A big Thank You!

The library staff was surprised to find a scarecrow made by Mrs. Aragon's class at Columbian Elementary School in front of the library, ready to greet everyone who comes in. We would like to thank Mrs. Aragon's class and the Raton Main Street organization for this great seasonal decoration. We love it!

Print vs Electronics

There is a video on Yahoo today showing a one year old baby with a magazine. She is pushing non-existent buttons and trying to make it work like an IPad. Needless to say, she's a little confused.
So the question is: is the next generation of readers even going to know what a book is?
Oh, yes.
Saying that children who learn how to use electronic devices will never use a book is like saying that using a dishwasher means you have no idea how to wash a dish in a sink. It's like saying watching TV means you can't figure out how to turn on a radio. It's like insisting the invention of the car eliminated bicycles from the face of the earth.
From the the wheel to the cell phone, man has developed and invented innumerable items that have enabled humanity to do a lot of things they never did before. It's true that some of these inventions have more or less swept away certain things. For example, most households don't make dip candles any more - they flip a switch for light. But many inventions that have stood for progress in the history of mankind still live side by side with what came next. Remember when computers were first gaining popularity in businesses and homes? They were supposed to do away with the reams of paperwork considered necessary to function in the 20th century. I don't know about you, but I am sitting in an office with a stuffed file cabinet and files on the counters, just full of all that paper that was going to be eliminated.
Libraries move with the times. That's why you find public access computers for patrons, books on CD, movies to check out and Ebooks. But you also find newspapers and magazines and upstanding files holding clippings and old photographs - and, of course, books. Lots and lots of books, purchased thoughtfully to try and meet the needs of everyone the library serves, from the smallest baby to the most elderly patron.
Given the current economic realities, I think it is safe to say that if hardly anyone checked out a book, there wouldn't be very many left in public libraries. When it comes to money, librarians are realists. They have to be. They are there to provide information, entertainment and education for the public, and there is only a certain amount of money each year to meet those needs. If reading print that you hold in your hands was a vanishing need, you wouldn't find new bestsellers, new picture books, new Chilton's manuals and the local newspaper on the shelves.
People still want and desire actual books. Many of us it find that it satisfies some sort of need that is buried deep in our psyche. Access to books was something the ordinary people did not have for millenniums. The ability to read was non-existent, it was a need that was not even recognized when survival took all their waking hours. That began to change with the invention of the printing press, the beginning of formal education for everyone, the other inventions that freed up time for things like, well, reading. This need has been passed along from generation to generation, and books were the basis upon which past generations gained knowledge and skills, improved their lives, and gave an immeasurable amount of pleasure. Reading a book is hardwired into us all, and it was there long before Steve Jobs gave us the IPad.
Electronic devices also have needs that books don't have. They have to be recharged. They don't work if you drop them often enough (and who hasn't dropped their cell phone before?). They can be disabled with viruses. Computers need operating systems and those don't come cheap. Devices and apps may use signals from satellites. Some may need to be plugged in to an electrical source.
A book, on the other hand, just has to be picked up and opened. If the electricity goes out, you can still light a candle and read a good book.
As for the baby girl trying to push buttons on a magazine, she just doesn't know what a magazine is for yet. My children didn't either, but instead of trying to push buttons, they tore out the pages and had a great time. They grew up to know what books are all about, and so will the babies of today.

List of Furlough Days

Furlough Days at the library will be:
Monday, August 8, 2011 (done)
Monday, September 19, 2011 (done)
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Monday, March 29, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012

"Zoo To You" A Lot of Fun!

The library sponsored Zoo To You on Wednesday, August 10th. The display is never here longer than two hours so that the animals don't get stressed, and before we even opened our doors at 10:00 A.M. that morning, we had a line forming outside. It took half an hour to get everyone in the building. Over 186 adults and children came to see a baby alligator, a Kingsnake, a rattlesnake (with fangs but no venom), a hedgehog, a guinea pig and an Australian parakeet (who loved all the attention!) Other artifacts like animal skins were available for touching and feeling. The docents who brought "Zoo To You" to the library were wonderful in the way they handled the animals out of their containers and cages so that everyone could have a good look. They also were a mine of information on each creature and the artifacts. For example, did you know that a Kingsnake is imperious to a rattlesnake bite? In fact, Kingsnakes kill rattlesnakes. They kill their prey by constriction, just like a boa constrictor, and often have colorful skins.
Thanks to the community for attending this exhibit. We hope you had a good time - we certainly did!

"It Has A Red Cover"

When a library patron is trying to find a book that they read once upon a time and they don't remember the author or title, the request usually goes something like this - "I read it when I was in college (or' when I was a child', or 'forty years ago'), and it was about someone who owned a Model T car (or 'a dog like the one on that commercial', or 'a man and a woman in Africa'), and it had a red cover."

If we shelved books by the color of their covers, it might actually be possible to go through the collection of books with red covers and see if their particular book was in the library. That is, if we didn't have much else to do, like shelving returned materials, answering the phone, processing new books ( some of which probably have red covers), taking care of the bills to be paid, making copies for patrons or sending faxes for patrons, checking all types of materials in and out, dealing with the budget cycle, doing the paperwork for grants, working on long term projects, mending books to extend their lives, withdrawing books that need final rites, straightening up the magazine room after a day's worth of reading has scrambled things, putting books back in order so they can actually be located on the shelf at some point in the future, helping patrons with the computers and aiding the public directly in all kinds of ways.

I used to think this was one of those 'patron' things, a description used by people who are afraid of the Dewey Decimal system and don't have very good memories. Then one day I heard myself say to another staff member, "We need to pull that book about World War II for someone. You know, the one about the black airmen. . .I think it has a red cover."

Huh. Obviously it wasn't just a patron thing, it was a people thing, maybe even a 'being human' thing. And clearly the color red is deeply embedded in our psyches, because when we finally found the book, it wasn't red. It was blue. I thought about how many times I had had a request for a book with a green cover or a yellow one, and there weren't many, if any. No, it was usually all about a red cover.

I wish I could report that we have always found the book with the red cover that the patron is looking for, but sadly, that is not true. Instead, we focus on the dog or the continent or even what the man and the woman did for a living. Sometimes we are successful, sometimes we aren't. And I have never yet filled one of those requests by looking through all the books with red covers.

Are School Libraries Important?

There seems to be movement afoot in this time of 'no money' in which some schools are considering closing their school libraries. Theoretically it will save money, and perhaps that is true for some schools who have invested heavily in their libraries, their collections, their computer labs and their staff. (But if that is the case, those schools probably won't consider closing their libraries down, if only because so much money has been pumped into them.)

Unfortunately, those schools are probably outnumbered by schools who have always put libraries on the back burner because other things are more important. Things like another office staff member, raises for administration, the cost of gas to get girls sports teams and boys spots teams to different locations on different days (what ever happened to scheduling those games on the same day?), upgrading the computers in classrooms and offices, and who knows what else. For those schools, eliminating libraries probably seems logical on the surface, even though the libraries in those schools are funded with a pittance anyway and the savings may just be a drop in the bucket.

Often school librarians are not seen as equal partners with teachers and administrators in the education system. Reading is taught in the classroom and textbooks are used there to teach the three R's. Work done outside the classroom is the student's responsibility. If information is needed for an assignment, the student is expected to locate it.

What parents and everyone involved in education needs to remember is that libraries in schools are supposed to be able to supply primary and supplementary material on the premises for this very reason. Librarians can help students with books, periodicals, and computer resources for research, book reports, and sometimes (gasp) with materials a student wants to use outside homework and required reading. Teachers don't have time to walk students individually through finding everything they need. Modern education methods have left them with so much paperwork and evaluation to do, not to mention hoping they meet the mandated goals set by the federal government so the school can receive enough funds to operate, that they are lucky to have time to get through the curriculum during class. There aren't enough hours in the day to help students with outside sources one-on-one.

That is where a school librarian as an education partner can come in handy. If the school system has realized the value of an information specialist, kept the collection up to date, and made sure the library computers actually operate, students can find the guidance they need to information and knowledge. Otherwise, young students are dependent on parents who are already hard pressed for time to get them to the public library to find the book on their list. Students without computers need to find a way to get to the public library which is often the only other place in town with free Internet access, as it is in Raton. High school students who can drive have to be dedicated to go to the library for research and writing in between extra-curricular and social activities.

Public libraries help by providing books, magazines and computers for students who get there after school hours or on weekends. But the public library is meant to cover the needs of the entire public and should not be considered the primary or only source for all educational needs. Often, especially in a small town, they will not have the space or the funds to cover the needs of all classrooms at all levels or for all subjects for hundreds of students.

Which is why schools who consider closing their libraries are short changing students who are required by law to attend their institutions. The U.S. has fallen behind many other countries in the numbers of students who graduate and the amount of knowledge they graduate with. Ignoring or closing school libraries will not help improve that situation one bit.

A Treasure Trove of Local History

Since July 2010, the library and archivist Sharon Niederman have been working tabulating the historic records at the library. This work was made possible by a grant from the NM Historic Records Advisory Board. National funds and/or the state through the state legislature provide the money for these grants. In our case, these funds pay the archivist to do the majority of the work while the library provides at least 20% of the money funded in 'in-kind' work and contributions.

During this last year, the Victor Grant collection of photographs of the Maxwell/Beaubien family was selected for preservation work during the coming funding cycle. I am pleased to announce that the application for re-grant funding in regard to this specific project has been awarded to the library for the 2011-2012 funding cycle.

Local libraries all over the country are rich in local history, and the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library is no exception. The Victor Grant collection is one small part of what this library holds. Upstanding files on Raton, photograph files of Raton and the surrounding area (most of them of times past), old city directories, cemetery records and other records compiled into two books by Nancy Robertson in the 1970s, scrapbooks, upstanding files on subjects of general interest in New Mexico, Father Stanley booklets on towns and villages in New Mexico, and the Raton Range on microfilm since the 1880s are all held in this library. If you have a local or or state historical interest, it might pay off to see if we have anything on your subject.

Many of these materials need preservation work. Many need expanded records in the catalog to more efficiently aid patrons in finding what they are looking for. It's a huge job and will not be done in one or two years.

But the NM Historical Records Advisory Board has given us a start. Applications for funding have come from libraries, organizations and cities all over the state, including the Navajo Nation, El Palacio Magazine, the Palace of the Governor, and UNM Hospital. For the last two funding cycles only ten grants have been awarded out of approximately 30 applicants each year, and we have now received two of them. This tell me that the New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board realizes that the history of the state is based in large part on the local history found in each area and community. They found our collection and our specific aim this year to be worthy of funding.

Library Statistics. . .Keep Reading!

Statistics, how dull. Right?

Wrong, wrong, wrong. When it comes to library statistics, you might be surprised to learn a few things about your local library. For example, did you know this library holds over 50,000 volumes? (Not including magazines and newspapers.) These materials are books (of all sorts for all types of people), audio books (in case you are taking a long boring trip on the road), music CDs, video games, and movies? Yes, in a town where the only way left to get a DVD is to buy one. . .there is another way. Each of these materials can be borrowed free of charge! They can be used in your own home at your own convenience for anywhere from a week to three weeks for those who live in or just outside Raton, or three weeks to six weeks for those who live in another area. The key word, of course, is "borrowed". The AJM Library is funded by the city of Raton and all the materials in it are city property. We lend them to you, you bring them back. If not, the word 'free' goes away and there will be a fine or a replacement cost due. But as long as anything you borrow is returned on time, it's one of the best economic deals in town.

The next statistic concerns our public access computers. The fifteen machines we have are used over 11,000 times a year. That means each computer averages being used 750 times per year. Not just by the same 750 people either. There are as many reasons for using the public library's computers as there are users. Those who are traveling, those whose computers have viruses and whose printers are not working, those who want to do a little research on an upcoming trip, those who come after school for help with classwork, and those who do not own a computer all use the library public access computers for free. There is that word 'free' again. Printing costs 15 cents per page, black and white, but using a computer costs absolutely nothing.

Every year the library uses a formula provided by the New Mexico State Library to average how many individuals come to the library. In the 2009-2010 fiscal year, this library was visited 34,164 times. The statistics for the current 2010-2011 fiscal year show that the average is going to be over 38,000 visits. During times of economic woe, people use the library more. Can't afford a subscription to the Albuquerque Journal? That's all right, we have it here in the library. Can't travel to a book store this weekend for the latest best seller? (That good old price of gas!) Call the library and see if our copy is available. Interested in a book that is out of print and this library doesn't have it? We will use the inter-library loan system to see if we can borrow it from another library for you. Need a place to use a computer or read a magazine while the car is being fixed or your wife is getting her hair done? Here we are.

Last year 2,647 people attended programs at the library. These programs were for people of all ages and a variety of interest. Many were children, and the schools brought students for tours as well. Some adult attendees were aspiring writers. Some had an interest in the world of science. Others took computer classes or saw historical artifacts. Some actually discussed books. The meeting room in this library is open for scheduling as long as the event scheduled is not a 'for profit' venture. Want a free space to meet in? Call the library.

The library accounts for 4% of the city budget. That's all. The materials provided, the individuals served, the computer usages, the programming, the 48 hours open per week - all of that is provided with a very small portion of the public money that comes into the city coffers each year to meet the needs of its citizens.

It does so with three full time staff members, one part-time aide, and one maintenance person on the payroll. (Volunteers who work for love of the library are very much appreciated and do not cost the city a dime.) The numbers of paid staff have gone down from four full time staff and two part-time aides in past years to the current level. Still, the library is serving more people and providing just as many programs, computers and services (if not more), than when we had more staff.

It is obvious from these statistics (and in the end, all they are about you more than they are about us), this library serves the public in a large way with a small fraction of the city budget. The numbers prove it.

Newport Beach, CA, Considers Bookless Library

Newport Beach has a plan on the drawing table to move the Balboa Branch of their public library to 'spanking new' 2,200-square foot quarters in the proposed Marina Park project. (http://today.msnbe.msn.com, March 30, 2011.) Part of the plan includes several alternatives for this relocation. One alternative is to eliminate most or all of the books and turn that library into "a kind of community center - a place where citizens could gather, chat. . .and surf the web."

There are several interesting/horrific concepts involved in this alternative. First of all, Newport Beach is 'faced with crushing budget problems" and this could be a part of their solution - remove all books. It seems odd to me that they want to spend money on building a "spanking new" library facility in a new location but are willing to remove the books to save money. That seems a little odd. "Look! We have a new building! And we save a portion of the cost by eliminating the books!" What a political statement.

Of course, there will be computers and maybe Ebooks and a nice place to sit by the fire and play with your laptop; but if Newport Beach library users in that area want a book, they will have to request it at an electronic ordering station, then wait for someone to deliver it to them from another branch. If someone comes in who doesn't have the funds to own an Ereader or, heaven forbid, expects a library to have books, they will be disappointed and disenfranchised.

Libraries try to meet the needs of all their patrons. This includes the technological and traditional services. As one person commented on this article, "As California goes, so goes the rest of the nation". I hope they are wrong. The concept of libraries as social and electronic centers only is disturbing, to say the least.

Right or Privilege?

There was a discussion recently between New Mexico librarians on whether libraries in this country are a 'right' or a 'privilege'. I am inclined to believe it is both.
Free public libraries have been a part of this nation since it practically was one. As the nation has grown, so have the amount of public libraries. Libraries have become so much a part of our national consciousness, that you could hardly find a soul that would claim they are not a right belonging to all citizens. They are there to serve the public, which covers everyone.
But in economic times like these, tax dollars decline. Libraries are then frequently designated a 'quality of life' service, as opposed to fire/EMT and police services. You might never need the fire and police services personally, but the 'right' to have access to them is safety oriented and very basic. So you might not have access to the computers or materials you use daily or weekly at the library (often because you cannot afford as an individual what the library provides for free), but those safety services will always be available and creating a safer community, whether you call on them yourself or not.
Conclusion: a 'right' can vanish when the money is shrinking unless the public makes it clear that they expect it to be there.
As for being a 'privilege', that also applies. Every citizen has the right to public library services, but criminal activity in a library can cancel that 'privilege', just like federal convictions can cancel the right, or privilege, to vote.
Criminal activity does happen in libraries. Physical and verbal abuse, deliberate theft, damage of public property, all these things are punishable by law. When they happen in a library, those who perform these acts are often banned from using the library again. That privilege is gone. It is a public employee's responsibility (in this case, the librarian's) to maintain a safe environment for everyone who works in or uses the library. It is also their responsibility to protect and maintain public property paid for by the tax dollars that provide the department, the use of which is both a right and a privilege.