PVLD Director's Blog

Libraries as the measure of a society

Cultural Offering had a nice little round-up on libraries today, but I especially liked the link to his own earlier post about his county's effort to pass a library levy last year, including his reflections on the role libraries have played in his life.  The closing paragraph is a real gem:

"I forget who said: "If you were to know how a man treats his wife and children, see how he treats his books."  But the same holds true for society.  If we want to know how we treat each other, look at how we treat our libraries."

P.S. Kurt - if you see this I'd love to know if the Chamber of Commerce endorsed the levy, and if it passed!

A Tale of Two Libraries

It's unusual for me to post twice in one day, but these two articles found their way into my inbox this morning, and the contrast is so stark I had to share them.

The first is by John Bogert, columnist for our local newspaper The Daily Breeze and celebrates the soon-to-open new North Redondo branch library.  I started my public library career as a Page (for you non-library people that's the entry level position that checks in and shelves the books) at the Redondo Beach Public Library in the mid-1980s and worked some of the time at the old North Redondo branch that is being replaced by this wonderful new facility,  Even then the North Redondo branch was cramped, out-of-date, and woefully inadequate to meet the needs of an area that is home to a good percentage of the city's residents as well as its largest commercial district. 

Like most cities, Redondo Beach is facing significant budget pressures and has made serious cuts to the library budget and I know the library staff is stretched very thin trying to sustain hours and services.  I also know that operating this new library building will stretch them even further - but as a fourth-generation Redondo Beach resident I am proud to see that our city will, at long last, be addressing the need for adequate library services in North Redondo.

The second article, from the LA Weekly, couldn't tell a more different story as it describes severe cuts to public library services in the city of Los Angeles - cuts that are disproportionately harsh relative to what is being done in most other city departments - and the impact on the communities served by the Los Angeles Public Library. 

Two cities, two stories...with the common thread of making a compelling case for the importance of public libraries even in the age of the Internet and especially in these hard times.

More on libraries and local economies

I had a few spare minutes today so I went trolling through some of the stuff I had saved in Google Reader for future reference and found this post on libraries and local economies by Kate on the Loose Cannon Librarian blog. 

The post references a great article from Time Magazine about how buying local benefits local communities, and articulates better than I did why it is in libraries' self-interest to promote strong local economies -

"Libraries are non-profit organizations that are committed to building a strong community- and while supporting a thriving local economy hasn’t necessarily been a main goal of ours- why shouldn’t it be? If the local economy supports the tax base that in turn funds us, why shouldn’t supporting local business be a main goal of the public library?"

Unlike many libraries, PVLD actually doesn't receive any funding that is directly sales or business-tax related (apart from the 1% of our budget that comes from the State our tax funding comes entirely from local property taxes), but the principle is the same.  A healthy local economy is part of what makes a community attractive and vibrant, and that in turn drives property values and our property tax revenue higher.

In her post Kate proposes that libraries take the lead in forming Local First or similar organizations in their communities.  I'm not sure that is the best solution in every community (in our case it is the Chamber of Commerce that is leading our Local First efforts, with the library as an active supporter), but there are plenty of other things that libraries can do to support and promote local businesses and, as I noted in my earlier post, support the quality of life that also contributes to a healthy local economy.

I loved Kate's conclusion, though -

It’s time that we took a step beyond the community bulletin board and began being the true heart of the community- the one that pumps the blood throughout and ensures a long and prosperous life for those we serve.

Amen!

Libraries and local economies

The subject of what makes a thriving local economy is of interest to me both in my "day job" and in my volunteer work as a member of the Board of Directors of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.

Both the Library District and the Chamber are working, sometimes separately and sometimes together, on how we can support our local businesses and contribute to the creation of a healthy local economy. The Chamber's Local First initiative, the creation of the Zerunyan Center for Business, Entrepreneurship, and Community Development at the Peninsula Center Library, the Zerunyan Center's Inaugural program a couple of weeks ago, and PVLD's efforts to "buy local" are all part of this effort.

What's been on my mind lately, though, is that creating healthy local economies is not just about supporting businesses, it's about creating healthy, vibrant communities....period. 

Los Angeles County recognized this in its recently created Strategic Plan for Economic Development which has as one of it's primary objectives "Make our communities more desirable places to live", which includes improving public safety; improving mobility and reducing traffic congestion; making available a wide range of housing options, including affordable housing; promoting healthy living;and expanding cultural and artistic amenities.  It is clear that libraries can play an important role in many of these areas.

The link between healthy, vibrant communities and economic opportunity was reinforced in a column titled Urban Lands of Opportunity  by Richard Florida in yesterday's New York Times.  The article talks about how the world of work has changed from one in which there was a strict demarcation between "work" and "life" and in where people lived was tied to where they worked to one where the work/life line has become blurred for most people and erased for some, where work can be done in places far removed from the traditional office or job site, and where people increasingly choose where to live based on factors other than having a job, and then find a way to make a living.

I love that Mr. Florida's article specifically calls out the role that libraries can play in this new world of work  -

"This new way of work has given rise to what the sociologist Ray Oldenburg calls “third places” — the Starbucks where we go not just to drink coffee but also to send an e-mail; the hotel lobby where we take a meeting; or the local library where we write a report, edit a document or revise a business plan."

He goes on to describe what makes for a healthy local "land of opportunity" -

"All successful revitalization efforts focus on upgrading existing local assets — developing better ties among colleges, universities and communities, strengthening business districts, upgrading parks and open spaces, preserving and reusing old buildings and supporting local art and music.

SUCH communities are rich in resources for working, learning and simply enjoying life. They are places where people can prosper in their careers while achieving higher levels of well-being."

Providing resources for "working, learning, and simply enjoying life"...now that's a succinct description of what libraries do to support local economies!

 

Get your groceries at the library?

I am always keeping an eye out for creative ways to reinforce the role of the public library as a vital center of community life, so this piece on National Public Radio really caught my attention.

It's about public libraries in Baltimore that are serving as grocery distribution centers in neighborhoods that don't have convenient access to supermarkets with healthy food options and, prior to this program, were forced to rely on convenience stores with their more limited and often less healthy options.

Under the program people can order their groceries online, including fresh fruits and vegetables, and have them delivered to their neighborhood library with no delivery charge. 

What a great way of giving people access to healthier food options, and at the same time reinforcing the library's central role in maintaining the vitality and well-being of the community. Awesome!

The Library As Skatepark

This past Sunday afternoon the roof of the Peninsula Center Library was transformed into a skatepark and skateboarding expo to the delight of nearly 700 kids (from toddlers through teenagers), parents and interested community members.   This video shows some of the skaters  -  

And here is a link to some photos (the album is in Picasa - you should be able to open it by clicking on this link, but I've never used Picasa in my blog before!)

The event was  a fundraiser for a grassroots effort to build a permanent skate park on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

I'm sure some people are asking what skateboarding has to do with the library!  The simple answer is that the library has been involved because we see the need for such a facility every day as kids with nowhere else to skate (skateboarding is illegal everywhere on the Peninsula!) find the front steps of the Peninsula Center Library an ideal place to test their skills at grinding on the edge of our planters, or using the steps as the means to launch themselves into the air...without any safety gear and at significant risk to themselves, to other library customers, and at times to the cars coming down Silver Spur Road at considerable speed.  In other words, the library (along with a number of other locations) has become a de facto skatepark...and we spend a not insignificant amount of staff time chasing the skateboards off and repairing the damage done to walkways and walls.  It would be great to be able to direct the kids to a "real" skatepark!

Apart from pragmatic self-interest, however, the event was a great way for the library to be an active and visible partner in helping address a real community need.  The event organizers and participants were very grateful to the library for making our space available, we have been able to strengthen our relationship with other community organizations like the YMCA and the Sheriff's department, and among the nearly 700 attendees I know there were many who saw the library in a newly positive light. 

It was one of those sometimes rare events where everyone "won"-from the SkateparkPV organizers who raised 2x their fundraising goal to the kids who had a blast using the rails and ramps to the vendors who got exposure for their businesses to the garage bands who were exposed to a new audience to the library itself which for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon was the sickest place to be!

Now, I wonder how our Board and our Facilities Manager would react to a request to do it again sometime?

Something for everyone

It's Friday afternoon and for many people the week is drawing to a close...but not at the library! We pride ourselves on our 7 day/week service (thanks to the Peninsula Friends of the Library who pay for keeping the Peninsula Center Library open on Sundays) and most weekends also see us offering some kind of program or event.

Last Friday night High School Services Librarian Louise Beebe put on a terrific Bollywood festival for teens on the library roof with a movie, Indian snacks, henna tattos and more.

Although not strictly a weekend event, yesterday's inaugural Earth Day celebration was a huge success as these photos show. Well over 100 kids and adults enjoyed crafts, games, and booths with information about how to be a better environmental steward. The interdepartmental teamwork needed for an event like this is exemplified by the photo of our Facilities Manager, Charles Crouse, who created a display of the library's recycling and other environmental programs and reminded attendees that the library has collection boxes for used eyeglasses, cell phones, batteries and printer cartridges.

Tomorrow and Sunday art lovers can find a huge selection of high quality art books at a special Friends of the Library sale at Malaga Cove Library. The sale is open to Friends members only from 8 to 10am Saturday (memberships available at the door) and to the public from 10-5 Saturday and 1-5 Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon the roof if Peninsula Center Library will be transformed into a skate park as we host a fundraiser for a community effort to build a real skatepark on the Peninsula. Admission is free and we'll have demos by professional skaters, ramps and a grindbox for local skaters to try, food booths, music and more!

As you can see there's something for everyon at the library, and the fun doesn't stop on the weekend! I hope some of you will stop by one of this weekend's events....see you there!

Celebrating 80 Years of Magic at the Holiday Parade

It was truly a magical evening when PVLD won the Mayor's Trophy at the 2009 Rolling Hills Estates Holiday parade!  With a rabbit coming out of a top hat, a wizard and a fairy godmother, and more magicians than you can shake a wand at library staff members outdid themselves creating an amazing parade entry on a shoestring.  

A great big thank you to Dori Medina for her leadership and costume sewing skills; Laszlo Latkoczy, Louise Beebe, Brenda Sibert and the Facilities staff who conjured up the top hat and created the float; Merna Marshall for organizing a fabulous taco dinner for participants and guests; Kaitlin Waldron for being such a fabulous magician's rabbit; Charles Crouse for being a good sport and agreeing to play a wizard at the last minute; Charles and James Davis for carrying the banner; and to everyone (staff, Trustees, volunteers, partners, kids, grandkids and friends who drove, rode, marched or cheered us on!

Enjoy the slideshow - and the brief video at the end - and look for us to be the float to beat next year!

Aloha from the Malaga Cove Library

The islands came to Malaga Cove Library today. A great crowd enjoyed slack key guitar, hula lessons, lei making, Hawaiian BBQ, shave ice, and hawasian culture and stories. Thank you Mitch Chang, Jennifer Addington, and Jennifer Chaffey for organizing the event - hope we can do it again next year!

Germany's Open Air Library - A model for the future?

Made out of beer cans, open 24 hours, integrated with a reading cafe and open air stage, no library card required, books taken and returned on the honor system...this article from Fast Company describes the new library in Magdeburg, Germany.  A somewhat more detailed description can be found in this article.

Community generated and operated, it offers a low-cost model of what many of us believe the 21st century library is about - open access, a focus on books and reading, community engagement, and a gathering space.

Reading between the lines it also seems to be missing many of the things we librarians hold dear -professional collection development, a catalog, a website, reference services, library cards and circulation systems...

It is also not clear what, if any, involvement there has been by professional librarians. 

It's a fascinating model of what a community library could be...exciting and energizing, but also a bit scary!

I'd love to know what you think.