Death of a Library
It’s time for me to move on from “understanding” as by now, it’s evident that understand very little. Therefore, I’ve decided to tackle counsel next. I hope this will be easier. For my purposes, the definition of counsel will be the enablement of a person to judge individual acts of good should be done and acts of evil should be avoided. This requires learning from the past to know what to should/must be done at a particular time, place, or circumstances. It also enlightens one to know when to ask for help or advice from others. Seems simple enough. Or is it?
A few days ago, a young girl asked to work at the library. The library informed her that not only was she not old enough, but the library likely would soon be laying people off. That really hurt my spirit. I love going to the library … well almost … See, I have a love-hate relationship with the local library.
First and foremost, I dislike hearing anyone losing their job and/or livelihood. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t understand why sometimes. Several years ago, with the recessional downturn or whatever the politicians want to call it, it was determined that the local library would modify its hours. The new hours included closing an extra day a week to operate five days instead of six and to have shorter hours. That in itself makes the library less accessible for many people. However, budgets are budgets, and one must do what one must do. The true problem comes with the employees and the layout.
The library is on the smaller side with only two floors. The top floor is reserved for genealogy which is only opened a few hours one day a week or something like that. (Don’t quote me on those hours.) The main floor, in my opinion, is a disaster. There’s no real separation of the children’s section from all other areas. That means at any given time, the sound level soars to that in a circus tent. Children run wild and bang the toys with little (usually no) verbal redirection to be quiet. This area is across the computers and reference section. Add to that, that most of the tables patrons can use are located in this small area too. (I’ll come back to those tables in a minute.) There is a small number of computers (maybe twenty) for patrons to use. Many times, a few aren’t functioning. The rules to use the library computers is that one must hold a library card. This also is the case if someone only wanted to use the library wifi. One is not allowed to use CDs or USBs to save materials. Many sites are blocked from access. And patrons only are allowed two hours in a twenty-four hour period to use the library computers. So, for students needing to do term papers or essays, the computer isn’t ideal.
To avoid these restrictions, many people bring their own computers/tablets and used their personal internet accounts. That’s where the tables come in. First, the number of tables throughout is probably fewer than ten. Second, some aren’t located near outlets or cords must be stretched across the floor to reach. Third, not everyone wants to be forced to share a space with strangers, especially when they sound like they have a newly developed case of Whooping Cough. Sometimes, what a person is working on is private, like completing tax forms or job applications. No one wants strangers being able to see their social security numbers and income. Yet, in the tight confines and a limited number of the tables that is exactly what happens. And oh, don’t move a table. Then the library Gestapo will immediately tear into you and belittle one for pulling a table a few inches closer to an outlet.
The biggest issue, for me perhaps, is the unprofessionalism of many of the library staff. They are often loud, laughing and telling personal stories or complaining of patrons. I can tell you some intimate details of workers, and the only way I know this information is from their conversation at the main desk. Some workers are very rude and not helpful. Once, my daughter was seated on the floor in a corner reading, because there were no available chairs in the area, and it was quieter there than the rest of the library. She had been there for over an hour, unnoticed, not blocking any aisle, and not bothering anyone. A library stumbled upon her and rudely demanded she move. Asking her to move wasn’t the issue. The issue was the librarian did not inquire why she was seated on the floor in the first place nor did she make a suggestion of available seating. All she had to say was, “You have to move.”
A library is also a safe place for the homeless. This is probably its the biggest asset to the community. It’s great that persons who are homeless have shelter during the brutal southern heat with clean water and a restroom—which the library keeps locked and patrons must request and sign for a key. During the operational, it offers protection from the rain and cold. And many persons who are homeless spend the entire day there each day. There’s nothing wrong with that. But with the limited seating, a problem is created—not by the homeless but by the library’s lack of response to add more seating. On the contrary, they recently removed seating. For persons needing to utilize library resources, the library is almost not functional.
Add to all of this, the true lack of community programs. There used to be book readings and family fun nights and movie nights and book signing. If these events still occur, I dare say they are few and not well advertised. So given all this, why should the public go there? Especially when there’s a bigger library with more resources, community events, adequate seating, private study areas, ample computers with no time limits, free wifi to everyone including non-card holders, open restrooms, plentiful outlets, longer hours, and indoor/outdoor seating thirty miles away for persons willing to drive. It’s a no-brainer.
Functional libraries still have a place and can play an important role in modern society. When considering counsel, the library administration should seek the advice and input of patrons. They need to ask what the needs of patrons are and seek to meet those needs. There’s nothing that can be done to increase space, but they can maximize the space they have in better ways (for example, moving genealogy and putting the computers and reference sections upstairs, replacing long tables with smaller ones to provide individual workspace, and adding extension outlets to each station). Counsel would entail looking at the past strategies and seeing how they failed to work. Counsel includes getting rid of “bad” librarians by giving them public relations training and limiting the rude ones’ interactions with the public. Need revenue? Have more programs. Family game night with a small admission donation of a quarter per person could generate a few extra hundred bucks a month. It’s not much overall, but it’s more than started. Adding a bigger copier and fax section will generate monies, too. Selling items such as simple as pens, papers, junk drives, and highlighters would bring surprising revenue. Counsel is determining what must be done for the good. The “good” in the case of the library is the patrons and the community. Once there is a return of patrons, there will be no need for layoffs and loss of jobs. Reducing jobs will lead to a reduction in hours that will lead to a reduction in patrons. Then, the cycle repeats.
