Library Spirit?

Brian Mathews, the Ubiquitous Librarian, had a very interesting post today, about Library pride and Library spirit. I find Brian's take on the User experience in libraries to be spot on, even though we work in different library realms - his academic environment vs. mine in public libraries.

He was talking about what he wants to accomplish by engaging his students and what his marketing and outreach efforts are really about - generating a brand and inspiring a sense of pride in the library. (And I have to admit that his reference to college football and bowl season resonated with me, avid football fan that I am.)

In many ways, that is what I want for the Huntington Beach Public Library too. I want everyone in our community to be proud of their library - proud that they live in this amazing place, with a fabulous library.

So how do you generate library spirit? How do you generate pride? These are some very interesting questions to ponder as we look ahead into the new year.

The Holidays, Ebooks and Google Books

The Holiday season is here, and I feel like I am suffering from a strange form of attention deficit disorder. My thoughts and energy are all over the place, as I am sure it is with most people. So I apologize for any strange tangents or jumps of subject matter in this post.

This holiday season, I expected that there would be a lot of buzz and talk about Ebooks and Ebook readers, and there is. As you know, I have a Kindle and I do take it with me out in the community - it is often my reading choice for lunch time. This is garnering more and more interest - it used to be that I'd get odd looks and the occasional "Excuse me" inquiry. Now, it is an attention magnet. People come up (sometimes more than 1 or 2) and immediately ask how I like it, what I think about it, etc. And like Kathy Gould, the Director at the Palos Verdes Library, I am asked what do I think about Ebooks and is the book going away?

I have developed a kind of standard response - I like my Kindle, especially for travel, where it is much easier carrying the one device that gives me access to a bookstore anywhere I am, that I think there are still things that can be improved with the reading experience and that sometimes I still like the feel of a real hardback. And how I don't think paper books are going away anytime soon.

Since interest is growing, I thought it would be important for all of my staff to know more about the hot new reading devices, so we've done a couple of mini "crash courses" on the iPad and the Kindle. This gives our staff the opportunity to look at the devices, learn the basics and ask questions about the gadgets - so they can answer more questions from the public.

Just to make things more interesting, Google Books opened this week. Google has scanned LOTS of titles and you can now buy this e-content for a variety of devices. Google's bookstore is different than Amazon and iTunes, and they are actually working with Independent booksellers, like Powells Books of Portland OR. So it is another interesting addition to the whole Ereader/Ebook landscape.

Still no discernible library model out there - though I did read about an idea for "ungluing" ebooks and creating a kind of open ebook collection at the Go to Hellman blog. The more I think about the idea of "unglueing" digital content, the more I like it. Sooo... how do we get this started?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and as we all gear up for the holiday, I thought this was a good moment to pause and consider what I am thankful for here at the Huntington Beach Public Library.

As a librarian, I am thankful for all my colleagues that inspire, challenge, encourage and engage me. If it wasn't for the greater library community, I would not be nearly as good a library director as I (hope) I am. I find new ideas, think about things differently and find new solutions from conversations and ideas that my peers and colleagues share.

As a Library Director, there are so many things to be thankful for that I could go on for quite some time. I am thankful for my staff who continue to amaze me with their resilience, creativity and dedication. We've gone through some major changes this past year, really in just the past few months, and everyone keeps surprising me. Their willingness to look at things differently, talk about what we do and how we can do it differently but efficiently and still maintain our service standards is remarkable. Each and everyone of my staff make a difference everyday in what we can do for the community.

I am also immensely thankful for our amazing community supporters. Without the strong interest and support of our library patrons, Friends and volunteers, the library would be a much less vibrant and exciting place. Thank you all for making it possible for me to work with you to make the Huntington Beach Public Library a truly transformational place.

I hope everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving!

E Readers - is it the Kindle?

Wired magazine reported that out of all the e book reading devices, it looks like the winner is... The Amazon Kindle.

As a Kindle owner, this makes me feel good about the decision to buy the device. The Kindle is the most popular device for reading e books right now. HOWEVER only 7-8% of Adults are actually reading e books.

Whenever I see another Kindle reader out in public I do feel like I'm a member of an interesting club. I've had more conversations with strangers because of my Kindle than I can count, so there is definitely buzz and interest.

Even though I really enjoy my Kindle, as a librarian, I keep coming back to what does the Kindle mean for libraries and the profession?

I think some of my online colleagues, like Kathy Gould and Genesis Hansen, have it right. We have to start really looking at things differently. Start blowing things up, as it were. :)

The big thing for me with e books, especially with the Kindle is the essential problem of the economic model. The book and the device are conjoined - BN does allow very limited borrowing on their Nook, and it looks like Amazon plans to follow suit, but again, 1 loan per title, and only some titles will be available? And why the restrictions? Because someone could lose money?

I do feel like I'm sitting on my hands, waiting for everything to shake out, but by then it may be too late - we will be on the outside looking in.

Why is it so hard for us to make our case to the industry about the value of what we do? Do we need the American Library Association or IMLS to have a publishing summit, where libraries have a seat at the table and can make some contribution to the development of the digital publishing market?

Maybe we need to find someone close to Jeff Bezos...

Simplicity, service and libraries

October marks the beginning of a new Fiscal Year here in the City of Huntington Beach, and this new budget year has brought LOTS of changes to the Library.

We have completely rearranged our public desk schedules, to adjust to new staffing levels (8 full time staff members retired on September 30. A BIG change!). When you are dealing with big changes like this (a 22% decrease in full time staff) questions come up tied to what you do, how you do it and why you do it. Maintaining the highest quality service possible is essential, but how do you do this with fewer people, in a busy library?

Simplification is important - we are trying to figure out ways to make the library simpler to use. How do we do this? Do we need to do everything we've done in the past, and do we need to do it the same way? Can we change it? What do our patrons really want anyway?

Should we try and implement self service checkout? People often think that Self Service connotes NO service. But is that really the case? I don't think so. Think about all the things that we do for ourselves - banking with ATMs, self service kiosks at the grocery store, self service ordering at Fast Food outlets, online shopping, etc. Some online businesses give better service and provide a better experience than on ground stores. Zappos is a good example of an online business that makes it easy to get what you want, when you want it and makes it easy to send things back or make changes.

Personally, I like the choice - I can choose to use the online store for some kinds of shopping and then on ground, in person for other kinds. I get to choose my experience. And isn't that really what service is all about? The experience? Sometimes you want or need more care, more time and attention. Sometimes you just want to get in and get out fast. Both are satisfying, both meet your needs, and it really just depends on your circumstances, doesn't it?

So we are grappling with some interesting and complicated issues, as we try and make things simpler and easier for our patrons. I think as long as we keep asking the questions, and working with each other, we will be headed in the right direction. It certainly will be interesting.

Institutional Knowledge and Library Snapshot Day

This upcoming week, the California Library Association is sponsoring Library Snapshot Day. California Libraries are being asked to take a "snapshot", basically show a day in the life of a library. We will be gathering statistics and taking pictures, and if you come into the Huntington Beach Public Library on Tuesday, October 5, you may be asked a couple of questions about the library. We hope to give a good picture about what goes on during a regular day here at the Huntington Beach Public Library. It should be fun, and by involving all the libraries in the State, I think we will create a fascinating picture of what modern libraries are like.

All of this is happening while the HB Library is undergoing a lot of changes - today, we are losing 8 full time staff members to retirement. I am very happy for all our retirees (and all the others in the rest of the City of HB), but I got to thinking the other day about what this represents. We will be changing a lot of things, because we have to and it is a good time to look at how we do things, focusing on what our community wants and needs. But we are also losing a lot of amazing talent, skill and energy from the organization. In all, our 8 retirees represent 165 years of institutional memory and knowledge. That is pretty amazing.

Each of our retirees has made a lasting impression on the Library and the services we provide. I honor their dedication and thank them for their years of service.

Things will definitely look different starting tomorrow - the Library Adventure continues, but we will miss our outgoing colleagues.

September is National Library Card Sign-up month - why everyone needs a library card

September is National Library Card Sign-up month. An important part of the start of any school year is coming into the Library and getting your library card.

Why a library card? Your library card is a passport to all kinds of adventures. You can read the latest bestseller, catch up with a favorite author, learn a new language (both in the library, by book or our online Mango Languages program), find online job resources, learn about new cultures, get help with homework, and the list just keeps on going.

Studies have shown that students do better when they use the library - libraries provide resources for homework, introduce children to new ideas and concepts and make learning fun. A library card is your gateway into this expanded world of knowledge.

Libraries provide high speed Internet access, so if you need to look for information, keep up with friends on Facebook or look for a job, we can help you. We have computer coaches available and trained professional staff that can help you find out about new careers, new places, new hobbies. We have what you need.


All of this is available with your Library Card. Come on and in and start your adventure.

Celebrate International Literacy Day!

Today is International Literacy Day -

Literacy is something so many of us take for granted. Honestly, I cannot remember when I couldn't read. I have memories of my mom reading to me from the earliest age, and reading all kinds of things too. There are family pictures showing how she would tape large word signs on and above things, like the light switch on the wall. Obviously this early instruction paid off - though I wish I had more TIME to read all the great things out there.

The Unesco site has a great statement about Literacy that crystalized my thoughts on the importance of this essential life skill -

Literacy is a basic human right, a tool of personal empowerment and a means for social and human development. Educational opportunities depend on literacy.

Here in Huntington Beach, our Literacy and Families for Literacy programs are making a difference every day, helping people develop and improve their literacy skills. The many staff and volunteers who dedicate themselves to help others through our literacy programs and activities really make a difference.

Imagine what you life would be like without the ability to read.

I'm glad that there are people and programs that are working to ensure that this basic human right is open to all.

Do Ebook readers encourage reading?

This past week, the Wall Street Journal pulled together information from a variety of sources on Ebook readers, and they found that people who purchased an Ereader (like a Kindle or Nook) said they were reading more than before they bought the device.

And Ereader owners were saying that they were reading A LOT more. Men in particular said they were reading more.

Amazon claims that Kindle owners buy 3.3 more books per person than non Kindle owners.

I have to wonder is this because it is so easy to buy a book for a Kindle? Shoot, all you have to do is a quick search and then push a button, and the book is yours. Right here, right now. Can't really get much easier than that. No schlepping into the car or heading out to the shopping center. Talk about impulse buying - you see something, you think it looks interesting, you push a button. Voila. Easy.

But do you really read more?

And if you do read more, does this mean that Ereaders will lead to a reading renaissance?

And I am still trying figure out what this will mean for libraries...

I'd love to hear what other Ereader owners think.

One Book, One Community programs

Over the past few years, HB Reads, a group of dedicated volunteers has sponsored annual One Book, One Community reading programs here in Huntington Beach. Last year's title, They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky, was an eye opening reading experience, connecting us to the horrors of genocide in Sudan.

HB Reads is already hard at work planning their next city-wide reading experience, and to get things going, they are sponsoring a Bookfair at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore at Bella Terra. From August 27 - 29, if you tell the cashier that you are participating in the Huntington Beach Reads One Book Bookfair when making a purchase HB Reads will get a percentage of the sales. The money raised through the Bookfair will help the committee purchase books for our local high schools, arrange for author visits and generally help get the reading program underway.

The title for the next HB Reads will be announced in September.

The Library is looking forward to another exciting and thought provoking community reading experience in Huntington Beach, with HB Reads.

Milkshake Mistakes?

As an owner of a Kindle, one of the features about the service from Amazon that I like is the opportunity to test or "sample" a book before I commit to buy it.

I was looking around on the Kindle site the other day and was looking at Clay Shirky's new book, Cognitive Surplus. I read parts of his earlier book, Here Comes Everybody, about social networking and the impact of social networking tools on how we organize. I had also heard his TED Talk awhile back and everything he said just seemed to make sense.

So I downloaded the first chapter of Cognitive Surplus, to give it a test drive. The chapter was just like his TED talk - interesting, enlightening and generally thought provoking. My favorite part was in his discussion about "Milkshake Mistakes".

He relates how McDonald's wanted to figure out how to improve sales of their milkshakes. They hired researchers to figure out how to do this. Most focused on the Milkshake - Did the Milkshakes need to be richer, creamier, etc.? Were they cold enough? Was the packaging needing an update or change? Only one researcher approached the subject in a different way - the researcher ignored the milkshakes, and focused on the customers who were buying them. He looked at when milkshakes were being purchased, who was purchasing them, etc. Instead of looking at just the milkshake, they looked at how people were using the milkshake. And they discovered something quite interesting when looking at the problem in this way - a lot of people were buying milkshakes early in the day, well before lunch time.

Why were they doing this? The people who were buying the milkshakes were commuters, they needed something quick, portable and something that could be handled with one hand, without making much of a mess. Low and behold, the Milkshake was meeting all of those needs. So, in essence, the commuters were "hiring" the milkshake to fill a particular job. A job that McDonalds hadn't really considered for the milkshake. So the question wasn't "how can we make the milkshake better?", it was "what job do people 'hire' the milkshake for?".

Shirky then talked about how these were essentially "milkshake mistakes" - we spend too much time looking at the "thing" aka the milkshake, without looking at what job the "thing" is being hired to do.

Libraries and librarians as a profession have spent a lot of time thinking about what we do and who we are. With all the recent talk on E-books, the death of print and the possible end of the physical book , I was wondering if perhaps we are focused too much on our "milkshake mistakes". We spend a lot of time looking at the library and the profession, but do we spend enough time asking "what job are we being "hired" to do"? What job is the library doing for people? Any thoughts? I'd love to hear what you think.

Thoughts on community, asset development and Library collections

Today, I was listening to a radio station podcast from the San Francisco Bay Area - the talk show host was asking "Do we need Libraries?" The response on the program was strongly in favor of libraries, which is always reassuring. But there were enough people calling in and saying things like "No, we don't really need libraries - they have obscure books," to make a professional librarian pause, and get just a tad worried.

Do we need libraries? I think the use of libraries across the country proves that we do. Libraries everywhere are seeing their use skyrocket, even when hours are reduced. The Huntington Beach Public Library just cleared the 1 million circulation mark this past year, showing a steady increase in use. And this is with reductions in hours.

Libraries are in the business of community asset development - I would argue that the greatest asset in any community is it's people. A community library helps build the capacity of the people in the community to participate in society and to make a difference. We help people learn, grown and succeed. Pretty important function if you ask me.

How do we do this asset development? Through programming, collections and service. We have educational programs for all ages. For example, our story time programs are amazing, filled to the max and each child in story time is learning the skills that will make a difference in their future success. Parents that bring their children to story time have the opportunity to connect with other parents, learn story telling skills and help foster the intellectual development of their children.

We also help encourage lifelong learning by creating library collections of materials that inform, educate, entertain and engage our library patrons. A good library collection encourages exploration, and can open your imagination to a whole new set of possibilities. In tough times, this is a vital function.

So the challenge for the profession becomes how do we keep providing the services that are needed, the way that our patrons need them, when times are tough and money is short? When things are tight, feelings get high, and conflicts emerge. Asking tough questions is part of this, and we all have to talk to each other. If we don't talk and engage, if we don't try and find common ground, then we do run the risk of not doing what needs to be done.

This turned into a much heavier and philosophical post than I originally intended, but hey that happens sometimes. I think we do need to have conversations about the library, why we need them, how we make a difference and how we can continue to do so when the economic situation looks so bleak.

I'd love to hear what you think...

More ramblings on change and paradigm shifts

It is almost August and things are booming here at the Library in Huntington Beach -

We have over 4,000 children signed up for Summer Reading, and our Teen and Adult Reading programs are doing well. Staff have launched their own reading program, to join in the fun. So things are busy, with lots of good reading going on.

We are also once again in the middle of the budget process, gearing up for presentation to the City Council. There have been so many changes through the budget over the past 2 years, that it is hard to deal with more. But more changes are coming. Things just keep getting tighter and tougher.

So how do you deal with all this change? I've taken to asking key questions - what is a library? What do we do? What is most important for us to do here in HB?

Some other questions have come up recently due to changes in the outside world - what does the rise of the Ebook mean for libraries? New services, like Freegal, are a different model for libraries. (Freegal is a really exciting new service from Library Ideas, where the Library subscribes and then library patrons can download songs from the Sony Music catalog. The downloads are free of DRM). Libraries are founded on the idea of "fair use" and "first sale" - in layman's terms, if you buy the item, you own it and you can lend it out. This allows us to lend books, DVDs, CDs, etc. We own the item, but we can lend it out to anyone in the community.

The new Digital environment doesn't handle this idea of First Sale very well - the DMCA has built in DRM and protection elements that make it VERY hard and in many cases nearly IMPOSSIBLE to use the item/piece of intelletual property in the way you want to. Amazon clearly doesn't see a role or place for the library model with E books. The Kindle and content for the Kindle are tied to the device, and the device belongs to someone. You can't loan the device or the items on it. Barnes and Noble's Nook lets you loan an E book a few times to someone else that has a Nook, but again, it is more tied to the device.

Anyone out there looking at Device Agnostic content that allows for loaning? Maybe the Library paradigm has to shift. Maybe we have to become aggregators for the community, and then individuals can access or download items, and they get to keep them, like with Freegal. Community resources again being pooled for the greater good - not too far removed from our original idea. This time we are dealing with digital content rather than physical items.

What I'm saying here isn't new - others in the field have posed these questions and are taking a hard look at what we do and how we do it. Maybe it is just the sense of urgency that seems to be associated with all the changes right now, or maybe it is because as all of these changes are coming together, libraries are in the news, showing up on YouTube (as part of the Old Spice Man campaign) and on Facebook.

NPR thinks we are about to have our Pop culture moment, like cupcakes. Maybe they are right. Shoot, Libraries are better than cupcakes - we don't have as many calories. :)

I'd love to hear what you think -

Are Ebooks at the Tipping Point?

This week there has been a lot of news and discussion about E books -

The Los Angeles Times had a front page article about the rise of the e reader and the increase in digital books and digital content. Amazon announced this week that they are selling 143 e books for every 100 print hardcover books. And they are predicting that this gap will grow. Last Christmas, e books were the hot seller as were the various readers. With the launch of the Ipad, there are more options. Digital content is growing all the time.

What does this mean for reading? What does this mean for libraries? As a profession, librarians have been watching the e book and e reader shift for quite a while. I personally always thought it was just a matter of time - after all, once we moved to producing the work (the intellectual product) with digital files, someone was bound to look at the cost associated with the production of the physical paper book. Digital production is much cheaper and doesn't require paper, ink, etc.

There was a recent report that reading on an electronic device is slower than reading on paper -
The biggest stumbling block to e readers has always been the reading surface. Paper is easy - our eyes like it. Computer screens don't work as well - how many of us have had tension, eye strain headaches from our computers? But the new E ink technology is making the computer screen more and more like our traditional paper.

So what does this all mean? For libraries, we need to tackle the question of what we do and how we do it yet again.

I'd love to hear what you think - E book or Hardcover? What kind of reading experience do you want?

The Old Spice Man likes libraries!

Library Advocacy can take many forms - here's the Old Spice Man talking about how valuable libraries are. What fun!

Musings on Conferences, Washington DC and comfortable shoes

I just got back from the American Library Association Conference in Washington DC. The Conference was a busy one for me - I am a member of a few ALA Division Committees, and I had lots of meetings while I was there. I was moving from Hotel to Convention Center to Hotel to meeting all weekend. I was lucky this year - I had learned my lesson and brought a variety of shoe choices - all comfortable and field tested. (I still managed to get a blister on the top of both feet. In Danskos no less. Even good shoes have trouble staying comfortable in DC weather!)

I enjoy conferences for the new ideas and inspiration that are always part of the conference buzz. The exhibit halls are full of new products and services - I saw everything from a new mechanized library kiosk called Branch Everywhere to traditional book trucks and library furniture. I saw new Self Service Check out systems and complicated library sorting systems, that automate and streamline some basic functions. I spoke with lots of vendors about what they do and how they can help us.

One of the newer vendors is a company called Library Ideas, and they have a new music service called Freegal. Freegal lets library patrons download songs from the Sony music catalog. For free. The Library subscribes and sets up the number of downloads everyone is allowed during a week. A few California libraries have already signed up for the service. I think it is worth watching - we buy music CDs, but with the IPods and the IPads out there, downloading music is the way things are going. So why not provide library patrons an opportunity to download content?

This summer there was lots of commiseration at Conference - about the weather (HOT and muggy. DC was built on a swamp) and about the economy. All libraries, of all kinds, are tightening budgets and really taking a hard look at what we do, how we do it and how to move forward to better support our communities. Not all the news was grim - people love their libraries and they are using us more and more. On Tuesday, I was wearing a bright red t shirt urging people to VOTE FOR LIBRARIES as I was visiting legislators in the Capital, and a number of people asked me about the T shirt. They all expressed their appreciation of libraries and wanted to know where they could get the shirt! Tax measures specifically to support libraries have passed in Marin County, San Rafael, Ohio and in many other parts of the country. Some budget cuts have been put off in places like Boston and New Jersey. So there are some signs of hope.

One thing I know for sure, we have to keep on doing what we do because we do make a difference and our communities are enriched by our efforts. Libraries all across the country are making a difference everyday thanks to the efforts of my peers and colleagues in the profession.

WiFi, Internet access and Starbucks?

The Huntington Beach Public Library has offered free WiFi access to our patrons for quite some time now. Our WiFi is heavily used - you can see laptop users all over the library and even outside on the grass, using this service everyday. Most libraries are the only source for free WiFi in their communities. We are always working on sustaining and maintaining our WiFi and Internet access, so everyone has the opportunity to access these vital resources.

Today I heard that Starbucks has announced that they will be launching free unlimited WiFi in all of their stores in the US on July 1. I applaud Starbucks for making this available - I'm all for more and expanded access.

Starbucks has also announced another new service coming this Fall - the Starbucks Digital Network, developed in partnership with Yahoo. The announcement was made at the Wired Business Conference, and information was posted on the Starbucks site - Starbucks wants their clientele to have a great digital experience while getting a cup of coffee.

This got me thinking about digital experience. What is a digital experience? What makes for a great digital experience? Is it the ability to be on your smartphone or laptop while getting a latte? Is it being able to multitask while getting your caffeine? Apparently, Starbucks feels that the quality of your digital experience is important to the success of their business.

So for libraries, what is the quality of the digital experience that we give our patrons? Do we give people a GREAT digital experience? What can we do to provide a better experience, digitally? What do you think makes for a great digital experience? We've done some surveys here about how our web site works and other kinds of digital services, but how do you really define this "great digital experience"?

I do feel that libraries have gotten better at providing digital experiences, but I know we have a lot of work to do. It will be interesting to see what these changes mean for our local coffee shops.

Summer time, and the reading is easy...

Today I definitely had the sense that Summer is coming - today our "June Gloom" seemed to be letting up a bit and there are hints of sunshine in the Park. The birds are out and there seems to be a lot of activity in the Park, and everyone seems to be attending graduations and talking about summer plans and summer time activities.

This time of year always means that things are about to get REALLY busy at the Library. Our Summer Reading programs are already gearing up - the Festival of Folktales is our official launch on June 29, when the library turns into a amazing story telling arena. Summer Reading always marked the real beginning of summer for me when I was young. It does so even more now, as a librarian.

Our Summer Reading programs are looking really good this year - the theme is Water and we plan all kinds of educational programs on water conservation and the oceans. It couldn't be more timely with the Gulf Oil spill and the ongoing water issues in California. As a beach city, water plays a central role in our lives. Come on in and make a splash and a few waves with us!

Everyone can participate - we have reading programs for children, Teens and Adults.

On the subject of volunteers

Today, the Huntington Beach Public Library is celebrating our volunteers with a recognition lunch and event. We are bringing together our most dedicated volunteers to recognize their commitment to the library and to celebrate all they do for us throughout the year.

Volunteers help the library in so many ways. They help raise money to provide additional support for library programs and materials. They run a bustling used bookstore and an amazing gift shop. Volunteers help people in the community learn to read, by becoming Literacy tutors. Some of our volunteers help with Children's programming, some help with the Taste of Huntington Beach. Some help with our Homework Clubs and some help with other events or programs. Many of our new volunteers are helping us as computer coaches, but many volunteers have been helping us for many years, and their enthusiasm for the Library continues unabated. They are all truly remarkable.

Over the past year, the Library has had great success expanding our volunteer programs and providing new volunteer opportunities for members of the community to give back and to help make the library that much better. We introduced our new Computer Coach Volunteer program and we now have regularly scheduled computer coaches available to help people with e-mail, Internet searches, printing questions, etc. We have launched our new Computer training classes, pairing librarians and trained volunteer computer coaches to provide hands on instruction on a variety of computer skills. We hope to further expand our volunteer opportunities, adding more computer coaches in our Children's and Media departments, and we will be starting a Library Docent program, to help people navigate all the resources available at the library.

Our volunteers have consistently given over 40,000 hours of service a year over the past five years, and their support and energy continues to grow.

So I would like to take this opportunity to say a very public Thank You to every volunteer that has worked for the Library - we appreciate everything you do! Thank you and Enjoy your celebration.

Languages, Mangoes and Awesomeness

I'm sure anyone reading this blog right now is going "What on earth do Mangoes and languages have in common?" No, I haven't lost my mind - these are just some things that have helped me recently as we look at what we do in the Library and how we make a difference.

I have been writing a lot lately about the budget and the challenges we face, and I'm getting tired. I have been working on things to help my staff handle their jobs better and to stay focused on what they can do, and how to keep thinking about the good things and how they make a difference.

It is harder sometimes to keep oneself on track this way, so I have been trying a number of other things to keep ME focused on what we can do and the good things that libraries do all the time.

I have started following a couple of new blogs for inspiration and I have to say that both of them are great. 1000 Awesome Things is my current optimism favorite. Everyday this great blog points out yet another Awesome thing. Today it had to do with words, and how when you learn a new word you start seeing it everywhere. I love learning new words (I have actually enjoyed reading sections of the Oxford English Dictionary. I know - I am a geek and a real library geek at that!) And it is Awesome when you start seeing and hearing the new word.

On the subject of words lets talk a little about Languages. How we learn them and how libraries can help people learn languages. There is a great company that is working with libraries to provide online language learning tools - Mango Languages. I was sure that there would be no way that we could afford anything like this at our library, but our Mango Rep came out and talked to us, demoed the product and offered us a free trial. The pricing is EXTREMELY reasonable for a city the size of HB, so we are going to use the free trial to see if this is something that the community wants. We will be covering the library in "Try Mango" signs, to encourage everyone to try it and let us know if they like it.

Mango offers 36 languages, including ESL. If we get positive feedback, we will look at our budget and see how we can afford the subscription cost. If we can help people learn languages, that is pretty AWESOME.

Back to blogs and inspiration - The other blog that I've been following is the Art of Nonconformity. The founder of the blog writes about "unconventional strategies for life, work and travel". Definitely inspirational; definitely challenging; definitely different and encourages you to look at things differently. And that is important.

The Art of Nonconformity builds on a book that I've used over the years - the Art of Possibility by Ben and Rosamund Zander. The Art of Possibility is also about training yourself to think differently. Just remembering that it is ALL INVENTED can really help you reset your perspective. And that is important.

So there it is - I need to remember all the Awesome things I get to do as a Librarian, like Mango Languages and helping people learn a new language. I need to stretch and look at things differently, and revel in nonconformity.

A much better perspective, don't you think?

Freeze-n-Read for Libraries 4-17-10 @ 4 PM

Here's a fun and cool way to show your support for all libraries - the Gulf Middle School Media Center in Cape Coral Florida is challenging EVERYONE to FREEZE and read for libraries on April 17 at 4 PM.

Here's how it works - on Saturday, April 17 at 4 PM, stop whatever you are doing and wherever you are FREEZE and read. You can do it in public or in private, and the Fabrarians at Gulf Middle School are actively encouraging classrooms to stage a Freeze-n-Read.

What a fun and cool way to celebrate National Library Week and raise awareness of libraries and their value.

So, where will you be when you FREEZE?

Libraries and frayed lifelines

As we celebrate National Library Week, I am finding it hard not to dwell on the challenges that Libraries face. No one can deny that libraries across the country are dealing with challenging situations - the news is full of examples. The San Jose Public Library is confronting major cuts that could lead to libraries being open only 3 days a week; The Phoenix Public Library just avoided closing 15 branch locations but will be eliminating over 28 positions. Boston Public Library was talking about closing up to 25 branches before the public outcry forced a reconsideration of the budget. And the list goes on, all across the United States, even as we celebrate everything that libraries do and the contributions they make to their community and our society.

On Sunday, April 11, Art Brodsky published a long and impassioned article about libraries on the Huffington Post, about how the Public Library lifeline is fraying under the stress and strain of budget cuts and the economy. Mr. Brodsky highlights even more examples of the stress and strain on our public libraries, and he makes some very good points about the challenges that libraries face.

The American Library Association also released a report on the State of American Libraries, and the news isn't surprising: Libraries are more popular than ever, helping job seekers, career changers, students of all ages, families, seniors, etc. We honestly could be open every day, all day and people would be here using our services. We are the community lifeline for so many services, especially when times are tough.

While demand is high, libraries all over are dealing with budget cuts and hours reductions because of the economy. We have had to reduce hours here in Huntington Beach and we are being stretched thin in terms of resources. Without the support of the Friends and the Children's Friends, we would definitely have fewer books, fewer DVDs, fewer CDs, and less of ALL things that make up a library.

So this week, my challenge is to stay focused on what we can do and all the wonderful things that the Huntington Beach Library does already.

We really do a lot - there is always something going on and I was looking over our Calendar and there are story times, meetings, programs, homework clubs, etc. Something great is happening every day.

Our staff make all of this happen - they help people find what they need, get on the computer, keep the computers functioning, check out things, tell stories, help with homework, and come up with new and creative ways to make a difference in people's lives.

If you look at our budget, we really are a great deal. We have about 200,000 people in Huntington Beach. Our budget, before the last round of budget reductions was about $4.65 million. That works out to just about $23 per person, per year. For $23 per year, less than the cost of one hardcover book, you get access to all our books, services and resources. I'd say that is an amazing bargain.

Libraries are important. Libraries make a difference. Librarians and Library staff are amazing.

Happy National Library Week!

National Library Week, April 11 - 17

This week is National Library Week, a time to celebrate libraries and the many services we provide.

Libraries are increasingly essential in today's world - we provide access to the Internet, we have information and resources for job seekers and career changers, we support families and provide all kinds of enrichment programming for children to help ensure their success in school. We have amazing staff members who are all here to help you.

If you haven't come into your library recently, I urge you to do so. You will be surprised and amazed at all the wonderful things you can find here.

Libraries across the country will be showcasing programs, training, resources and all kinds of activities and services this week.

We look forward to seeing you here and joining in with the celebration of Libraries, literacy and learning!

Libraries and the Internet, take 2

On March 25, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, released a new report on Internet use in public libraries.

The report, Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Public Libraries, looked at who is using public computers and how they are using them in public libraries. The study found that some 77 million or about 1/3 of all Americans use the public library to access the Internet.

This mirrors our experience here at the Huntington Beach Public Library - the demand for our public computers continues to grow and is only limited by the number of computers that we have available. At peak times, all of our public computers along with 65 - 85 WiFi connections will be in use at the Library.

As society becomes more and more reliant on electronic information, services and resources, the Library is more and more essential. Your library is an anchor institution in the community, connecting people to information, services and resources that they need in their daily lives.

We will continue to work hard to maintain these essential services.

Public Libraries across the country

This past week, as we were dealing with pending reductions in our hours and looking at our overall budget situation, I received an invitation from a colleague in New Jersey to join SAVE NJ Libraries on Facebook. Both state and local tax support for library services is in jeopardy.

Just about a week before that I received an invitation to join a group to SAVE the Los Angeles Public Library - L.A.'s enormous budget shortfall looks like it will result in severe cuts to the Public Library system.

I have also joined a group to support the San Rafael Library in their efforts to pass a parcel tax to support library services.

When the economy takes a downturn, libraries see an increase in use. We are seeing big increases right now. With a downturn, we also see a decrease in our budgets. And this time the decreases are significant. And it is happening EVERYWHERE.

I'm trying to keep us focused on what we CAN do for our residents and library users. We will work hard to meet the needs in our community even in these difficult times.

Libraries and access to the Internet

Here's a good question - Is access to the Internet a fundamental right?

Public Libraries have been grappling with this question ever since our first public access computers were connected out to Internet in the 1990s. Libraries are often the only place in a community where you can get free public internet access.

Here in HB, we have made an organizational commitment to providing online access. We have over 60 public computers with high speed connections that allow you to go online and do what you need to do. We have WiFi access, so if you have a laptop, you can login and have access to all the online resources and tools that you need. We have been working on a strategic plan for the library, and our community focus groups identified public internet access as one of the most important things that we do.

Recently, the BBC conducted a Global poll on Internet accesss. In the poll, they asked individuals if they thought Internet access was a "fundamental right".

The results: 4 in 5 people do see Internet access as a fundamental right.

If Internet access is a fundamental right, how do we protect this right and provide access?

This is the challenge - the European union has come out with a strong internet freedom provision, that states that any measures taken that could limit access to the net "must respect the indivdual rights and freedom of citizens."

In most areas, the only source of free internet access is the public library. With recent budget cuts, how do we maintain access for our community? How can we support and protect the rights of our citizens?

So, the question is - Is Internet access a fundamental right in our modern world?

I'd love to hear what you think.

Libraries and Business

I have written before about how libraries help their communities by supporting job seekers.

Libraries also help their communities through business development and support. A recent article in the Kiplinger Report highlights how libraries are being transformed and can foster redevelopment and economic growth. See the Kiplinger Report for March 7.

The example cited in the article is the Seattle Public Library - the downtown Seattle Library has played an important role in revitalizing Seattle's Downtown. The Library is an architectural landmark - designed by Rem Koolhass, the structure is a striking glass building that is a buzz with activity. It is a destination for Seattle and has helped draw traffic to the downtown. People come downtown and then they do other things, helping other businesses and generating more activity. Seattle's downtown has benefited significantly from its new library.

Other libraries in other cities all over the world have done similar things - locating libraries in shopping districts, combining the library with other organizations or services and creating multimedia environments that draw people in and serve as community magnets, helping to recharge and revitalize communities, helping the local economy.

Libraries attract people into town, people that visit libraries will also visit other businesses in the area or in the community. Money will be spent. This helps the overall business environment.

Libraries can also serve as entrepreneurial training grounds - local business owners can do research, craft new business ideas, learn about business trends and issues all at the library.
We also offer services that local businesses can use - meeting rooms, video conferencing, databases, etc.

Once again, the Library is a pretty amazing place, isn't it?

Libraries, budgets and hours of service

This past week, the City of Huntington Beach approved recommendations from all city departments for additional budget cuts this year. We found ourselves looking to cut expenditures again, because revenues aren't keeping up with projections.

This wasn't a real surprise and we aren't alone. This is happening all over. I've heard from colleagues throughout California about hiring freezes, budget cuts, reductions in hours and service. We heard similar stories from all over the country, where libraries were facing layoffs, closures and serious overall reductions. And the budget cuts keep coming.

Libraries in general are used to operating with lean budgets - We have done a good job stretching staffing, supplies and all our resources to maintain hours and service. Here in Huntingon Beach, we have done a really good job maximizing the return on investment in staffing, materials and programs.

This time, the revenue shortfall is forcing us to make hard choices. There are no easy decisions when it comes to cutting the budget. Working as a team, our Library managers pulled together a list of recommendations that would balance the reductions throughout our system.

We decided to reduce hours at 3 locations - Central Library will be closed on Sundays. The Sunday closure means a loss of 4 hours of service at Central Library. Helen Murphy, our smallest location will close 2 additional days, for a reduction of 14 hours and the Banning Branch Library will be closed one additional day, for a 9 hour reduction.

I know that these changes will have an impact. Sundays are a popular day and I know that closing will be inconvenient for some. We had to make some tough choices - closing on Sundays allowed us to maintain our others hours at Central Library and minimized our reduction of hours as much as possible. It isn't ideal. But then these are not ideal times.

Budget cuts and reduced hours are difficult for any library, but these changes force us to be creative, to try new approaches to service and to continue providing the City with the best possible library service.

Libraries and the economy

Everyone knows that our economy is slowly getting back on track - there have been some positive signs, but jobs and job creation is on everyone's mind.

Did you know that the Library is one of the best resources in the community for job seekers? More and more employers are only posting job openings online. Many require and will only accept online job applications. So if you are currently unemployed and can't afford Internet access, how do you find work?

YOU COME TO THE LIBRARY. We have free Internet computers, free Wifi access, information on resume writing, how to interview effectively, career information, etc. We are your own local job center, with friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Just this past weekend, we had a patron who had been out of work for two years come in to the library to let us know that she had found a job. She had used our computers, worked with our librarians and found resources that helped her.

Libraries do this all the time. But our legislators and our governing agencies don't know about it. When a Jobs Bill comes up, are libraries remembered as supporting our economy? No. This needs to change.

How do we do a better job sharing our stories and letting our Senators, Representatives, City Council members, and other governing bodies know what we do and why we are ESSENTIAL services?

I'd love to hear what you think.

And if you care about your library, take a moment to call or e-mail your Senators and Representatives and urge them to support libraries and library jobs, so we can help our economy!

Thanks, I will now get down off my soap box.

Boston and ALA Midwinter

I just returned from the ALA Midwinter Conference in Boston - I left an icy and wet Boston to come home to a chilly, wet and windy California. Currently, we are on Tornado Watch here in HB and the County EOC has been activated. I have a new appreciation for Sandbags.


But back to Library topics - Midwinter seemed to be fairly well attended, even with the cold weather. (Cold for me that is. I am a native Californian, so I am a temperature wimp.) I toured the exhibits, found some new things, went to committee meetings and saw old friends. Unfortunately, what I heard everywhere was how we are all dealing with budget cuts...


ALA published a study on the condition of libraries just before Mid Winter and it affirms what we were all talking about at the Conference - Library use is up, with more people coming in and using our services, but our budgets are suffering. We are all looking at reductions in hours and spending in general. Here's a good summary of what all public libraries are facing.


What does this mean for our library clientele? When times are tough, people turn to their libraries for books, programs, help with finding a job, homework support, etc. Every hour we have to pull back means that many more people don't have access to what they need.


So what do more budget cuts mean? It means longer lines, fewer resources available, fewer computers, or at least fewer computers that work. It means fewer people to help fill requests, shelve books, fewer books on the shelf, fewer programs, etc.


As a library director, my challenge is to figure out how we can still provide our essential services with less money. What is most essential? Is it our computers? Is it our books? Is it the building? Is it the programs?



I'd love to hear what you think it is absolutely essential in the modern library.

Libraries, reading and E Readers

As we start 2010, there is a lot of discussion and talk about the future of reading and the future of libraries. There is a lot of media buzz right now about E Readers - Amazon's Kindle did booming business over the holidays, and Barnes & Noble's new Nook reader essentially sold out after it was introduced.

More E readers are on the way, with new ones from a wide range of companies. Some of the new readers are bigger, some are thinner, some look a bit like a book, some are very modern and streamlined. From the sound of things, this is just the beginning.

So what does this mean for libraries? In a recent post I talked about what makes a library a library - well, what makes a book a book? What is the reading experience? I think we are beginning to see some real changes in the reading experience and the new E Readers are a manifestation of this change. People are getting used to viewing content in all sorts of ways.

What do the new E Readers mean for the library? We are already getting inquiries about E Books and content for E Readers. We are being asked which reader we support and which ones we might recommend.

Recently the Go to Hellman blog talked about a new future for libraries where we facilitate access to content. The forecast is for more library consolidation to provide greater access to a wider range of content, while at the same time more outlets opened to facilitate that access. So are we looking at "Super" library systems, but with lots of small outlets with computer access and pickup facilities? It is an interesting question.

As the owner of a Kindle, I do enjoy the device and use it regularly. I now read the newspaper on my Kindle, and I really enjoy the convenience when I travel. But I still read "old style" books.

So the New Year looks like the year of the E Reader - the buzz is hot and it gives us lots to think about, while we all grapple with maintaining service and budgets.

I'd love to hear what you think about all the E Reader buzz and what it means for reading and libraries. Is this just gadget enthusiasm? Or are we seeing a fundamental shift in how we read? What does this mean for libraries?

I'd love to hear what you think.