PVLD Director's Blog

Private libraries in India - lessons for public libraries in the US?

A couple of years ago Joan Frye Williams and George Needham did an April Fools Podcast about a mythical commercial library that they allegedly encountered on a road trip. 

Turns out that in India that idea isn't so far-fetched according to this post on Bangalore's Citizen Matters blog describing how Indian entrepreneurs have responded to the fact that India's public libraries fall short of their U.S. counterparts with regard to what we would consider basic services - from up-to-date collections to welcoming spaces to story times...by creating for-profit libraries that offer these things and more.

Looking at the websites for some of the libraries profiled in the Citizen Matters post I was surprised by the ingenuity of the business models. 

Eloor, which was founded over 30 years ago and has five branches across India, is at this point a strictly physical library although it plans to offer an online catalog and Internet-based services soon. Members pay a deposit plus a "reading fee" of 10% of the purchase price of the book (or more if the book is kept more than the 14 day loan period).  The reading fee is the library's source of revenue, while the deposit is to ensure that books are returned and is refunded in full if the membership is closed.  The amount of the deposit determines how many items the customer is allowed to check out at any given time.  People who choose not to become members can borrow books without paying the deposit, but they have to deposit the full purchase price of the book which seems to be refunded (less the reading fee) when the book is returned.

Mylib.in  is a hybrid physical and online library offering both a reading room (I loved the description from their website - "a comfortable reading space surrounded by books which gives the age old charm of "Reading in a Library". We feel great when families spend their weekend afternoon in our library or when school kids drop by after their school or when executives laze around in the bean bags after their office hours to catch up on the business magazines.") and an online catalog of items that can eithre be picked up at the library or delivered to (and collected from) home or office within 2 days.  Much like Netflix, Mylib.in offers a variety of pricing plans to meet different needs from "pay per book" to various combinations of membership terms (3 month, six month, etc.) and number of items that can be checked out simultaneously.

"Easy Library" seems fairly similar to Mylib.in with regard to how it operates (combination of physical space and online/delivery) but with a fee structure more like Eloor's.  Easy Library also offers events like story times for kids and author talks.

Then there is Just Books - similar to Easy Library and Mylibrary.in with regard to services but a franchise business model with 13 locations across Bangalore and opportunities to open franchises in other cities.

Private "children's libraries" are a niche in their own right, with libraries such as Out of the Box and Discover Kids Library offering physical libraries, collections of books, magazines, puzzles, and toys, reading enrichment, outreach to schools, and other services typical of an American public library's Children's Services department.

Browsing all of these websites really made me think about both our public library services and our funding models here in the U.S.  While I firmly believe in the value of libraries as a public institution, I think we could learn from what is happening in India.  Could we too offer Netflix-style home delivery if people were willing to pay for it?  Is a pay-per-use model really so bad?  What about charging extra for value-added or priority service? 

Some of these are ideas we've tossed around here at PVLD, but learning about India's private libraries made me realize that they are not just concepts, they are viable business and service models.  Definitely food for thought!

 

Whinge for the day

As they say in Australia, you would have to be "blind Freddy" not to know that California is facing a budget crisis of epic proportions, or that libraries across the country are being forced to close branches and drastically curtail services as a result of local government shortfalls.

Here at PVLD we've been relatively fortunate, and have managed to make it through the economic downturn so far thanks in no small part to the efforts our employees have made to find new sources of revenue (Passport services, notary services, exam proctoring services....all provided by existing staff in addition to their usual jobs) and curtail spending.  Woe betide the person who accidentally leaves colored paper in the photocopier causing the next staff member who uses it to waste a few sheets when they find their document has been printed on yellow or sky blue!

Given the above, it truly irks me when I see examples of other government agencies (and sometimes other libraries) doing things that seem to me to be plain wasteful.

A case in point from this morning:  I opened a manila envelope mailed from the California Department of Developmental Services and addressed to me, and inside found a 255 page printed copy of the "Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act and Related Laws".  No letter of instruction, just the book.  I can only assume that a copy was sent to every Library Director in California with the intention of having us add it to the library collection. 

I may just be having a bad day, but I find it really difficult to believe that anyone thought this was a good or appropriate use of taxpayer funds...not because I have any concern about dissemintaing information pertinent to people with developmental disabilities, but because it surely would be much cheaper to make a document like this available digitally via the Internet rather than incurring the expense of printing thousands of copies, preparing them for mailing (envelopes, mailing labels, staff time), and mailing them (even at bulk rates)....especially at a time when services to the developmentally disabled are threatened with drastic cuts? 

Furthermore, If asked for information about laws relating to people with developmental disabilities, I'm pretty sure that the first place our librarians would look is on the Internet, not in the library catalog.  In fact, as we undergo a comprehensive review of our collection, it is precisely items like these (highly specialized, too flimsy to be circulated, and with contents that are readily available online) that are being weeded.  If the librarians did decide that an item such as this should be added to the collection, it actually would cost PVLD a not insignificant sum to catalog it and label it, and get it ready for the shelf.

I don't mean to single out the Department of Development Services....today's mailing is just the latest in a string of similar unsolicited "gifts" of printed booklets, pamphlets, and flyers from various State agencies.  I know that the total expense of all of these mailings is a drop in the bucket of the overall budget deficit, but surely it would be better to use the money to actually provide services to those in need rather than send out a barrage of information and hope that it somehow connects with someone who is looking for it.

And public libraries aren't immune from this kind of behavior.  Each month I receive a multiple page, full-color, glossy newsletter from the Queens Library in New York describing all of their (admittedly fine) programs and events...and more recently making a plea for support as they face their own severe budget cuts and library closures.  I can only assume that the newsletter is sent to every Library Director in the country, since I certanly never requested it.  Usually receipt of the newsletter is followed a day or two later by another mailing from Queens suggesting that, for a fee, they would be willing to help PVLD with our marketing needs. 

Huh?  How can it possiby be a good use of library funds to do a mass mailing of a very expensive marketing piece that is clearly aimed primarly at the Queens community to Library Directors nationwide?  Surely that money would be better spent on library services and programs...and if this is their marketing approach I question what real value we would get from their consulting services.

So that is my whinge for the day.... I know I am probably just in a craby mood, and the intentions of the people who think this stuff up are really good, but I needed to get it off of my chest!  Thanks for listening...

 

 

Libraries and Economic Development

The role libraries can play in economic development is often discussed in terms of the resources we offer - databases, books,workshops, meeting rooms, computers and wireless Internet, etc.  Examples include this article from Kiplinger  about a year ago, or the concept of the "entrepreneurium" referenced in the R. David Lankes presentation I blogged about last week.

Less common is to hear how the mere presence of a library can foster economic development by generating foot traffic and attracting people to commercial areas.  I've seen a few references to this in professional journals, and a local developer of a "senior" condominium development highlighted the benefits of proximity to the library in some of his advertising, but I've never seen anything like this website for a mixed-use (residential and commercial)  development in Everett, Washington - in which everything from the name to the clever use of "library" terminology and imagery is intended to highlight the benefit of living next door to the public library...the website even has a link to the library's website. 

PVLD Librarian Jim O'Grady (and native Washingtonian) shared the link to the Library Place website, and also passed on this quote from the local newspaper - [The project developer] noted that the adjacent library had 400,000 visitors last year that could also be potential customers.

In a commercial district like the one in which our Peninsula Center Library is located, where retail businesses struggle even in the best of times, we need to keep reminding people that things would be much worse without the anchor of the library and its 600,000 visitors each year.

Think Local this Thanksgiving

I've never been a "Black Friday" shopper, and this year I won't even be in the country for Thanksgiving or the ensuing retail frenzy, but if I were in town I'd be trying to patronize the local businesses who are the lifeblood of our communities.

As Philip Brewer wrote on the Wise Bread blog today

Market forces don't trump everything, but they trump a lot. When the big-box stores have everything you want and at a better price, it takes a certain kind of quixotic determination to shop local businesses instead.

Plenty of people have that quixotic determination in some measure and do shop at local businesses. And there are plenty of good reasons to do so:

• Local stores are usually closer (rather than out at the edge of town).
   
• Local stores are likely to have a selection that reflects the tastes of the local community (rather than whatever the corporate buyers think will make highest profit nationwide).
   
• Local stores are much more likely to be environmentally friendly than the globalized producers. (After all, any environmental harm they cause affects their customers — and happens where their customers can see it.)
   
• The people running the local store are much more likely than some minimum-wage big-box drone to care about how well your purchase works out for you.
   
• Money paid at a local store is much more likely to stay local.

 

The Wise Bread post goes on to articulate many other reasons to buy goods that are produced and sold locally, and preferably from recycled or re-used material, but even if you don't "buy" the environmental and social reasons for thinking local when it comes to your holiday shopping there are some compelling reasons to do so.

As Chair-elect of our local Chamber of Commerce I see every day how hard our members work to deliver quality goods and service at an acceptable price, and how fierce the competition from the big box stores down the road really is. 

As a citizen concerned about local services I know how vital the sales tax revenue is to our cities and counties and I also can see what happens to shopping districts and neighborhoods when local businesses aren't able to survive. 

As Library Director and involved community member I kow how much our local non-profit organizations rely on our local businesses for support from auction items to donations to event sponsorships and advertisements in our programs and publications.

So, as I head off on vacation and some of you head out for your holiday shopping, please THINK LOCAL! 

 

Libraries as employment centers

Everyone who works in a public library knows that in these tough economic times we are seeing more and more people come to us looking for resources to aid their job search, and to use our computers to create resumes and fill out online job applications. 

This year, thanks to a Federal Library Services and Technology Act grant PVLD along with nearly every other public library in California is please to be able to offer free access to the Career Transitions online service for job-seekers via our website (available from any computer with Internet access whether in the library or not).

Against this background it was nice to see the important role libraries play highlighted in this week's Job Journal : 

Libraries Branching Out into Employment Centers

Libraries Branching Out into Employment Centers

With free Internet access, a wealth of printed information, and knowledgeable staffers, libraries are becoming valuable hubs for jobseekers. With the growing need, libraries are offering classes on resume writing and interview techniques, as well as online courses for entrepreneurs and civil-service exam prep. Some even offer free career counseling. In 2009, 20 million people reported using public libraries in their job searches, 6.9 million people used library computers for job-related training, and 3.7 million jobs were landed with the aid of library computers.

 Nice recognition for an important, but sometimes overlooked, service provided by your local library!

Librarians as Business Mentors

I just came from a meeting of the local Chamber of Commerce's Business Development Committee and was surfing through my Google Reader blog feeds while catching my breath before heading off to a meeting about how to further develop PVLD's Zerunyan Center for Business, Entrepreneurship, and Community Development when I came across this post from the personal finance blog Wise Bread.

As a Library Director who is firmly committed to reaching out to and supporting local businesses I LOVED  that Librarian was # 3 on the list:

3. Librarian

Your local library is in the business of giving information (literally), and the head librarian is usually very well versed in all kinds of free resources for those wanting to know more about local regulations, tax law, continuing education, and networking opportunities. If you haven't visited your local branch in awhile, take a day to go in and introduce yourself. Let the librarian know who you are, what you do, and how you could benefit from the library's resources. Then let them do the talking. They will most likely share all of the perks available to you, including interlibrary loan programs, free information on funding and grants, and more!

And as Chair-elect of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce it was great to see Chambers of Commerce in the #4 slot, too.

In this economy small businesses need all the support they can get, and public libraries (and Chambers of Commerce) stand ready to help! 

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!

 

Tough times and the future of libraries

A couple of days ago Eric Hellman had a great post on his Go to Hellman blog about how the huge financial challenges being faced by public libraries across the country (check out the very scary list of library budget cuts at the end of the post), and the way that libraries respond to them, may be compromising our ability to make the changes necessary to survive and thrive in a future where the way that people interact with books and information is fundamentally changing.

I love his comment that

"The public library of the future has to stop being about collections and start being about helping people and communities. Google can't be a physical place where people offer access, assistance and education for the internet and the information it accesses; local public libraries CAN be.   It's these "new" directions that will attract renewed public support and funding into the future. But library directors struggling to deal with budget cuts will find it hard to also reposition their services to meet the needs of an increasingly internet-based society."

Hellman is particularly concerned about the impact of cutting library hours, noting that

"One argument for cutting hours might be that the visibility of these cuts makes it easier to restore funding when the economic cycle turns. This may have been true in the past, but I think that the funding that goes away this year will never come back. The way most people access information has changed profoundly since the last economic downturn. A library that reduces its hours is just training its public to meet information needs elsewhere, and that public isn't going to rush back. The library's funding will get cut again and again, and eventually it will have to close its doors." (emphasis mine)

Here at PVLD as we wrestle with a budget outlook that remains gloomy and the ongoing need to make difficult choices about how we spend our time and our money, and as we work with the Peninsula Friends of the Library to grow community support (including financial support) for the library, I found this blog post a timely reminder that the models of the past may not work for the future.

  

Money, Money, Money

It's been longer than usual since my last post, mostly because we have been busy dealing with the fallout from the California budget - which includes the State "borrowing" 8% or more of PVLD's property tax revenue.  Since property taxes make up about 87% of our revenue, that's a big hit, and there is no expectation that we will be repaid before June of 2013. That's why my thoughts and energies have been focused on the budgeting rather than blogging.

PVLD has already felt the effect of the economic downturn and lower assessed property values which meant we've already had to overcome an $800,000 budget shortfall (12% of our total budget) for the current fiscal year by trimming library open hours, reducing our purchases of books and other materials for the library collection, eliminating our security guard service, and making cuts in every other budget category.  We've also increased fees for meeting room rentals, overdue items, and movie rentals; added new fees; and expanded our Passport Service in order to bring in more revenue...so finding another $450,000 or more is no easy task.

The good news is that we started really tightening our belt in early 2009 when it became apparent that the State would likely borrow local property tax revenues to solve their own budget problem.  As a result, we ended the 2008/2009 fiscal year with a surplus, and are starting this fiscal year with more money "in the bank" than we had anticipated.  This came as a  surprise, as we thought the budget variances we were seeing during the spring were due to the timing of invoices but they turned out to be real.  Great work by the staff!

The staff has also scoured the budget for further cost savings and have managed to squeeze another $220,000 or so out of the budget through rebidding service contracts, energy management to reduce utilities costs, lower Workers Compensation and general liability insurance premiums, some organizational changes resulting in lower personnel costs, and plain old reduced spending in a number of areas. Again great work by all concerned!

The net result is that we will have a budget deficit this year, but we have sufficient money in our reserves to cover it...albeit with some cash flow challenges.  We are also projecting a budget deficit for next fiscal year, but that assumes we reverse some of the budget cuts from this year.  If we can hold the line on all of those cuts and possibly find some additional revenue sources (we're working hard on that!) we should come close to a balanced budget as long as property values don't drop more than expected.

It's going to be a tough few years though, with revenues projected to grow at no more than 1-2%/year, the spectre of inflation, and a labor contract that seemed very conservative a year ago but has "salaries and related" expenses rising at a significantly greater rate than our revenues.

We'll be paying close attention to every expenditure, thinking "outside the box" about how to generate more revenue, being very cautious about adding new programs given our limited staff and financial resources, and supporting the Friends of the Library in their efforts to expand their fundraising. 

Given what I've seen our staff achieve as we've navigated through the rough budget waters of the past few months, though, I think we'll actually come out the other side of this crisis in good shape, and maybe even stronger than we were....and I don't think that is just wishful thinking!

More on why libraries matter

Yesterday at a meeting of volunteers who are helping us with our fundraising efforts one of the people in attendance reported that she had just had a conversation with a community member who questioned why we need libraries in the age of the Internet. 

Coincidentally today PVLD employee Kendel Cornwell told me that about this segment from the Today Show this morning.  It's as compelling a description of the important role libraries play as any I've seen!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

r>