In the Buffer Zone

In the Buffer Zone

The State of Illinois budget is billions of dollars in debt and the ripple effect on our rural public library is starting to surface. Our patrons have expressed their concerns that our little library may close or will have to reduce hours in line with Springfield's two branches, West and Southeast. As a result of the Springfield city budget effective this month, those two branches have had to close down completely. Whether they ever open again is uncertain but it is clear that monies trickling down from the State of Illinois to public libraries will certainly be diluted.

The Illinois Public Library Per Capita Grant that our library has received faithfully over the past two years has already been reduced this fiscal year. We plan to use those reduced funds to increase our technology services for our patrons by upgrading our public computers, fax machine and copier. Since we are not tied to a city, township or village budget like Springfield, we are able to maintain our current services based on tax assessment funding provided by our patron taxpayers. This proves every day to be an astute choice for our district taxpayers when they voted to set up the library district. It will prove to be our lifeline during the unpredictable days ahead for Illinois libraries that depend on state dollars for support. In other words, we are not closing.

Some of our patrons who work in Springfield but live in our library district have used Lincoln Library's services regularly. Since the Springfield branches have closed in recent weeks, patrons are beginning to shift either back to their home library here in New Berlin or use other community libraries like Chatham. This has a direct effect on interlibrary loan usage. Our patrons can pick up those materials anywhere in our Rolling Prairie Library system. It’s the patron’s choice, based on convenience, where they work, whatever library has easier access for them. Some of our patrons are coming back to New Berlin instead of Springfield for pick-up since the branches are now closed. We pay a fee to belong to this library system and this flexibility of interlibrary loans is one of its many benefits.

This shift in usage can be a benefit or a burden on smaller libraries like ours that don't have the staff to handle some of these changes. One fact our patrons can rely on in these woeful financial times is that our small public library is still open and plans to remain open. We are not closing, I repeat. We will not cut library hours or staff. Despite the changes swirling around us, we’re happy to say we are always ready and happy to serve you as usual. (Posted March 10, 2010)

Shock

Shock

In my small rural library, I’ve noticed that people shock me almost every day.  A woman came in one day and wanted to get a library card for herself and her children.  I always get excited when new patrons come in to get a card, because that means more people are off the streets and using my library instead of the Family Video or Barnes and Noble.  I want to make some comment, show a new patron something; anything that they can remember for the next time they visit my library.  I try to talk to every new patron who comes in the door, but sometimes I’m too busy or distracted by other tasks.  I was on the fringe of this conversation when the new patron admitted she had never read a book before.  I said she had never, ever, read a book before, in her life, and she was an adult standing there at the circulation desk, in front of me and my staff, my mouth most assuredly gaping.

A million things went through my librarian brain, like--where did you come from?  What school did you attend as a child? Where were your parents?  CAN you read?  How can I get you to check out just one book and actually read it?  I thought of all the opportunities already lost, the sick feeling in my stomach, the disbelief, my naiveté at the world that walks in my library door every day.  It was all just a jumble of too much information to react.  I thought how lucky I was to have this person walk into my library asking for a card.  It sickened me, it made my day, it made me want to do more, be more, have more, anything to keep this person coming back to my library.  People shock me almost every day, for a reason.  (Posted Nov. 26, 2009)