Johnny Library-Seed

“Had I the power, I would scatter libraries over the whole land, as the sower sows his wheat-field.”
—American educator Horace Mann. quoted in James Jesse Burns, Educational History of Ohio (Columbus, O.: Historical Publishing, 1905), p. 425.

Why Filter?

To filter or not to filter? That is the question that libraries are constantly struggling with.
Why would a library filter, and why wouldn't a library filter? It is ultimately a local decision. Take a look at this video for a brief overview of the filtering versus nonfiltering issues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_mpf1Q9u1I .

Big Dreams in the Big Country

BCLS may be not be the most populated place, or the wealthiest place in Texas, but that isn't stopping some people from setting their sites on better libraries for their communities. Terri Blackwell, Mack Skinner and I spent Monday in Haskell (pop. 2,729) pulling computer cable in the new Haskell County Library still under construction. The new library, a longtime dream of Joan Frazier, Library Director, is the result of constant and aggressive grant writing. The new Haskell County Library will include dedicated space for Children's collections, Genealogy, a Conference/Meeting Room, and the Fields Reading Room, which will incorporate items from the Fields Museum and features a wall build of bricks from the old library. Joan hopes for an opening date before summer.

At the other end of BCLS, the tiny town of Mertzon (pop. 860) is planning a new library of its own. Irion County Library currently shares space with the County museum. Library Director T. Kae Hampton is working with the County Commissioners to make a new 2800 square foot library a reality (The current shared space is 2100 sf). The County is reviewing construction bids and pursuing grant opportunities.

Other new and renovated libraries in BCLS include:

The new Menard Public Library opened in 2006, replacing the old library which had been housed (literally) in a house. The community bought and paid for the new library with donations, fund-raising, and grants. Menard has a population of 1,545.

In Coleman (pop. 4,874), the Coleman Public Library has expanded to include a new Children's area.

In Cross Plains (pop. 1,112), the Cross Plains Public Library is nearing completion on its expansion project. The expansion will feature an area for Children's collections and a board room.

The Tom Green County Library in San Angelo (pop. 88,300) is in the early stages of renovating the former Hemphill Wells Department Store into an 85,000 sf library. The existing central library occupies 25,000 sf.

How Many I's in Libraries?

There are two "i"s in "libraries", right? And both "i"s stand for information. Sure libraries are all about information, but don't forget the other "i"s in libraries: imagination, inspiration, and innovation. In his column published in American Libraries (Jan/Feb 2008, p. 42) David Dowell writes, "If we focus totally and completely on information, we exclude much." He continues, "To me, imagination is the act of creating images in our minds of things we have not fully experienced though our senses. Inspiration is an impulse to turn our thoughts into action. Information is only the beginning."

While information is important, even crucial to what we do as librarians, don't forget the other "i"s in "libraries": "We don't need to de-emphasize our efforts to provide the finest information services. We just need to diversify and give equal efforts to imagination and inspiration services."

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year. These 12 New Year's resolutions for librarians were adapted from a column by Mary Pergander in American Libraries, Jan/Feb 2008, p. 78:

1) Identify 3 colleagues with roles similar to yours in nearby libraries, and reach out to them.

2) Read at least one professional journal every month. "Watch for opportunities to increase your scope of understanding and improve your own results."

3) Attend a professional conference.

4) Subscribe to at least one RSS feed on a library topic.

5) Learn at least one shortcut or feature of your library's automation system.

6) Share your ideas by starting a blog, writing an article, or contributing to a discussion list.

7) Vote.

8) Take a continuing education course, then use what you learn at your library.

9) Volunteer to serve on a committee in your library, school, or professional association

10) Recognize excellence by nominating a librarian (perhaps yourself) for an award.

11) Get some money for your idea; apply for a grant.

12) "Take a vacation, and visit a library."

Langston Hughes and Librarians

In Topeka, as a small child, my mother took me with her to the little vine-covered library on the grounds of the Capitol. There I first fell in love with librarians, and I have been in love with them ever since -- those very nice women who help you find wonderful books! The silence inside the library, the big chairs, and long tables, and the fact that the library was always there and didn't seem to have a mortgage on it, or any kind of insecurity about it -- all of that made me love it. And right then, even before I was six, books began to happen to me, so that after a while, there came a time when I believed in books more than in people -- which of course, was wrong.
Langston Hughes, The Big Sea, c1940, 1995, p.26.


While his description of librarians as "nice women" may be dated (there are "nice men" librarians too), the rest of Langston Hughes' tale about his introduction to libraries and librarians is on the money; including the assertion (is it heresy to think so?) that one should believe in people more than in books.

A Nation of Readers

According to an Associated Press-Ipsos Poll, 1 in 4 American adults did not read a single book last year. That's a startling statistic. Nearly one-third of men and a quarter of women did not read a book last year. Of those adults who did read, the typical person read 4 books. Women and older adults were the must avid readers, and religion and popular fiction were top choices.

This chart shows the poll results on public reading habits:

Have you read any books in the past year?

Midwest 80% Suburb 75%

West 72% Rural 66%

South 71% White 74%

Northeast 69% Minorities 68%

You can read the entire article at http://abcnews.go.com/US/WireStory?id=3507898.

Looking to the Future

Here's a thought:

It's not enough for public libraries to be content in serving their current patrons. It is crucial that they look beyond their faithful customers to the future, to future generations. How else will public libraries insure future funding, future patrons, future relevance in a rapidly changing society? That is why outreach is so important. You've already reached the people in the library, but what about the people in your communities that for whatever reason don't take advantage of the public library? What about their children, and their children's children, the future tax-payers and community leaders who will determine the future of libraries? Get the word out about your library however you are able. Take every opportunity to take your message to the streets: to civic organizations, service clubs, schools, churches, day care centers. You need to be your library's own best advocate. You need to be a true believer in the goodness and power of the public library, and by your words, to instill that belief in others.