Small Town Librarian

Library Terms That Users Understand is a great resource for those of us who are too small to conduct our own usability studies.  The site is there to help us learn what words our patrons find confusing and what words we should probably start avoiding on our websites and our PR materials. 

Some of our favorite words are on the list of those to avoid:

Reference
Resources
Periodical

And most surprising to those of us who work in libraries:

Library Catalog!

So many of us may need to look with fresh eyes at our websites and our use of jargon with patrons/customers/users!  Yikes!

Posted by at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Stephen's Lighthouse has a great post about serving seniors. His point is that the senior population is changing. They are more technology literate, health conscious, and active. Senior programming in our libraries, especially those of us in small retirement communties needs to change too.

Rather than basic computer literacy courses, we need to be offering enhanced technology courses on things like social bookmarking, great web sites, and advanced searching techniques.

We need to be looking at healthy programming, like low-fat cooking classes and tai chi.

We need to start thinking that the very things that interest us will interest our retirees. Think of them as cool, hip folks who may have a bit more gray (though in my case usually not) but are just as bright and interested as ever.

Posted by at 6:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ALA has a press release that says that the smallest and largest libraries in the nation saw the largest funding cuts this year.  Of course, smallest in ALA's eyes are libraries below a 25,000 service population, but the statistic is still very interesting.  And for those of us in the West and Midwest, the cuts were largest. 

Here's a rather shocking stat:

Forty-eight percent of small public libraries in the West and Midwest saw midyear decreases in FY2003; almost 36 percent were cut in FY2004; and 34.5 percent were cut in FY2005.

""While the overall financial picture for libraries has improved going into this fiscal year, there is a cumulative effect of these cuts over years – particularly for our smaller libraries, on which so many Americans depend," said ALA President Michael Gorman."Many libraries are being forced to do more with less." Almost 80 percent of libraries serve communities smaller than 25,000 people."

Posted by at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pew/Internet has a report on the usage of broadband Internet access in homes in rural America.  While 39% of adults living in urban and suburban areas have broadband access at home, only 24% of adults in rural areas have home broadband.  Shows how important the access at rural libraries can be for our patrons! 

Posted by at 6:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here is another of those articles that shows what small libraries are all about: Small library, big hearts for friend in need. Lovely, lovely, lovely.

Posted by at 8:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am a huge fan of Neat New Stuff on the Net - Weekly Reviews of New Sites by Marylaine Block, so I was thrilled when I was reading the March 3rd edition of her newletter and found this blog mentioned!

Welcome to all of you who are checking out our little place on the web! Please feel free to leave comments and join in the conversation. I want this site to feel like a small library where we can chat.

Thanks Marylaine!

Posted by at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

North Andover, MA is facing an attack from an unlikely source, a member of a public school committee.  He is calling for the library in their community of over 27,000 people to close.  The building would be used to house the school superintendent's offices! 

Stories like this make me think that there are real idiots out there in the world.  I also begin to wonder if maybe we are being tricked.  The entire plan makes no sense.  Even if it was true that "libraries have become antiquated systems" (a comment that only shows he hasn't entered the public library in many, many years) or that the high school library could start serving the public (R rated videos anyone?), it still would make no sense to have the school superintendent's offices be in the old library building because the school does not own the library building. 

The whole thing seems illogical and fishy to me, even without the question of closing the library as part of it.  If this man is actually on the school board, I certainly hope that he gets voted off for this sort of attitude.  Why does he not understand that public libraries and schools are partners in community education and support?  Seems very odd to me.  Could someone just be looking for publicity?

Posted by at 7:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A recent study in Britain has discovered that librarians are the most stressed profession.   I am sure that it surprises our patrons who see the library as a quiet, relaxing place to be. 

Frankly, while I see some aspects of stress in the job, I love it enough that those don't color the way I view my work.  There are times of stress that are there in most jobs:  budget time, evaluation time, having to confront problem patrons, and sometimes, hopefully not too often, having to confront problem staff members.  The article says that the unchallenging, repetitive quality to librarianship makes it stressful.  I don't see my job as either unchallenging or repetitive.  And I am sorry that some librarians do see it that way. 

My job as the director of a small library offers something different every day.  Today, we have a staff member on vacation and I get to spend my time at the front desk.  I am enjoying seeing the children come skipping in, helping genealogists use the microfilm reader printer, doing a little quick reader's advisory and reference work, and just being part of the community.  We are really a hub here in our town.

Now, the next couple days don't have the same appeal.  Tomorrow I get to meet with the City's budget committee to see if they are going to honor the budget numbers that I assumed had been in affect for two months.  Sigh. 

And then the next day, I have a meeting with the new head of our library system.  That's what I get for being more that a squeaky wheel.  I think over the last year I may qualify as a screaming wheel or one that just fell off of the car. 

I look forward to the second of the two meetings, because it is an opportunity to be understood better and to understand their perspective.  The budget meeting?  Well, let's just say that it probably won't be the highlight of my week. 

So am I stressed?  Not right now.  Not until about 8:30 tomorrow morning on my way to the meeting.  Now I am just going to enjoy the comings and goings in our library. 

Posted by at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today, I am going to share one of my favorite portraits of a small town librarian: The librarian vs. the schoolkids from the Christian Science Monitor. I love the image of a librarian getting kids to feel the awe and power of books that were "to her, worthy of worship." Gorgeous.

Posted by at 7:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)