Winter 2009
President’s Memo
By Richard Strauss, NYSALB Board President
Want to hear something…
Last week I had an opportunity to attend a Legislative breakfast sponsored by our local 3R’s council. I’m sure you have similar events in your area, regardless of sponsor. You know, where we get our local state representatives to come to an event to mix with library folks and have an opportunity to tell us how much they love libraries and we tell them that we don’t get enough money.
This event was well done. Of course our local library folks stressed the importance of libraries in these tough economic times. The state legislators reminded us that it was going to be tough on everyone, pretty standard stuff.
Here’s the rub. One of our local legislators made some comments that really hit home to me and hopefully to those attending. He made some very important comments.
Firstly he stated categorically that he rarely heard from library folks. Not never, but not enough to even get any attention.
Secondly, he recommended that libraries raise their visibility in the community. He recommended that libraries need to “brand” themselves to where communities would be up in arms if someone dared to harm their local library, financially or otherwise.
Lastly, he reminded us that this is really a “zero sum game,” that is if we don’t scream loud enough then someone else will get all the cash.
In response to each of these let me say… First, I guess I’m just too “close to the elephant.” Having been involved with libraries and library issues over the years it just seems impossible for me to believe that any state representative does not hear from his local libraries on a regular basis. Shame on us!
Here’s what you can easily do:
If you do not know who represents your area both for the State Assembly and the State Senate, call your local library. They will have the information. It is surprising the kind of information a library contains. There are other ways, including the telephone book, your library system website or materials available from your local Chamber of Commerce.
Write a simple letter that states: “We need our libraries more than ever and we cannot afford to do with less. By the way I vote.” Mail it to his/her local office. If you are web savvy try the NYLA website to automatically fax correspondence to your local representatives (http://nyla.org/index.php?page_id=925)
Secondly, the 2009 NYSALB Trustee Institute (May 1&2 in Syracuse) plans to have a session on “Branding your Library” with James Keller from the Queens Borough Library. Plan to attend.
Lastly, when the resources are limited, the fledgling that screams the loudest gets fed. Go visit your representatives at their local office, invite them to your library, demonstrate the value your library provides the community.
These are going to be very difficult times. There are considerably larger and more active organizations going after a limited number of resources. If we as trustees can’t make some NOISE, then shame on us.
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The Library Circuit
Sam Patton, Editor
We are frequently told that we need to “Brand” our libraries, to have them stand out as a community resource. Here is one way to make our buildings very noticeable and eye catching. The library is the Kansas City Public Library, and the information is from Brian Hunt, Art Director.
The Kansas City Public Library’s Community Bookshelf showcases titles reflecting local readers’ eclectic interests. Twenty-three book spines make up the colossal bookshelf that forms the front facade of the downtown Central Library’s parking garage. Located across the street from Central Library, it covers a city block with each spine measuring approximately 25 by 9 feet. The entire wall is fabricated from signboard mylar. The titles range from Fahrenheit 451 to The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes and from To Kill a Mocking Bird to Charlotte’s Web. Photo by Mike Sinclair.
Have any of you come across an unusual way to make a library stand out in some special way? I’d like to hear from you.
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Library Stories and Library Statistics
By Senator Hugh T. Farley, Chair, Senate Subcommittee on Libraries
Much to the dismay of editorial writers and “good government” groups, the State Legislature did not accede at the November special session to a proposed twenty percent cut in State aid to libraries. Although touted by critics as an example of legislative “dysfunction,” I think that the decision to continue library funding was, instead, a wise recognition of the significant value of libraries during times of fiscal and social stress.
The issue is again before us. Although 2008-09 library aid will be paid in full, the 2009-10 Executive Budget, filed on December 16th, proposes an 18% cut, bringing State operating aid to libraries down to the 1993 level.
I pretty much grew up at the Flower Memorial Library in Watertown. Housed in a classic turn-of-the-twentieth-century library building, the Watertown library was a place of awe, and also of comfort, for a youngster growing up during the Depression and World War II. It featured two vaulted reading rooms, and a children’s room furnished to offer, in the words of an early library pamphlet, “hospitality to every comer.”
The Flower Library is a memorial to New York Governor Roswell P. Flower, constructed with a donation from his daughter. This is not the only institution recognizing Governor Flower’s love of libraries. The original collection at the Flower-Sprecher Veterinary Library at Cornell University was, according to Cornell lore, acquired using a $5,000 donation from Governor Flower, in the form of a check written on the spur of the moment during an unscheduled campus tour in 1897. Governor Flower’s widow later provided an endowment for maintenance of the library.
Libraries have proven their value not only to State Senators and Governors, but to successful people in all walks of life. Andrew Carnegie, of course, lives on in the form of the 2,500 libraries worldwide built with his donations.
A century later, retired Starbucks CEO Orin Smith, who fondly recalled his times in the public library when growing up in Chehalis, Washington, donated $1 million toward construction of a new public library in that community. At the library’s dedication in 2008, Smith’s mother said, “I don’t know what our family would have done without the Chehalis Library.” And, yes, the local newspaper reported that the dedication event included free cups of Starbucks coffee!
Anecdotally, libraries contribute to personal and community success. Statistics back this up. According to a 2008 Harris poll, 92% of Americans consider their local library an important education resource, while 72% go so far as to describe their library as “a pillar of the community.” A study of adult literacy programs, an important service of many urban libraries, found that after one year participants achieved “small but meaningful” gains in reading comprehension, even when personal issues prevented the adult learners from attending the recommended number of program hours.
In today’s perilous economy, the increased value of libraries as a core public service, a vital education resource both for our children and for adult learning, and a place of comfort, would seem self-evident. Yet, while more than 17,000 public school students in New York City lack access to a school library and a million mostly upstate residents live outside the service area of a public library, the Executive Budget proposes library funding reductions which far exceed the constraints being placed on other education programs, and are among the deepest cuts in the budget.
I believe that the Legislature should carefully consider alternatives before accepting drastic library funding cuts, and I hope that Trustees will help me make this case both to other Legislators and also to editorial writers and other community opinion leaders.
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Westchester Library System Names Terry Kirchner Executive Director
Tarrytown , N.Y. (November 18, 2008) – The Westchester Library System (WLS) announces the appointment of Terry Kirchner as Executive Director.
Dr. Kirchner’s experience spans more than 15 years in various management positions at public and academic libraries. For the last three years, he served as Director for Access Services at Columbia University Libraries. There, he led and coordinated system-wide interaction between activities across 22 campus libraries, launched effective assessment and marketing programs, conducted ongoing strategic planning and implementation, and expanded the campus-wide interlibrary loan operations.
In his prior position at The New York Public Library, Dr. Kirchner managed numerous public service operations, coordinated interlibrary loan operations across its major research centers and directed the inventory and relocation of over 2 million volumes to an offsite, high-density storage facility.
Skilled in fostering collaborative and cooperative team-based work groups, Dr. Kirchner earned his doctorate in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University. He holds an MBA in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Baruch College and an MLS degree from Rutgers University.
Patricia W. Fontanella, President of the Board of Trustees for the Westchester Library System, announced the appointment.
“Terry’s logistical and management skills are a perfect fit for the type of wide-ranging operation we have, which circulates material among the 38 member libraries and their branches and serves a diverse constituency,” said Fontanella. “He has shown proven leadership skills and demonstrated an ability to follow through with initiatives and improvements.”
“This is one of the premier library systems in the country and I look forward to working with the staff to further enhance our services,” said Kirchner. “All libraries have to be more creative and innovative to meet the coming challenges in order to promote the economic, educational and cultural well-being of Westchester County.” Dr. Kirchner replaces Siobhan Reardon, who served as executive director from 2005 through August 2008.
The Westchester Library System is located at 540 White Plains Road, Suite 200, Tarrytown, NY 10591. For additional information, contact Kate Meyer at kmeyer@wlsmail.org.
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From the Desk of Jeffrey W. Cannell
Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education Special for NYSALB
As Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education I am pleased that the Board of Regents has appointed Bernard A. Margolis to be the New York State Librarian. He assumes his new responsibilities on January 8, 2009. Regent James Dawson, Education Commissioner Richard Mills and I introduced Mr. Margolis to the library community at the 2008 New York Library Association Conference in Saratoga Springs in November. Mr. Margolis served as the President of Boston Public Library (BPL), Boston, Massachusetts, from 1997 to 2008. BPL is the oldest municipal public library in the country, with 27 neighborhood branches. His extensive library experience includes management and executive positions in libraries and library systems in Colorado and Michigan. Many thanks to the State Librarian Search Committee, led by Liz Hood, Director of Public Broadcasting for all their hard work on this national search.
So many important library programs in New York State need strong State leadership and support, especially during these harsh economic times. State funding for our libraries and library systems and for the New York State Library is critically important. We each have a personal and professional responsibility to educate policymakers about the increased importance of libraries in tough times. Library use is soaring and more New Yorkers than ever are depending on their local library to find a job, start a small business, use public access computers, obtain local, State and Federal government information, become literate in English and so much more.
State funding for libraries and library systems was reduced by almost $3 million during 2008. In addition, the State Library’s operations budget, including the Talking Book and Braille Library was reduced 10 percent. The book budget suffered a 13 percent reduction. The State Library immediately stopped ordering new materials, has cancelled subscriptions and is unable to hire new staff.
Despite the tough fiscal times, there is good news to report as 2008 draws to a close:
Public Library Construction Grants - $14 million in 2008 capital construction funds for public library construction grants will soon be awarded to some 181 projects These capital funds are critically important with a documented $2.25 billion need for public library construction and renovation in New York State.
Enhancing Trustee Training – The State Library continues to partner with the New York State Association of Library Boards (NYSALB) and others to enhance statewide trustee training. Some 7,000 trustees in New York State are responsible for governing 1,110 local public library outlets. Library trustees are required by law to be good stewards of $1.3 billion in public and private annual income, $3.3 billion in library collections and several billion dollars in other critical public assets such as library buildings and equipment. The Regents recognize that trained library boards can save communities money by making informed policy decisions regarding fiscal matters, personnel issues, legal matters and contractual obligations.
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From the Editor’s Desk
Sam Patton, TRUSTEE Editor
First, I hope all of you a had an enjoyable holiday time, and that we get to see many of you in May for the annual Trustee Institute in Syracuse. Our last Trustee Institute in Syracuse was one of the best attended, and I certainly enjoyed it very much.
You will see from Dick Strauss’ column, and know all too well, that library funding is likely to take a large hit this year. Now is the time to speak with your representatives in Albany to make them aware of the values libraries add to any community, and that libraries are the most cost effective way to provide all the services we offer. Surveys show that about two thirds of our population have library cards.
Thank politicians who boost libraries, as Marc Molinaro, Assemblyman for our area, did. In honor of National Library Card Sign-Up month,he is asking Hudson Valley families to stop by their local library and sign their children up for library cards.
“September is Library Card Sign-Up month, and I would like to encourage every family to take their children on a ‘field trip’ to their local library,” said Molinaro, who is on the Assembly Committee on Libraries and Education Technology. “Books like Harry Potter have proven that reading can capture our children’s imaginations and give them the strong literacy foundation they need for a lifetime of learning.”
When this happens, make sure the politician is given publicity.
And as Dick comments, don’t be shy about attending political meetings to get to know your representatives. Step over partisan issues, and reach out to them, regardless of your own personal political stance.
Be ready to introduce new ideas and technology. Here is a new wrinkle. Clyde Ford’s latest thriller, “Precious Cargo”, released Sept. 9, 2008 by Vanguard Press, has a high-tech tie-in that allows readers to visit places in the book through 3D satellite imagery, and its video by Morgan Freeman, has caught on with book lovers, technophiles and the media.
Publisher’s Weekly, a book-trade publication, observed that “it’s almost de rigueur for books—especially thrillers and suspense novels—to have their own book trailers. But novelist Clyde Ford has gone beyond the formula.”
What reviewers are especially excited about is that from the book’s website readers can click on a link to OnScene, a web-based software application that Ford, a former systems engineer, developed that allows readers to fly-in to place names in the book using Microsoft’s Virtual Earth and Google Earth.
Once at a location viewers can listen to Ford reading from the book, watch clips from the book video set at that location, view live webcam footage if available, or learn more about the history and geography of the place. Ford even has an automated Virtual Earth tour of the places he anchors when out writing.
And let me finish by saying “Thank You,” to all you Trustees and volunteers, who work with the professional staff members of our libraries to make them the special places they are.
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Velma Moore Award Nominations Requested
NYSALB Trustee Rita Ressig is seeking nominations for the Velma Moore Award, to be presented at the Trustee Institute, May 1 and 2 in Syracuse, New York.
The Velma Moore Award was established by NYSALB to honor the memory of Velma Moore, wife of former New York State Lt. Governor Frank C. Moore. Velma was one of the charter members of the Library Trustees Foundation of New York, which later became NYSALB. From 1947 until her death in 1961, Velma actively worked to improve library services in New York State. She served two terms as president and was a member of NYSALB from its establishment. In addition to her dedication to NYSALB, Velma served as a trustee of the Kenmore Public Library close to Buffalo, New York.
The award carries a cash prize of $750 for the library of the recipient’s choice along with recognition at the Trustee Institute and a certificate of recognition. The award is granted to an individual or group of individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the development of library services in New York State. Nominees may include trustees, a community member, staff, or any group of library supporters. Please note the following are NOT eligible: current NYSALB directors and previous NYSALB directors cannot be considered until one year after leaving service on the NYSALB board.
This is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the efforts of someone committed to bettering library services. Nominations may be submitted by mail or email. Please mail nominations to Rita Reissig, 360 Castle Street, Geneva, NY 14456. Nominations via email should be sent to rreissig@gmail.com. The DEADLINE for nominations is February 15, 2009. The letter of nomination should include: name, address and phone number of the nominee, their library affiliation, and a statement of not more than 250 words on the reason for nomination.
Criteria for evaluating nominees include service to local, county system or state libraries which measurably advances the effectiveness of these libraries; service in areas of legislation or other support that advances library causes, promotion services through publishing, speaking or involvement in professional or lay library groups or organizations; service to state or national library organizations; and/or service on state study committees.
Questions on the award may be directed to Rita Reissig at rreissig@gmail.com or by telephone 315-781-1849.
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Librarians Helped Tame the Wild West
Excerpts from an article By Christine Des Garennes, Chicago Tribune, December 07, 2008
Is the image you have of a librarian from 100 years ago a timid, hair-wrapped-in-a-bun, pinz-nez wearing spinster?
Try this one on instead: Gun-toting, horseback-riding, walk-2-miles-to-work-in-a-blizzard type of woman.
Those were the kind of librarians who settled the West. Around the turn of the 20th century, graduates of the University of Illinois Graduate School
of Library and Information Science (then called the Illinois Library School) headed to places like Texas, North Dakota, Idaho and Oregon.
“These women had such a spirit of adventure,” said Betsy Hearne, professor emeritus with the library school. “They were determined to be where the action was.”
Hearne shared stories about the early graduates of the library school establishing libraries in places where, in some cases, they were the only librarian within a 130-mile radius or the only single female in town. Hearne read stories of graduates who would, after a fire, start a new library in a gym; who walked through 8- to 10-foot snow drifts to get to the library; and who brought books to World War I soldiers recuperating in hospitals.
Until the latter part of the 19th century, libraries were primarily private places. But thanks to Melvil Dewey and Andrew Carnegie, in the late 1800s and early 1900s “public libraries were just exploding and they needed librarians.”
The idea was, “you can’t have a democracy without access to information,” Hearne said, and the Illinois Library School “seeded the West with librarians.”
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