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...