Arriaga, now in his mid-30s. "If you had a friend that had a basement, he had the key to this kind of thing. But here in Florida there are no basements — you have garages, so the kids play there."

Now there's another alternative for kids like M.J. Pereyra, 17, who balances her music with intensive studies in the International Baccalaureate program at Gulf High. She used to be quite shy. Now she sings lead vocals in front of guitar player Chris Pendley, 16, and heavy metal screamers Brian Deleonard and Jason Dolinger, both 17. She writes her own songs and even has her own young fans who regularly record the group's sessions at the library on their cell phone cameras.

"This is actually great," M.J. said after Arriaga recorded her singing a cover of Temperance's You Make Me Happy for a video to post on MySpace. "I used to not be able to play guitar in front of people. Now I have the confidence to sing in front of people. It's made me what I am today."

"I come here because I like to sing, and I like to watch the band," said Kimberly Parrish, 14. "It's very nice, actually, that they do this for the teenagers."

Some adults agree.

"I'm really pleased that they're having this musical event for the kids," said Susan Vaughn, 66, a retired school librarian who volunteers as a cataloguer at the library. "I don't find it distracting at all. I think it's wonderful that these kids are here being creative, that they have a safe place to be. It's a new age. It's not a museum. It's an active living place."

Of course, not everyone feels the same. Arriaga said responses to the music program have been mixed.

The kids love it, of course. Local teachers and parents seem to like it, too — especially when reluctant readers venture in to check out the books on their favorite bands.

"The kids are reading — even if it's lyrics that I've printed off for them, they are reading," he said. "And some of the parents use this as leverage. If the kids don't keep up their grades or if they get in trouble, they can't come here.

"Some patrons don't like it," he said. "But I tell them, 'We're open 56 hours in a week and for just two of those hours we're doing this.' "

That's music to the ears of parents such as Rich Brown, who was eager to get his guitar- and drum-playing daughter Alexis, 10, into the garage band sessions after following the music up the stairs one recent Wednesday afternoon.

"Do you know how cool this is?" Brown said. "This is so cool. I wish they had something like this when I was a kid."

Fast facts
If you go
The New Port Richey Public Library is at 5939 Main St. For information on programs, call (727) 853-1279 or visit www.nprlibrary.org.

He found his job, helping others find theirs

2009-03-26T12:09:00.003-04:00

Joel Larus works with Ed, a homeless man, at the Selby Public Library last week. His "counseling center" consists basically of a table near the library entrance.

By Billy Cox
Published: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 1:00 a.m. Herald Tribune

SARASOTA - So this guy sees the Job Seekers' Program signs posted at Selby Public Library and approaches Joel Larus, the man in charge.

The visitor says he just got laid off at a local restaurant, and he needs work in the worst way.

Larus asks what his culinary specialty is, and the guy says barbecued ribs.

Larus asks if he ever considered catering to New College and University of South Florida students on the north Trail. The guy says no, but then starts thinking aloud about styrofoam delivery boxes and plastic cutlery and pricing schedules.

Larus asks him how much it might cost to get started, and the fellow says maybe $100, which he doesn't have. Larus doesn't usually do this sort of thing, but he reaches for his checkbook and spots the guy a $60 loan.

Furthermore, Larus pays him $20 in advance for two rib dinners to be delivered to his condo at 6 p.m. that Friday night.

Larus waits. The guy never shows. Larus phones for an explanation. The guy hangs up. Larus loses $80.

"Well," says the old Ivy Leaguer with a laugh, "it could've been worse."

Making loans to strangers isn't typical sport for an 85-year-old. Nor is seeking out unemployed strangers who might well be lying every time they speak. But these are treacherous times, and Larus is certain he can be of help.

So, from 10 a.m. until noon on Tuesdays and 1 to 3 p.m. on Thursdays, Larus waits for people to show up at his makeshift job counseling center that consists basically of a table near the library entrance. Nearby is a room he uses for consultations, where he tries to match workers with potential jobs.

Recently, after listening to more than 300 hard-luck cases since setting up his one-man Job Seekers' Program in late 2007, Larus has noticed a shift in the line-up of people who approach him. A more educated, white-collar demographic is beginning to emerge from the rising floodwaters of unemployment.

"I had a Ph.D. last Thursday!" Larus exclaims, as if he had just bagged a tarpon.
Actually, the self-proclaimed doctorate holder could have been lying, too. After all, Larus doesn't do background checks. He doesn't gather contact information. He doesn't verify their employment status.

But Larus is prepared for anything with his mother lode of employment information contained in a 2-inch thick stack of 4-by-6 note cards. Everything is in there, from local employment agency information to potential employers to contact information jotted down from help-wanted roadside signs. Not to mention his own ideas, like the barbecue catering gig.

"Am I doing good work? Frankly, I don't know," says the retired antiques entrepreneur and academic. "The problem is, very few come back. If I am successful in sending someone to a job, that's where he or she goes. They don't come back here."

Roman Gimenez, 56, doesn't know if his recent session with Larus will pay off. He has been reduced to working odd jobs since his lawn service collapsed.

"Joel gave me quite a few leads that I've been following," says Gimenez, struggling to keep his family in their house. "He knows about a lot of places around here, places I never thought to look. He's a very kind and helpful person."

Library director Liz Nolan suspects Larus' efforts are paying off more than he knows.

"Somewhere along the line, he must be making a positive difference, because people seek him out," she says. "And even if he helps just one person find a job, he's done a great thing."

With free Internet access, and a location a few blocks from the Salvation Army's soup kitchen, Selby Library is a natural magnet for indigent traffic. Larus, a voracious reader, took note years ago. More recently, with the numbers of the unemployed accelerating, he also discovered a community in denial.

"There's a problem in Sarasota," he says. "If you hang around Five Corners or Starbucks or Whole Foods, you'll see the backpacks and the tents. I listen to these people, and I've heard horror stories."

Larus, whose parents introduced him to volunteerism ages ago, also understood that many of the itinerates were content with their hardscrabble lifestyles. But he approached Nolan with some ideas about helping those who were sick of it. Nolan decided to give him some space, for good reason.

Larus earned an undergraduate degree at Harvard and his doctorate at Columbia, where he once taught international relations. But for nearly 30 years, he made real money in the antiques business in Boston. In 1997, two years after arriving in Sarasota, the opera aficionado founded a continuing education program for retirees called the Pierian Spring Academy.

Partially accounting for Larus' latest actions are his readings of Hinduism's Four Stages of Life, particularly the final phase -- asceticism. Although he is not inclined to reject material comforts as prescribed, he finds an appeal in its stripped-down philosophies. Certainly he hears more desperate variations of that theme with the strangers who gravitate to him.

"I've had one or two bank robbers, several thieves, two wife-abusers, one husband-abuser," he recalls. "Prostitutes. I've had drug abusers, heroin, crack, that kind of thing."

Larus' sessions can put him at a distance with his social circles, from his fellow gym rats who give him strange looks when they find out what he's doing, to his wife, Jane. "Sometimes if there's a crime story in the paper involving a homeless person, she'll say, 'I wonder if that was one of your friends.'"

In the brighter moments, it's almost as if he's enjoying a run of true kismet. One morning he's having coffee and reading a New York Times story about how Maine is experiencing a shortage of dentists. Hours later, a jobless husband and wife -- certified dental technicians -- wander into the library from California and ask for advice.

Larus refers them to the article. "And I said let me make a few calls and I'll get you a bus ticket to Maine," he adds. Then he states the obvious. "It can get kind of weird."

David Proch, executive director of Resurrection House, which provides lodging and services to the homeless, swings many of his clients over to Larus for consultations. He's certain of at least this much: "Joel is going to stay busy if he keeps doing this."

Larus makes it sound as if he has little choice. "I see and hear what's happening to the good men and women who built your condos, who prepare fine food in restaurants, who service your lawns so faithfully," he says. "Sarasota's affluent retiree and business community has no idea of the pain and the crises their fellow citizens are going through. I can't ignore this."

But ask who benefits the most from this quixotic mission -- which, for all he knows, could be a huge waste of time, not to mention $80 -- and Larus looks like he just saw lanterns glittering on the dark side of the moon.

"I'm hoping I can find my own spiritual enlightenment," he says.

Palm Beach Gardens library closing April 5 for 14-month renovation

2009-03-19T10:00:00.001-04:00

By JENNIFER SORENTRUE
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Palm Beach County's library branch in Palm Beach Gardens will close its doors at 5 p.m. on April 5 for renovations.

The construction project is expected to take 14 to 16 months to complete.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/local_news/epaper/2009/03/13/0313library.html

Macot Envy

2009-03-19T09:54:00.004-04:00

Maybe libraries' Dewey the Owl mascot is not such a wise idea

By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

The Palm Beach County Library System has a mascot?

This came as a big surprise, since I had considered myself an expert on local mascothood.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/local_news/epaper/2009/03/12/a1b_bino_0313.html

Lantana Road branch library to open April 1255

2009-03-19T09:51:00.001-04:00

By TONY DORIS

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Goodbye bookmobile, hello $15 million library.

The county's 16th branch library is set to open April 25 west of Lantana, at the southwest corner of Lawrence and Lantana roads.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/neighborhood/centralpbc/epaper/2009/03/19/npc_cplibrary_0319.html

Ride the bike: Unique marathon combines library, fitness

2009-03-06T10:41:00.002-05:00

By Vicky Stever
1st Special Operations Force Support Squadron

HURLBURT FIELD - They rode 2,650 miles in 140 hours. When one person tired, another jumped onto the bicycle. No one got sunburned or rained upon or stuck in traffic. That wasn't difficult because the entire grueling journey took place inside a library. It was the Library Fitness Cycle Marathon Challenge at Hurlburt Field, a unique collaboration between the base's library and fitness centers.

Two exercise cycles were stationed in the library's lobby in view of all incoming customers. This sur-prising sight generated speculation and questions, a perfect lead-in to market the unusual event. The initial challenge to customers was to keep a cycle rolling every hour the library was open during a two-week period. Customers were invited to reserve an hour slot on a bike. As part of the local National Li-brary Week celebration, the marathon kicked off on April 14.

Signing up volunteers was not always an easy sell. Staff from the library and fitness centers had agreed to fill-in the gaps between riders which gave them a vested interest in soliciting participation from customers. The goal of accumulating hours didn't inspire many volunteers, but accumulating mileage to reach a destination did catch their imagination. The primary goal changed to cycling 1,149 miles to Can-non Air Force Base, New Mexico, Hurlburt Field's sister base in the Air Force Special Operations Com-mand. The fitness bikes recorded mileage and daily totals were marked on a progress meter, along with the name of the city which had been virtually reached. This visible indicator of success spurred even more interest in helping the library achieve its goals.

To showcase the synergy of library services with a workout activity, participants were encouraged to read or listen to audio books as they cycled. Fitness magazines, newspapers, books and audio books were displayed by the bikes. The library provided MP3 players for riders to test its new downloadable audio book service. Riders enjoyed additional pastimes, too: talking on the phone, visiting with friends, singing along with music, studying for a test, eating lunch, watching cartoons on a phone, working puzzles, even surfing the Internet on one of the library's laptop computers. One afternoon, a keyboardist supplied live music to entertain the cyclists.

All riders were invited to countdown the final minutes of the last ride on April 28. Amid music and cheers, revelers sipped sports drinks from champagne flutes and nibbled heart-healthy cookies as the totals were unveiled. Goals of both mileage and time had been surpassed. The accumulated 2,650 miles took the bikers on a virtual trip to Cannon AFB and back to Hurlburt Field, then to Maxwell Air Force Base near Montgomery, Ala., and back to Hurlburt Field. Because there were time slots in which both bikes were in use, total riding time was 140 hours in a 130-hour period. 66 individuals, representing 22 different military units and Department of Defense civilians, contractors, military retirees and family members, took part. The oldest rider was 76 years old and the youngest was 17 (minimum age to partici-pate was 16 years).

In addition to cultivating new customers and increasing awareness of services, the library received unplanned benefits. Enthusiasm generated by the sense of accomplishment earned customer buy-in, with positive feedback and suggestions for next year's event. The program was a team-building exercise for staff, all eight of whom voluntarily filled vacant time slots to keep the marathon going. Staff and cus-tomers formed close bonds of friendship in the shared endeavor, in no small part due to the good-natured cajolery used to sign up riders. Due to a facility renovation, one of the cycles remained in the library for several months with librarians and customers continuing to ride the bike. Exercising the brain while exercising the body has become part of the local culture of "library fitness."

Hard economic times a boon for libraries

2009-03-03T18:24:00.002-05:00

Hard economic times a boon for libraries
February 28, 2009

Story Highlights
People are taking courses, programs, searching for jobs as well as reading books In addition to a jump in patronage, many libraries are seeing volunteers increase Most libraries are the only free Internet source in their communities

(CNN) -- Rebecca Hodges, who's been unemployed for a year, sat down at a computer in a public library in New York.

Spurred by free services, people are heading to libraries, such as this one in Chicago, Illiinois, in record numbers.

Hodges is not an avid reader, but said going to the library is a way to look up job openings and use the Internet for free.

"It helps me research the different companies and how the different industries work, and what's all involved with different industries in terms of what jobs there are," she said.

In times of recession, people take advantage of free services, and going to the library is among the most popular.

"I think people are just realizing how much information there is and they didn't think about going to their local libraries before," Hodges said.

In the past year, libraries across the country have seen dramatic increases in the use of their services, which in addition to free Internet access can include resume workshops and foreclosure seminars.

"Whenever you have tough economic times, public libraries are a place people go because they have no other alternatives or because they know they are going to get the kind of powerful information that will make a difference in their lives," said Kristin McDonough, director of the Science, Industry and Business Library in New York City.

The Buffalo and Erie County public library system in Buffalo, New York, had a 50 percent increase in the use of free public computers in the first half of 2008, according to the American Library Association.

In Broward County, Florida, almost 10.5 million people used the public libraries in 2008 -- up about a half million since 2007.

There are 30 smaller libraries in Broward and seven regional centers, which the librarians say sometimes get as much as 1,000 or 2,000 people each morning.
In addition to more patrons, the number of volunteers is increasing in the county's libraries. In 2008, 96,000 hours were volunteered, up 7,000 from 2007.

One of the Broward County Library's biggest responses to the demands of patrons is an improvement to its Web site. There, as in other libraries across the country, patrons can go online to access event schedules and monitor the status of books, movies and CDs.

And the libraries' programming appeals to a wide range of people -- from senior citizens learning how to set up e-mail accounts, to seniors in high school taking practice SAT tests, said Maria Gebhardt of the Broward County system.

A report released by the ALA said 73 percent of libraries nationwide report they are the only provider of free Internet access in their communities. It's not all about finding a job though -- patrons are checking out books, CDs and DVDs instead of buying and renting them.

In Detroit, Michigan's public libraries, patrons are lining up to learn how to file their taxes. Classes are offered at four branches several times a week, some with room enough for as many as 70 people. "We're seeing programs fill to capacity," said Conrad Welsing, media relations specialist for Detroit Public Library.

In Los Angeles, California's public libraries, the circulation of personal finance materials has increased 11 percent since July 2007, said Peter Persic, public relations and marketing director for the library system.

Jon Donato, a stock trader, said he uses New York City's Science, Industry and Business Library every week. "They have a lot of great financial resources," he said. "These are very valuable resources that are useful for researching companies and looking for data on the market and the economy."

The Science, Industry and Business Library reported it served almost 400,000 people in 2008, almost a 4 percent increase over 2007.

In Georgia, the Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library System also reports a significant increase in circulation -- up 13 percent in 2008.

Visits increased 7 percent in 2008 and computer use increased 9 percent, said Kelly Ronson, public relations and marketing director for the library system.
Many libraries also are offering help to business owners.

The Topeka And Shawnee County Public Library in Kansas, for example, provides business development classes for business startups and gives instruction on business resources.

The public library in Lebanon, Indiana, has a separate business collection and provides reference services for patrons interested in starting, growing and maintaining businesses. It also offers basic business classes in partnership with the local Chamber of Commerce.

And one of the Detroit Public Library's main initiatives is improving the city's literacy. It offers free tutoring and partners with literacy agencies in the city to improve people's reading skills.

Recession Has Many Running For Libraries

2009-02-18T11:40:00.002-05:00

February 11, 2010
All of a sudden Americans are discovering their public libraries Jessica Doyle reports. The link to the CNN clip as it appeared on Los Angeles’ KCAL-TV can be found at
http://www.blinkx.com/video/recession-has-many-running-for-the-libraries/RkwBTQNIyMONzrV-FhSMRA

Check this out: Palm Beach County library system adds self-service checkouts

2009-02-17T17:07:00.002-05:00

Libraries in county are using do-it-yourself checkout machines

By Lisa J. Huriash | South Florida Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flplibrary0217pnfeb17,0,7217326.story

A story hour book report for Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast libraries

2009-02-13T17:43:00.001-05:00

By AMY ROYSTER

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Saturday, February 07, 2009

If you think librarians are a quiet bunch, then you haven't been to a story hour.

With a crowd of little faces watching intently, area children's librarians overflow with emotion, gesture wildly, and sometimes, they even raise their voices!

Loudest roar
This behavior isn't really out of character for professionals charged with inspiring a love of reading. Susan Harris of the children's library at the Society of the Four Arts says her best advice to parents on how to get kids excited about books is to read aloud to your children "and enjoy the book you are reading."

Not feeling fully committed to voicing Wilbur in Charlotte's Web? Take your children to a story hour (it's free) and let everyone have some fun!

LIBRARY: Palm Beach County Main Library; 3650 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach; (561) 233-2600

STORY TELLER: Melissa Sunshine, youth services librarian

FAVORITE CLASSIC CHILDREN'S STORY: 'Green Eggs and Ham' by Dr. Seuss

FAVORITE NEW CHILDREN'S STORY: Any from the 'Harry Potter' series by J.K. Rowling.

FAVORITE BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS: 'Tangerine' by Edward Bloor

HOW TO INSPIRE A LOVE OF READING: 'Read your kids books on a topic they are already really excited about. If they like what they hear, they will want to read more.'

CUTEST STORY HOUR MOMENT: A room full of little kids all doing the chicken dance in unison

LIBRARY: North County Regional; 11303 Campus Drive, Palm Beach Gardens; (561) 626-6133

STORY TELLER: Bea Ceruti, youth services librarian

FAVORITE CLASSIC CHILDREN'S STORY: 'Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?' by Bill Martin

FAVORITE NEW CHILDREN'S STORY: 'I'm Not Cute!' by Jonathan Allen

FAVORITE BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS: 'Twilight' by Stephanie Meyer

HOW TO INSPIRE A LOVE OF READING: 'Parents can get their children interested in reading by reading to them every day. Gradually they will start to develop a connection between the pictures they see in the books with the words.'

CUTEST STORY HOUR MOMENT: 'One of our librarians was reading Circus 1-2-3 during circus week. When she pointed to a tiger pictured in the book, she asked 'What is this animal's name?' A toddler in the 13-to-23-months class shouted out "Tiger Woods!" '

LIBRARY: Story in the Garden series; Mounts Botanical Garden, 531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach; (561) 233-1757 (registration required)

STORY TELLER: Stacey Burford, Palm Beach County youth services librarian

FAVORITE CLASSIC CHILDREN'S STORY: 'Betsy-Tacy and Tib' by Maud Hart Lovelace

FAVORITE NEW CHILDREN'S STORY: 'Clementine' by Sara Pennypacker

FAVORITE BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS: 'Stargirl' by Jerry Spinelli

HOW TO INSPIRE A LOVE OF READING: 'Introduce children to a good series. I love getting to know characters and following them as they age and have adventures.'

CUTEST STORY HOUR MOMENT: 'I entered a preschool classroom and the teacher said, "Boys and girls, it's time to clean up and come to circle time. The library lady is here." One of the boys was not ready to pick up the trucks he was playing with, so he said, "I don't see any library lady." The teacher pointed in my direction and said, "She's right here." The boy said, "Well, that looks like a teenager to me." '

LIBRARY: Wellington branch; 1951 Royal Fern Drive; (561) 790-6070

STORY TELLER: Amanda Bosky, librarian trainee, and University of South Florida School of Library and Information Science student

FAVORITE CLASSIC CHILDREN'S STORY: 'Through the Looking-Glass' by Lewis Carroll

FAVORITE NEW CHILDREN'S STORY: 'Rules' by Cynthia Lord

FAVORITE BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS: 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak

HOW TO INSPIRE A LOVE OF READING: 'Model the behavior you want to see. Read in front of your children. Talk about books you enjoy.'

CUTEST STORY HOUR MOMENT: 'Once my co-storyteller Myrtle Leone and I were doing a stick puppet version of Little Red Riding Hood. When the 5-inch-tall, very unassuming and unintimidating wolf puppet showed up, one little girl dramatically threw her hands in the air and gasped as if a real wolf had appeared in the room!'

LIBRARY: Southwest County Regional; 20701 95th Ave. S., Boca Raton; (561) 482-4554

STORY TELLER: Andrea Rubin, teen librarian

FAVORITE CLASSIC CHILDREN'S STORY: 'Madeline' by Ludwig Bemelmans

FAVORITE NEW CHILDREN'S STORY: 'The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane' by Kate DiCamillo

FAVORITE BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS: 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman Alexie

HOW TO INSPIRE A LOVE OF READING: 'If your child is a reluctant reader, try setting aside a specific time a couple of times a week when you can read together. By creating a special reading time for just you and your child, you may be able to pique their interest in reading.'

CUTEST STORY HOUR MOMENT: 'A toddler once pulled down his pants exposing his Winnie- the-Pooh diaper to the whole audience. He completely stole the show!'

LIBRARY: Bilingual story hour, Palm Beach County Main Library; 3650 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach; (561) 233-2600

STORY TELLER: Maribel de Jesus, children's librarian

FAVORITE CLASSIC CHILDREN'S STORY: 'Where the Red Fern Grows' by Wilson Rawls

FAVORITE NEW CHILDREN'S STORY: 'El mejor es mi papa' by Georgina Lazaro Leon

FAVORITE BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS: 'Anne of Green Gables' by Lucy Maud Montgomery

HOW TO INSPIRE A LOVE OF READING: 'Always have reading materials such as children's magazines, fiction books and newspapers around the house.'

CUTEST STORY HOUR MOMENT: 'There was a little girl who came to my Tuesday bilingual story time regularly. As I was greeting the parents at the door she sat down in front of the room and selected a book and started our story time. She sang the welcome song and made up a story as she turned the pages of the book.'

LIBRARY: Blake Library, Martin County Library System; 2351 S.E. Monterey Road, Stuart; (772) 288-5702

STORY TELLER: June Overholt, children's librarian

FAVORITE CLASSIC CHILDREN'S STORY: 'Round Trip' by Ann Jonas

FAVORITE NEW CHILDREN'S STORY: 'Lilly's Big Day' by Kevin Henkes

FAVORITE BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS: 'Seedfolks' by Paul Fleischman

HOW TO INSPIRE A LOVE OF READING: 'Attend story times with your children. Story times introduce books in a fun and relaxed environment.'

CUTEST STORY HOUR MOMENT: 'I always end my (baby sign language) story hour with a group activity such as the bubble machine. A few weeks ago, a little girl left the room with her mother to go to the restroom. When she returned, the bubble machine was empty of bubble solution. ... The little girl ran up to the front of the room signing "more," her tiny hands brought together in the appropriate baby sign. The expression on her face was so precious!'

LIBRARY: Society of the Four Arts; 2 Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach, (561) 655-2776

STORY TELLER: Susan R. Harris

FAVORITE CLASSIC CHILDREN'S STORY: 'Make Way for Ducklings' by Robert McCloskey

FAVORITE NEW CHILDREN'S STORY: 'Whittington' by Alan W. Armstrong

FAVORITE BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS: 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee

HOW TO INSPIRE A LOVE OF READING: 'Take the time on a daily basis and make the books interesting by using creative facial expressions, changing the pitch and tone of your voice, and enjoying the book you are reading.'

CUTEST STORY HOUR MOMENT: 'Guest author Robert L. Forbes came to our program and read a selection of poems from his new book, Beastly Feasts! We sing songs between story readings ... On this occasion Old MacDonald became 'Old MacForbes Had a Farm.'"

Southwest County Regional library closing for renovations; new branch library to open

2009-02-13T17:07:00.003-05:00

By STEVEN BERGER
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, February 13, 2009

West Boca Raton residents looking to check out a book will have to check into a new library.

On Sunday, the Southwest County Regional library, 20101 95th Avenue South, will be closed for renovations for six to eight months.
The book drop will stay open until Friday, when the brand new West Boca Branch, 18685 State Road 7, opens at 9:30 a.m. The renovations are part of the $55 million bond issue county voters approved in 2002.

The original $70 million estimate to complete all projects proposed in the bond issue has ballooned to more than $130 million, but the only project that has been shelved is the construction of a new main library, said county Library Director John Callahan. Still, circulation has increased by 40 percent in the last 27 months, and the weak economy has lowered contracting costs, he said.

"In a sense, it's a good time to complete these projects," he said.

Evelyn Silverman has used the Southwest County Regional library since it opened in 1975.

"I'm an avid reader so I need books constantly," the Boca Raton resident said, estimating she goes through six to eight a week.

For her, the closure's impact only lasts five days. The new library is about a mile closer to her home, she said.

The renovations to the Southwest County Regional library previously were not scheduled to begin until June, but the county library's expansion plan must remain flexible, said Community Relations Manager Nicole Hughes.

"As soon as we get one that we can go ahead with, we try and get in there right as soon as we can," she said.

The closure helps lower costs. Employees from the Southwest County Regional library are transferred to the new branch, and so no new workers are needed until renovations are completed, Callahan said.

The library system's expansion includes a number of efforts to increase long-term sustainability. Typical renovations to the county's libraries include installing more efficient air conditioning and lighting units, Callahan said.

More than half of the libraries should have an automated return sorting system in place by the end of the year that would allow librarians to handle increasing demand without additional work, he said.

Any other number of factors can also influence the expansion plan's development.

The Loula V. York Branch in Pahokee was not scheduled for renovations until Hurricane Wilma rolled through town, Hughes said.

The North County Regional library's expansion would have started last November, the project needs a permit and any construction is off-limits until gopher tortoises are transported off the property, she said.

1839 Seminole War Map is Gift of History to Library

2009-02-10T10:05:00.002-05:00

By David Vest/Newsfeatures Editor/Panama City News Herald

When Ted Rybicki spotted a history-sharing opportunity, he couldn’t pass it up.

As a result, the Bay County Public Library now has a link to Florida of 1839. It’s a copy of a state map commissioned by Army Gen. Zachary Taylor during the Seminole wars of that era.

Rybicki, who lives in Lynn Haven, donated the map to the library’s Local History Room, through the Historical Society of Bay County. He also intends to donate a copy to the Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee.

The original is in the 35-story SunTrust Bank Centre in Orlando that was built in the 1980s. Rybicki was a vice president for corporate communications with SunTrust before he retired to Lynn Haven with his wife, Rena, in 1992.

An art collector provided the map along with other works to a committee looking for art to hang on the SunTrust headquarter’s walls. “Most of it was contemporary art,” Rybicki said. But the 1839 map caught his eye.

“I thought it was a shame for it to be in some executive’s office, out of sight of the public,” he said. “So I surreptitiously had a couple of copies made.”

‘Miami was a swamp’

“Old Rough and Ready” Gen. Taylor, who later would become the nation’s 12th president, commissioned the map just after he took command of all U.S. Army troops during the Second Seminole War. It was that era’s equivalent of the Vietnam War, according to “The Seminole Wars” by John and Mary Lou Missal, published in 2004 by the University of Florida Press.

The war lasted seven years and killed 1,500 soldiers and countless people in the Seminole nation. More than 3,000 Seminoles were forcibly removed from Florida. A third Seminole war, just before the Civil War, made a final attempt to remove what was left of the Seminole nation from the Everglades.

This particular map has the Apalachicola river as its western edge, in keeping with a traditional dividing line for West and East Florida. West of Tallahassee and St. Marks, the only significant details are the settlements of Aspalaga and Quincy, near the Georgia border.

Rybicki said what struck him most was that “major towns were not even in existence. Tampa was not even in existence. Miami was a swamp.”

What showed up most on the Florida territory’s map was military outposts. In 1838, Taylor had divided the state into 20-squaremile grids and designated a “fort” in the center of each, says an account in “Seminole Wars.” Many were meager buildings, far from being fortresses.

But all were intended to discourage Indian attacks on white Floridians and settlers moving south from Alabama and Georgia.

The forts especially fired his imagination, Rybicki said. “So many of them are out in the middle of nowhere. They’d be great for students ... to do archeological explorations.”

Showing off history

Rebecca Saunders, the library’s local history specialist, said the 1839 map is a great addition to the Local History Room, which has expanded into much-needed space in the new library.

“I’d have to check whether we have anything that old” in the room’s collections, she said. “But I do know we have Indian artifacts” from far back.

Saunders said the library is gradually doing justice to historical displays that once were in a cramped room in the old building next to City Hall and the Panama City Marina. She’s particularly eager to get picture rails to hang such treasures as Rybicki’s map. “It’s a new building,” she said, “so we hate to put holes in the wall.”

With Panama City celebrating its centennial, she said, the room has lots of resources for research. A street map of St. Andrews in 1877 is of particular interest. So is a book donated by Black Insurance Co., showing details about each land parcel down to building shape and size. It was used by real estate agents and the fire department, and it was updated yearly from 1939 to 1960.

Rybicki is among those especially fond of browsing in the Local History Room. His copy of the 1839 map seemed like a natural addition. “This is just a fascinating place,” he said. “We need to tell the world it’s here.”

Great Wall Street Journal Library Article!

2009-02-09T16:15:00.004-05:00

"Folks Are Flocking to the Library, a Cozy Place to Look for a Job
Books, Computers and Wi-Fi Are Free, But Staffs Are Stressed by Crowds, Cutbacks"

- and hey, you know you're getting heard when the WallStreet Journal picks up our story - January 15, 2009

Pinching pennies? Internet, DVDs, books free at library

2009-02-08T19:48:00.001-05:00

Deepening recession has people flocking to local public libraries.
By Carole Fader

Increased library use in Duval, Clay and St. Johns counties. Read the full story at http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-02-05/story/pinching_pennies_internet_dvds_books_free_at_library

Area Library Stars in the Movies!

2009-01-07T12:53:00.001-05:00

The film shoot at the Wellington Branch of the Palm Beach County Library System is featured in Focus on Film. Click on the link to view it.

http://www.pbfilm.com/news_letter.asp#3

Library cards lend hand to businesses

2008-12-30T08:33:00.002-05:00

Broward County's Eileen Cobb, Monroe County's Norma Kula and Miami-Dade Public Library System's Jennifer Shipley are quoted in this Miami Herald story about how libraries are helping people deal with economic challenges. Read the full story at http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/828565.html.

Libraries Offer Plenty For Storms To Stew Over

2008-12-24T10:32:00.002-05:00

By CATHERINE DOLINSKI The Tampa Tribune
Published: December 19, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - The economy is a shambles. State revenue is in a free-fall. House leaders in both parties stand accused of misusing their political powers.

This week, state Sen. Ronda Storms identified another menace: The Dewey Decimal System.

Storms, R-Valrico, railed against the book-cataloging system during a budget hearing on state library aid, calling the Dewey Decimal System "anachronistic," costly and just plain frustrating.
The system requires training for both staff and users, she complained. If Barnes & Noble organizes its books more simply, why can't libraries?

"A lot of little old librarians are going to have a heart attack that I even said that out loud," Storms said during Wednesday's hearing. "But it really is ridiculous."

Secretary of State Kurt Browning, who oversees state support of libraries, told the committee that Dewey Decimal is the national standard, set by the Library of Congress.

"The Library of Congress can do what the Library of Congress wants," Storms said. "If it's costing us money ... it's time to wake up and smell the coffee."

Browning spokeswoman Jennifer Davis later addressed the money issue. "Conversion to another system would be very costly," she said.

The senator had another bone to pick as well - over "Seinfeld."
Storms objects to public libraries loaning out copies of TV show episodes.

"If there's one thing this country doesn't need more of, it's more TV," she said. "More books is good; more cultural arts ... but I'm not sure we need more episodes of 'Seinfeld' in our library."

Committee Chairman Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, said Storms could propose instructions to insert in the state budget about libraries' specific use of funding. That prompted Storms to speculate about more funding for libraries that agree to spend it on purchases of books instead of TV shows.

That smacks of censorship and micromanagement, said Larry Spalding, lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union.

"It would be wonderful if all children were motivated to listen to Mozart and read things that are educational," he said. "But not all children are the same. Libraries adapt."
Reporter Catherine Dolinski can be reached at (850) 222-8382.

Business booming at Palm Beach County libraries

2008-11-25T15:00:00.002-05:00

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.

It is time to invest in first-class libraries

2008-11-17T09:44:00.001-05:00

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.

Leon schools and public libraries may combine

2008-10-31T21:12:00.002-04:00

According to a story posted October 30 by WCTV-TV, the Leon County Commission and School Board are considering plans to combine public libraries and schools. The full article includes a video clip and is posted at http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/33600269.html.

2008-10-21T15:01:00.000-04:00

October 21, 2008

Flagler seeks library pact with St. Johns By HEATHER SCOFIELD Staff Writer

PALM COAST -- Flagler County residents have always been able to check out books from libraries in neighboring St. Johns County without paying a fee.
Until a few months ago, that is.

The economic downturn, housing market meltdown and subsequent loss of property tax revenues in Florida counties has left libraries and other government-supported agencies around the state scrambling to find new ways to stay afloat, said Flagler County Library Director Holly Albanese.

For the St. Johns County Library system, that meant a new era of charging out-of-county residents for their St. Johns County library card.

But many Flagler residents depend on St. Johns' libraries for services and materials they can't get in Flagler's small system, Albanese said.

"Flagler residents have always enjoyed reciprocal borrowing privileges in St. Johns County," Albanese said. And she wants to keep it that way, Albanese said.

In a meeting Monday, Flagler County commissioners agreed to sign an agreement with St. Johns officials that would keep the neighborly generosity flowing between the counties, with residents of each county able to get free library cards in the two counties.

The Flagler County library system consists of one major library in Palm Coast and a satellite branch in Bunnell that only operates a few days per week. So residents often depend on the larger, neighboring county library systems to meet their needs when Flagler can't. And an August voter referendum that would've protected or even expanded library services in the county in light of recent budget woes was shot down, so officials aren't sure when the funds will be available for library system improvements, County Administrator Craig Coffey said.

"It makes keeping these types of arrangements more important," Coffey said.
More than 41,000 registered borrowers utilize Flagler County libraries, some of whom are St. Johns County residents, Albanese said.

And while Flagler's neighbors can still get a Flagler County Library Card without charge, Coffey said the library is looking to recoup some of its budget losses from the last few years in part through a new service that would provide passport photos to residents who require them.

heather.scofield@news-jrnl.com
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newFLAG01102108.htm

Treasure Island don't need no li-berry

2008-10-02T09:52:00.002-04:00

St. Petersburg Times

By Howard Troxler, Times columnist Published Wednesday, October 1, 2008 8:24 PM

The Gulf Beaches Public Library in Madeira Beach is a bright and friendly place. On Wednesday morning the staff was hanging Halloween decorations in the children's section, and getting ready for the afternoon session of its Alfred Hitchcock film series (Foreign Correspondent).

Just after the library opened, the parking lot already was half filled, and bikes were lined up in the rack. Most of the computers already were in use. "I'm looking for the American Revolution," one patron wandering in the shelves said to a staff member.

I knew how he felt.

For more than 40 years, the Gulf Beaches Public Library has been supported by five Pinellas County cities — Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, Redington Beach, North Redington Beach and Redington Shores.

Until now.

Treasure Island has pulled out of the deal for the coming year, citing a tight budget. Treasure Island will not chip in its $107,000 share of the library's $513,000 budget.

If you are a Treasure Island resident who wants a library card, you'll have to pay $100, the same as any other outsider to the Pinellas library system. The city will not reimburse you, as some Pinellas cities do.

It is fair to say that Treasure Island's unilateral pullout has left some bad feelings all around — among the other cities holding the bag, as well as some of its own residents. The library is drawing down its reserves while it figures out what to do.

The library has an explanatory sign at its entrance for Treasure Island residents. To encourage them to buy a card, the library is holding a drawing for two $50 gift certificates at Publix, and two $50 gas vouchers (or these days, about half a tank).

Jan Horah, the library director, asked me to say this: If you're a Treasure Island resident who intends to buy the $100 card, please do it there, so her branch gets the money.

I saw a cheerful fellow come in, sit down at the front desk and eagerly pay his $100. I asked him if he was from Treasure Island, and he said yes.

"My wife and I are frequent users," Dick Krahenbuhl, 70, told me. She'll go through two or three books a week; he's the "shuttle driver" back and forth to the library.

"I disagree with the city, and I'll tell you why," he said. "They'll never convince me there isn't some way to save money somewhere along the way."

Actually, Treasure Island's $16.7-million budget looks reasonably tight. It's cut jobs and jacked up other fees on residents.

If I were mean, I would point out that the City Commission itself will cost $60,000 next year in salaries, life and medical insurance.

Life and medical insurance!

But that would be mean.

Treasure Island's alternative was to keep property taxes just high enough to cover the $107,000 library cost, averaging an extra $21 per parcel of land.

Twenty-one bucks. Not worth it, they said. Let those who want a library card pay $100. And if they don't have $100, the heck with them.

It seems odd to have to argue for the importance of libraries in a democracy. In fact, I don't think you can have the second without the first. But this view is probably out of fashion in a defiantly know-nothing age.

If Treasure Island doesn't think libraries are important, Treasure Island deserves what it gets in return. That goes for the rest of us, too.

Cuts undermine 'house of wisdom'

2008-09-24T09:28:00.003-04:00

- 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.

© 2008 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 Contact Us Join Us Advertise with Us Subscribe to the Times Privacy Policy Standard of Accuracy Terms, Conditions & Copyright

Adults learn to read, write at library

2008-09-15T07:30:00.001-04:00

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

2008-09-14T08:58:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-10T20:21:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-02T12:07:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-02T09:02:00.001-04:00

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

Use Up In Jacksonville Too!

2008-08-27T09:34:00.001-04:00

Down Economy Good For Library Business
Posted By: Ryan Duffy 18 days ago

Great tv news story featuring Director Barbara Gubbin!

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- This summer, the entire Jacksonville library system has seen more users in several areas compared to last year.

Overall, library use is up nine percent this year.

There has been a seven percent increase in people walking in and hits on the library website have increased 23%.

"The bottom line is we aren't seeing anything go down, we're doing more at the library and yes part of that is attributable to the economy and people having to make difficult decisions about what they can afford to do and can't and what we offer is free," says library director Barbara Gubbin. And it's not just books, but DVDs and music all for free.

Gubbin says people are also using the library to help with economy related problems.

Librarians have seen an 18% increase in the number of people with questions.
"People need help with updating their resumes, how do I apply for this job online, it says I have to apply online, I'm not quite sure where to go, can you help me," says Gubbin.

Gubbin says she hopes this might be a time when people rediscover their local library.

Visit the Jacksonville Library online at www.jpl.coj.net

First Coast News

E-Government at Florida Libraries: More Support, Coordination Needed

2008-08-22T09:42:00.002-04:00

Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 8/22/2008

- Residents asks librarians for help with tax forms, child welfare benefits
- Some librarians wary of liability, lack training
- Could increase support or chargebacks be a solution?

Librarians in the past few years have begun to recognize how much libraries contribute to e-government, given that federal and state agencies increasingly offer access to services only online, and for many citizens libraries are the only gateway to the Internet. (See "Drafted: I Want You To Deliver E-Government," published by LJ in August 2006.) Now the authors of that important initial research have looked more closely at e-government issues in Florida, concluding that greater coordination of and support for e-government services at libraries is crucial.

Amelia Gibson and Drs. John Carlo Bertot and Charles R. McClure, with other Information Institute staff at Florida State University, recently completed a study, Florida Public Libraries and E–Government: Services, Issues, and Recommendations, which suggests that libraries have become more than simply access points to government information and forms but places where residents seek program assistance

Types of requests
Most requests by library users concerned the IRS, taxes, and upcoming stimulus payments. The next most frequent requests related to the Florida Department of Children and Families, food stamps and public assistance. Also, residents sought education information (school enrollments, voluntary pre-kindergarten, FAFSA/student loan); asked for legal advice, forms and information, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) resources; conducted county-level property searches and searches into ownership information; and initiated government job searches.

The Florida Department of Children and Families, which handles child welfare issues and more, has closed most of its offices, the report notes, and in South Florida, a web-based appointment system is often required to make an appointment at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office.

Librarian anxiety
“This evolution of librarian as information provider to caseworker has multiple and profound implications,” the authors report. “Not only is this a substantial shift in librarian duties, but it also requires librarians to become facile with multiple agency programs.” Librarians expressed concern and anxiety about their lack of preparation. In some libraries, staffers have been instructed not to assist with e-government forms because of liability concerns.

The report points out that agencies that exchange face-to-face services for Internet based services may be shifting costs to locally funded organizations like libraries—creating “an unfunded mandate from state agencies.”

Recommendations
The report recommends that libraries reach a statewide consensus on how best to provide e-government services and resources; service levels could vary by library size, numbers of public access computers available. It suggests that libraries within the state form a consortium to maintain e-government resources and exchange best practices. It recommends that libraries and state agencies should collaborate on the design and implementation of e-government services and resources, which could lead to better support for librarians needing assistance.

It also recommends increased library staff training in e-government, with the help of local and state agencies. Finally, national, state and local governments should directly support libraries as providers of e-government services and resources. One possibility “is to implement an agency charge-back mechanism, similar to efforts in which government agencies routinely engage through outsourced services.”

City (Pensacola) Considers Building New Downtown Library

2008-08-22T09:34:00.003-04:00

August 19, 2008
Pensacola News Journal
Jamie Page - jepage@pnj.com

The Pensacola City Council is considering spending $6 million on a new downtown library.

Library officials requested money for a new library during its budget presentation at the city's budget workshop Monday for the 2008-09 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

The Pensacola Public Library on West Gregory Street was built in 1956 and was expanded in the 1960s. Gene Fischer, West Florida Public Library director, said Monday the library needs major updates.

"It's just falling apart. It wasn't designed as a modern library," Fischer said. "It was built back when public libraries were essentially warehouses for books. Now people want computers and meeting spaces, and it just wasn't designed for that."

The West Florida Public Library board of directors recently voted unanimously in favor of building a new downtown library.

The five council members present for the presentation backed the request to move forward in hiring an architect next fiscal year to design a new library and agreed to weigh options for building it. Options include tearing down the existing building and constructing a new one in its place, refurbishing it, or tearing down the old city fire station on Spring Street and building it there to keep the existing library open.

The design would be done next year, with construction coming later, said Dick Barker, city finance director.

The city has $6 million in local sales tax money set aside for a library project. That money would build an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 square feet of space. The existing building is 27,500 square feet.

Orlando library lets teens' voices be heard

2008-08-21T07:57:00.000-04:00

By Chris Wellander | Special To The Sentinel
June 22, 2008

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/community/news/azaleapark/orl-orteens2208jun22,0,672947.story

Downtown Orlando on a Thursday evening. A band is tuning up to play a set; the crowd is seated and waiting; the refreshments are overflowing.

But when this band of teenagers performs, its music will ring out through the cavernous first floor of the Orlando Public Library -- not exactly what one would expect from a place known for telling folks to keep quiet.

Programs like open-mike night go on all the time at the library and would not exist without the library's teen programs, many created by the teens themselves.

The original Teen Voices council was made up of students from Howard Middle School. Since then the group has grown to include teens throughout Orange County.

"Teen Voices is our teen advisory group," said Heather Pippin, the teen-council coordinator. "We go to them to ask questions about programs; they come to us and ask us to hold programs that they think other teens would be interested in."

The program started about five years ago as a way to get more teenagers involved in the library. According to Pippin and Danielle King, the library system's first teen programming coordinator, these young people have a huge amount of input into what goes on at the libraries.

"None of the library's programs would have happened without Teen Voices," said King, now an assistant manager at the Alafaya branch. "Sometimes we think we have a great idea, and we go to them and they say, 'Uh, no, teens won't go to that.' "

"One girl I remember was really shy, and in three years she was president of Teen Voices and started the Animanga Club," said Danielle King. "It also gives the younger teens someone to look up to."

Teen Voices meets every month to decide on upcoming programs and to talk about related teen issues. Every club the library has developed, from the robotics club to the performing arts club, were originally developed by Teen Voices.

Douglas Rintoul, 16, is Teen Voices president and a University High School student.

"It's a lively discussion," Douglas said. "Everyone's bubbling over with ideas, most of the time, and we usually end up narrowing it down to three or four choices and then voting on them."

Events such as the video gaming competitions, teen movie nights, and even parties for the volunteers were all chosen and planned by the group. They have a hand in setting the summer reading list by picking the theme and even selecting some of the books. They even picked out the furniture in the lounge area, known as Club Central.

The students also find that Teen Voices has helped them develop skills that might have remained dormant if they hadn't gotten involved.

Vanessa Williams, vice president, said Teen Voices and the library's other programs help teens stay out of trouble.

"It gives teens something else to do," Vanessa said. "Like right now, I could be at a club or something, like some other people I know, instead of being at the library."

Vanessa is home-schooled and has been with the group for four years.

Modern libraries aren't just books anymore

2008-08-21T07:52:00.000-04:00

by Etan Horowitz | User's Guide
June 28, 2008
Orlando Sentinel

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/technology/orl-horowitz2808jun28,0,6419231.column?track=rss

Everybody knows that in a down economy, one easy way to save money is to check out books, CDs and DVDs from the library instead of buying or renting them.

But that's only the beginning. The Orange County Library System is one of the most innovative libraries in the country, and it offers lots of free ways to satisfy your technology, entertainment and information cravings.

Here's a sample:

Catch a flick -- on DVD or on your computer

Etan Horowitz E-mail | Recent columns

The library's DVD collection rivals any neighborhood video store and even Netflix. There are about 145,000 titles to rent and the library carries every one of the 100 most popular rentals on Netflix. There's also a ton of classics, independent and foreign films and even popular TV shows such as The Sopranos.

Like Netflix, you can have DVDs delivered to your door, but you have to return them yourself or pay the postage. New DVDs are shelved on Tuesday morning, so get there early if you want a jump on everyone else.

And if you can't wait for your DVDs to arrive in the mail, the library lets you download about 700 movies, TV shows and community programs to watch instantly on computer through a downloadable program called MyLibrarydv.

There aren't any new releases, but there are about 90 movies from Sony Pictures Entertainment, including quality flicks such as Donnie Brasco, Philadelphia, Taxi Driver and Jerry Maguire.

Once you download a movie, you can watch it without being connected to the Internet. So before you go on a trip, you could download a few movies to your laptop and then watch them on the plane.

For more on MyLibrarydv, including the system requirements, go to www.ocls.info, click on "Library Catalog" and then click on "MyLibrarydv."

Computer classes

Always wanted to learn how to create a Web page, use Photoshop or edit a video? Or do you need to brush up on PowerPoint, Excel or Outlook? The library offers about 1,000 computer classes a month in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. There are even classes you can take online.

Recently, the library added a Mac lab with nine new Apple iMacs. Classes are taught on topics including GarageBand, Keynote, iPhoto, iMovie and iWeb.

Some of the other interesting classes offered include: "Basic Computer Maintenance and Security," " eBay Buying and Selling," "Podcasting Basics," and " Google Earth and Google Maps." For a full schedule of classes, go to www.ocls.info and click on "Classes & Programs" or get a copy of the library's monthly newsletter.

Audiobooks

Audiobooks are a great way to pass the time if you are traveling or if you prefer to do your reading with your ears.

The library has more than 40,000 audiobooks in nearly every form imaginable, including cassettes, CDs, MP3 CDs and downloadable files.

But perhaps the coolest type of audiobook that the library offers is one that doesn't require a separate player and fits in your pocket. It's called a "Playaway" and it's a pre-loaded digital audiobook that weighs about two ounces. All you need to listen to a book is a pair of headphones. You can also hook it up to external speakers or your car stereo. Each Playaway has all the controls you need to listen to your book and you can adjust the volume or speed. The device also remembers where you left off.

Video games

If your kid has been bugging you for an Xbox 360 or a Wii, send them over to the library. Each library location has an Xbox 360 that children under 17 can play. They also have Nintendo Wiis, which they occasionally bring out.

The branches also frequently hold gaming nights where teens compete on the Nintendo Wii and in games such as Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution. There are even gaming nights for adults and seniors.

If you have a Nintendo DS, Xbox, Xbox 360, or PlayStation 2, the library has about 300 games that you can check out.

Libraries report record number of visitors

2008-08-18T10:59:00.000-04:00

Libraries report record number of visitors
Record number of visitors use free resources for personal and professional reasons.

by Marcia Chercoles

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

August 14, 2008

Jairo Fuentes was tired of paying $60 a month for Internet service just to check his e-mail. So last year, the Hollywood resident canceled his service. Since then, he's been a regular at the Hollywood Branch Library, where he connects his laptop to the free Wi-Fi.

"With the money I save I can do so many other things, like go to the movies," said Fuentes, 37, who runs a transportation company.

A slow economy and tight budgets are driving more people to South Florida's public libraries, which are experiencing record numbers of visitors. Some go for free services they can't afford at home anymore, such as Internet access, newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Many unemployed also use libraries to update and print resumes, look for jobs, and learn computer skills to get a new job.

So far this year, the Broward County Library System has seen a 13 percent increase in the number of materials checked out compared to all those checked out last year. The Palm Beach County Library System reported a 16 percent increase for the same period.

"June was one of the highest circulations we've ever seen, due in part to the economy. You have more people coming to the libraries because the items are free," said Nemoure Ahmed, branch manager at the Boynton Beach Library.

When the doors of the Hagan Ranch Road Branch Library in Delray Beach open every morning, about 15 people rush to the DVD and audio book sections. The new facility at first resembles an electronics store; those looking for books must first walk through the extensive multimedia selection.

Marie Lawson, a Delray Beach hairdresser, checks out a couple of audio books and DVDs each week. "It is a free form of entertainment," she said.Walida Swaggard, 31, regularly takes her son Manuel, 7, to the Hollywood Branch Library and checks out DVDs and CDs.

"Not only it's a pastime, but now it's become more of an economical resource to fall back on now that prices have gone up, especially when you are trying to cut corners," said Swaggard, who is a science teacher in Hollywood.

Libraries also are seeing record numbers of people logging onto their Web sites for free access to the Wall Street Journal and other publications that would otherwise require a paid subscription. Broward's public libraries have had a 30 percent increase in Web site visitors so far this year. Palm Beach libraries saw a 28 percent increase.

Libraries have also become a resource center for the unemployed, who ask the reference desk for books on how to write resumes and cover letters, use the computers and local newspapers to look for jobs, or take computer skills classes.

Renee Lafleur, 27, lost her job as a sales person in a gift shop at the airport a month ago. She signed up for a beginner's computer class at the Hollywood Branch Library this week to refresh her computer skills. She hopes to find a job doing data entry or customer service.

"Now you are required to file applications online, file reports, do many more things. They also ask you how many words can you type per minute," Lafleur said.

Tara Connolly, computer center manager at the Hollywood library, marks a stroke on her calendar every time someone asks her a computer-related question. She answered 5,624 questions in June, up from 3,829 in June 2007.

The most common questions include how to create a resume, look and apply for online jobs, or navigate through the Web site myflorida.com to find government services such as food stamps. Waiting time to use the computers can reach an hour during peak hours.

"I've got a few coming back telling me 'I got a job,'" Connolly said. "Others have not been so successful."

Copyright © 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Dolly Parton imagination library opens

2008-08-17T08:49:00.000-04:00

Dolly Parton imagination library opens
[St. Augustine Record, 08/17/08]
http://www.staugustine.com/stories/081708/off_the_record_081708_022.shtml

The St. Johns County Public Library System is partnering with the Early Learning Coalition of Putnam and St. Johns counties, St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, St. Johns County Education Foundation and other community organizations to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to St. Johns County. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library allows for children, born after May 1, 2008, to receive a free age-appropriate book every month until their fifth birthday at no charge to the parent.

At any branch of the St. Johns County Public Library System or by downloading an application online at www.sjcpls.org, parents may sign up their children to receive free hardcover books in the mail.

If a parent signs up a newborn for the program, they will receive a 60-volume library by age 5. The only eligibility requirements are that the child must be born after May 1, and must reside in St. Johns or Putnam counties.

Library director Debra Rhodes Gibson is excited about the program.

"The library system is happy to be part of the Dolly Party Imagination Library, as it is a wonderful program that promotes early literacy and lifelong learning," she said. "Our hope is for every child to have access to books, and certainly the Dolly Parton Imagination Library helps make that possible."

Developed by Parton
The program was developed by Dolly Parton in 1995 for her native Sevier County, Tenn. Parton wanted to foster a love of reading among her county's preschool children and their families, and she wanted children to be excited about books and the magic they can create. Moreover, she could ensure that every child would have books, regardless of their family's income. Parton has since decided to offer her Imagination Library for replication in any community that would financially support it.

In Putnam and St. Johns counties, the DPIL program is a true partnership, with several groups working together to make it possible. The Early Learning Coalition and program donors pay for the books and mailing, while the Chamber of Commerce helps with the promotion.

The St. Johns County Education Foundation accepts all donations to the program, and the St. Johns County Public Library promotes the program and registers and maintains the database of donors and children.

From there, The Dollywood Foundation takes over and manages the system to deliver the books to the home.

Once enrolled, each child will receive classic titles each month such as "The Little Engine That Could," "Owl Moon," "Goodnight Gorilla" and more.

Each child will continue to receive one free hardcover book each month until he or she reaches the age of 5.

For information about the Dolly Parton Imagination Library or to register, go to any library branch or go to www.sjcpls.org.

'LEO' the bookmobile visits Players senior center

2008-08-13T18:58:00.000-04:00

[St. Johns County Public Library]
'LEO' the bookmobile visits Players senior center
by Chuck Adams, Staff Writer

http://www.beachesleader.com/articles/2008/08/13/ponte_vedra_leader/news/doc48a2205a812e5465178689.txt

“LEO” can be seen pretty much all over St. Johns County.

LEO, or Library Express Outmobile, is the St. Johns County Library System vehicle that visits and takes books to a variety of facilities, including senior citizen centers, shopping complexes, daycare centers, churches and even the Vilano Pier.

LEO, better known as the bookmobile, visits The Players Community Senior Center every two weeks.

Betty Frederick, extension services manager for the county library system and formerly of the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library, is the reason the bookmobile exists.

“I wrote the grant [in 2000] when I first came here,” Frederick said Wednesday while standing in the bookmobile at The Players.

“Actually they had submitted a grant before for a bookmobile, but it wasn’t competitive enough. I had to dust if off, clean it up.”

At the time the target market was primarily seniors, still a large part of the mix.

“But now it’s gone beyond,” said Frederick.

“This is primarily because we have this wonderful plan for siting libraries, where they ought to be built based on population.”

That plan, however, has run into roadblocks.

“We probably won’t see another branch built in my lifetime,” said Frederick.

Potential sites, she said, were the new communities of Nocatee and RiverTown, also World Golf Village and a stand-alone for the Hastings area, where the existing library is in an historic building.

“All that was in the plan. But we’ve got to put that plan on hold. We’re forced to because we don’t have the funding.

“The mobile library is the absolute, one of the best services the library system provides,” said Frederick, “because it essentially takes the library to where people live, work, congregate, who sometimes are unable to get to the library because of distance, don’t drive anymore, can’t see well enough.”

The Players Senior Community Senior Center and bookmobile have combined to identify 10-12 seniors living in Ponte Vedra Beach who are homebound.

Library materials are going to be sent to those seniors via Meals on Wheels on Tuesdays. The volunteers who deliver the meals will take library material, then pick it up when the seniors are done.

While the county library system has more than 475,000 volumes, the bookmobile can offer some 3,000 items, said Frederick.

“We have every format that the Ponte Vedra library has, except that we can’t hold as many.

“We go to daycare centers, child development centers,” she said.

“We’re all over the county.”

[Anastasia Island Branch] Library plans anniversary celebration

2008-08-13T09:39:00.000-04:00

Library plans anniversary celebration
By Lorraine Thompson
Posted: Tuesday, August 12, 2008
(http://staugustine.com/stories/081208/community_081208_001.shtml)

There's more to living on this island than going to the beach. There's also the Anastasia Island Branch Library, which opened a year ago and has since served more than 130,000 patrons who checked out more than 150,000 items.

A one-year library birthday celebration begins at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 23. After brief remarks by St. Johns County Library director Debra Rhodes Gibson and branch manager Susan Flynn, Friends of the Anastasia Island Branch Library will provide cake, coffee and punch.

Two new original mosaic works by local artist Manila Clough -- "Beach Birds" and "Pelicans" -- will be presented by the artist to the library.

Since its opening on Aug. 11, 2007, the library has increased its daily circulation from 400 to more than 800 and has expanded its offerings to include events for children, teens and adults. It also offers meeting rooms and space to the community, computer workstations for the public, wireless Internet access throughout the building and access to the entire collection of the St. Johns County Public Library System.

Adults are invited to stick around after the celebration (or come back later) to play Bingo for Books for Adults starting at 2 p.m. in the large meeting room. Adult popular fiction books will be offered as bingo prizes. Participants are guaranteed at least one free book.

The island library is 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; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The library is closed Sunday and Monday. For information, call 209-3730.

Jacksonville Ask a Librarian Story & News Clip

2008-08-12T14:52:00.000-04:00

First Coast Librarians Give Human Answers to Online Searches
- July 18, 2008

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- When you search the internet, do you ever wish you could have a human being jump in and answer the question? You can -- for free -- and the answers may come from right here on the First Coast.

Let me tell you a story.

It's about learning things in the days before Google.

Instead of typing a question -- get this -- you would speak it out loud.
And while Google comes back with 112,000 potential answers to a question like: "What was the weather like the day Disneyland opened?"

The old way to learn gives you just one answer.

It's the right one.

"110 degrees," Jacksonville librarian Karen Hardin said with a smile as she looked at her computer screen.

She read further into the article.

"Asphalt was still steaming because it had been laid the night before, literally trapping high-heeled shoes," she said.

You see, back before there was Google, there was Karen Hardin. She's a librarian. And the old way to learn involves asking a real person.

In a back office at Jacksonville's Main Library, she's on patrol.

"What we do right now is basically just wait for someone to come up," she said.
Moments later, her computer's speakers let out a "ding!"

"There we go," she said.

Someone just went to a library website somewhere in Florida, clicked the "Ask a Librarian" link, and asked her a question.

She launches into answer mode: surfing the web with the customer, asking follow-up questions, digging through databases you've never heard of, and delivering a reliable answer.

It's like Google -- but with a trained researcher leading the way.
Different libraries all over the state take shifts answering questions.
You may get someone in Tampa today, or Orlando tomorrow.

So take your question that's got Google stumped to Karen Hardin and her colleagues.

They'll help you learn just like folks did in the days before the first search bar showed up on any computer screen.

Want to try it yourself?

Click here to link to the Jacksonville Public Library's "Ask a Librarian" service.©2008 First Coast News. All rights reserved.

Lisa Black, Author of Takeover

2008-08-12T07:26:00.000-04:00

The Lake County Library System announces Authors @ The Library, a new initiative to encourage the love of reading! Starting this September, one of our 13 libraries will present an author on tour with a new book each month.

The Lake County Library System presents the first in the Authors @ The Library series, HarperCollins author Lisa Black with her debut novel Takeover a tight, riveting thriller. In the tradition of Kathy Reichs and Jeffery Deaver, this talented novelist introduces a gutsy forensic investigator caught inthe middle of an explosive crisis. Lisa will appear on Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 2 p.m. at the W.T. Bland Public Library in Mount Dora Florida and at 7 p.m. at the Leesburg Public Library in Leesburg, Florida.

Ms. Black spent the happiest five years of her life in a morgue. Strange, perhaps, but true. In her job as a forensic scientist at the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office, she analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now she works as a latent print examiner for the city of Cape Coral, Florida, police department, working mostly with fingerprints, photography and crime scenes.

Jacksonville - Bookworms may have less to check out at the library

2008-08-08T07:32:00.000-04:00

Bookworms may have less to check out at the library

The Florida Times-Union
August 8, 2008 By DAVID HUNT, The Times-Union

Rising book prices, combined with a decreasing materials budget, might shrink selection at Jacksonville's public libraries next year.

In the past four years, the number of card-carrying library users has jumped by 185,000, or roughly 46 percent. In the same time, the amount of money for books and audiovisual items such as CDs and DVDs has increased only 12.6 percent.

The library system's proposed materials budget for next year would be a 13.4 percent decrease compared to the same line item in 2004, the first year Mayor John Peyton oversaw library budget planning.

City officials say Jacksonville spends $45 on its library system for each resident - a per-capita figure that tops the list of public library funding statewide. But the combined effect of more users and a shrinking budget has some worried that quality could soon drop.

"It's kind of like putting off maintenance. It's a mistake because it does come back," said Harry Reagan, president of Friends of the Library.

Although city officials say the money will be replaced by state funds, Bill Scheu, a library trustee, said the amount still would be hundreds of thousands of dollars less than what the library got in 2006-07.

"This is supposed to be a first-class library, but it's gradually being whittled down to a second-class system at best," Scheu said.

What's more, stocking the library is getting pricier.

According to library figures, the average book cost was $13.96 in 2006-07, compared to $16.20 this year. Nonprint items, such as CDs and DVDs, cost an average $25.46. That rose to $27.48.
Between the same two years, the number of cardholders increased by nearly 48,000 and circulation jumped by more than 400,000.

Reagan is heading a petition drive to get more funding. While Peyton said he respects Reagan's effort, he argues that the library budget is nearly double what it was when he took office.
Scheu is quick to counter that the library's bigger budget is a product of former Mayor John Delaney's Better Jacksonville Plan, which added six branches.

Before those additions, the library's annual materials budget was more than $4 million. Next year, the city would be pledging $3.6 million.

That's if the City Council approves Peyton's overall city budget proposal, which would boost public safety spending to put more police on the city's streets.

Scheu said he thinks Peyton "virtually abandoned" social programs, such as libraries, that might help prevent crime by providing structure for at-risk youths.

Peyton, who has prioritized literacy throughout his time in office, defended his budget proposal. He said city officials were able to hold library spending comparable to the current year's figure even at a time when property tax reform, combined with general economic woes, forced all city departments to stretch dollars.

"Everyone has had to make concessions. The library has been treated fairly," Peyton said. "We give them a sizeable amount of money and rely on their expertise to determine how to use it."
Council Vice President Richard Clark said he's unsure how much debate will focus on library spending this year. Last year, the council shot down a proposal to save money by cutting library hours. So far, that idea has not been revisited.

"Any core service is going to be up for discussion," Clark said. "That goes for libraries, parks, fire or anything else."

david.hunt@jacksonville.com,
(904) 359-4025
This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/080808/met_315604377.shtml.

Santa Rosa Reconsiders Saturday Closing

2008-08-08T07:24:00.000-04:00

Libraries may heed calls for more hours Santa Rosa considers opening on Saturdays
July 16, 2008
Pensacola News Journal
Louis Cooper lcooper@pnj.com

In Santa Rosa County, if you want to check out a book or use a library computer, you can only do it on a weekday.

For nearly a year, Santa Rosa's five libraries have been open Monday through Friday to save money.

However, some county commissioners say they've heard from constituents who want the libraries to open Saturdays.

"I've heard from a considerable number of people who went to the libraries on Saturday to use the computers for research but didn't check out books," said Commissioner Tom Stewart. "In this age, when we're trying to decide how to provide services with reduced budgets, everything is open to suggestion."
Library director Linda Hendrix said she will be meeting with her superiors this week to discuss possible changes.

"We're going to be looking at all the possibilities," she said. "You could do the schedule in 20 different ways, but we know when the most people come to the libraries."

Hendrix said closing on Saturdays came after four library positions were cut. Currently, four employees work at the Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Milton and Pace libraries each, and two work at the Jay Library. Some work also is done by student employees and volunteers.

"The bottom line is when you're running the libraries with very few staff, we have to look at the schedules we can maintain," she said.

Nearly 90 percent of library business takes place Monday through Thursday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. She said Saturday was the most logical place to cut hours.

"The people who work in the libraries know the people who come in on Saturdays, and for a large part, the people who come on Saturdays come every other day of the week as well," Hendrix said. "There is a great belief among the people who run the libraries that cutting the Saturday hours did not diminish services to most people."

Gulf Breeze resident Pat Rose, who retired after 28 years as the librarian at the Gulf Breeze Library in 2002, said the library was usually open on Saturday when she worked there. Sometimes, however, lean budgets closed the facility on Monday.

She believes the lack of Saturday hours, along with the earlier 7 p.m. closing during the week, has kept some people from using the library as much.
"Some people don't get home from work until 7 o'clock," Rose said. "Families where both parents worked would bring their children on Saturdays."
Rose suggested splitting the difference between Friday — which is the second slowest day of the week for Santa Rosa libraries — and Saturday, opening half a day for each.

Kathy Ocobock, who has used the Gulf Breeze Library since she moved to the area in 1989, works weekdays. She said her library use has plummeted since the Saturday hours were cut.

"The only time I have to go to the library is on my lunch break, and that's just to pick up a book or something," Ocobock said. "I can't spend any time there because of the hours."

Santa Rosa libraries left the West Florida Regional Library System in 2006, creating the countywide system. Since then, library usage has skyrocketed, Hendrix said.

Santa Rosa's five libraries are open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. Before Oct. 1, they were open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Ocala - New Libraries Stimulating Interest

2008-08-08T07:17:00.000-04:00

OUR OPINION
New libraries stimulating new interest
Ocala.com
Published: Monday, August 4, 2008 at 6:30 a.m.

We have found plenty to gripe about as Amendment 1 property tax reforms take their toll on local government budgets and services.

On one level, all of these voter-mandated cuts have affected the quality of life for Floridians statewide. But one area we have taken special note of lately is the plight of public libraries.

In many parts of Florida libraries, and the communities they serve, are suffering.
For instance, Broward County faces an unenviable dilemma regarding a new, $19 million library branch. The facility cannot be opened because the county, due to Amendment 1, cannot afford to hire new employees. In fact, the county has axed 139 library-related positions to satisfy budget needs.

Polk County has proposed closing its Historical and Genealogical Library, considered one of the finest in the Southeast, as part of eliminating cultural programs to save almost $600,000.

Brevard County is considering slashing its fund to purchase library materials by two-thirds and gutting 17 positions. Duval County proposes cutting its acquisition fund by $1 million.

Marion County has not been immune. Library Director Julie Sieg recently said the amount she has to spend on buying materials will drop from $903,000 this year to $856,000 next year.

The curious thing, though, is that the library remains a popular destination. As the Star-Banner reported last week, attendance and circulation at the two newest library branches in Dunnellon and Belleview have skyrocketed since those facilities opened about two months ago.

Comparing June's numbers with those from June 2007, materials circulated in Belleview at a rate 57 percent above last year's figures, while the number of registered borrowers rose 227 percent; in Dunnellon, circulation was up 61 percent, registered borrowers up 237 percent.

The heightened traffic at these new facilities reflects what happened at the main library branch when it moved from its cramped quarters downtown to its spacious new location further east on Silver Springs Boulevard: Provide the public a roomy, modernized, aesthetically pleasing library, and the public will swarm to it.

There is a question of whether the economy has made public libraries more popular by draining families of disposable income they might spend on books and other goods. It's a fair point. After all, Miami-Dade County's public libraries have witnessed an attendance surge of some 200,000 over this time last year - an increase of 4 percent - that was attributed to the economic slump.

Yet we cannot see how that phenomenon accounts for all the increased activity in Dunnellon and Belleview. We tend to think those communities are still reveling in the thrill of a nice, new facility.

Whatever the cause, though, we're pleased to learn of all the traffic at the county library system's new branches. Libraries are special places, and while we do not begrudge fed-up taxpayers for demanding that government cut its costs, we can only wonder, when you consider the impact Amendment 1 is having on this valuable service, if the anticipated $240-per-tax-bill average savings is worth it.