In These Times, Borrowers and Lenders Make Good Partners

By Amber Lester Tuesday, August 03, 2010

It’s a bittersweet predicament: Just as libraries are trimming their budgets and freezing positions, demand for their services is booming.

The source of the boom is the same source of the cuts – a poor economy. With less spending cash, patrons are skipping trips to Barnes & Noble and many are discovering the audio/visual offerings for the first time.

York County Library Director Kevin Smith noted the increased interest when he found people hoping to get inside the library when it closed earlier this year during a snowstorm. “It was really heartwarming that people, in the middle of a snowstorm, were coming to the library,” he says.

At the Williamsburg Regional Library, which includes the Williamsburg and James City County branches, materials circulation is up 7.8 percent over the previous year. That year saw large increases over the prior year, which was the highest circulation the library had ever had at that point, says WRL Director John Moorman.

Williamsburg Regional Library’s circulation has risen up to include about 1,404,262 items. The James City County branch is seeing remarkable growth, as well, with usage rising 20.9 percent over the previous year, Moorman says. The amount of active cardholders has also increased to 54,000. “I’m sure people are looking at checking out things they might have previously bought,” he says. “One nice thing I’m seeing is that all segments of our community are using it.”

Smith says York County Library’s children’s programs have also become more popular; participation increased 104 percent this June over the same time last year.

The public access computers have also been getting a workout, due to more people coming in to search for employment or apply for jobs online. Moorman and Smith say many people come in to file unemployment claims online, while others have canceled their Internet service at home in an effort to cut back. As a result of the increased interest, the James City County library is adding more classes about how to use computers.

All of this is happening shortly after Moorman announced the library would preemptively make cuts to reconcile a 9 percent decrease in this fiscal year’s budget. Earlier this year, the library cut three full-time vacant positions and three part-time positions. The newest cuts include a 27 percent decrease in purchases of new library materials, elimination of vacant staff positions and staff tuition assistance, along with reduced spending on building maintenance, computers and staff training.

At the time, he warned that patrons might have to wait longer to get their hands on popular books and audiovisual titles because the library would be ordering fewer copies.

Since then, customers have understood about the changes, he says. The library leadership is exploring ways to work efficiently with fewer people. Moorman promises there will be days when only one person will staff a desk that was once staffed by two, even as the library parking lots fill to capacity. “When positions come open, we say, ‘Do we need that position or can we combine it in a new and creative way to continue to provide quality service?’” Moorman says.

York County has a hiring freeze in place, so whenever a position opens up, Smith is obligated to leave it open. “Like everybody else, we’re doing more with less,” he says. “We’re trying to concentrate on the core mission of the public library.”

Although the librarians are taking on more responsibilities, Smith can’t help but be pleased about the renewed interest. “There was talk 10 years ago that we were going to go out of business and that’s simply not going to happen,” he says, adding that libraries have always evolved to fit their patrons’ needs.

Library usage is increasing nationally, as well. The 2010 State of America’s Libraries report shows that Americans have turned to their libraries in larger numbers than recent years. Sixty-eight percent of adults in the U.S. have public library cards, the greatest number since the American Library Association began collecting data in 1990.