[Publib] Curtailing Services To Drive AWAY Patrons?

[Andrea Berstler - Director]

I am hoping that this is a typo - they circulate 20,000 items per year and
have 9 FTE's? and 20 PT? Perhaps it should be 200,000 or 2,000,000?  

If that is not a typo - they should have plenty of time to help the kids -
we could circulate 20,000 in our sleep and we have 1FTE and 6 pt. ?? 

Beyond that - I know kids bring more work, more headaches and need for
policies, security etc. however, are you or are you not a PUBLIC library??
This whole thought of serving our "residents" is old. 

Has anyone talked to the school administration? Looked for grants to provide
additional computers and a teen area, perhaps after school programs,
tutoring, poetry slams, gaming programs, etc. I would be ashamed that my
staff would express relief that we had cut off a whole set of patrons (and
future tax payers).  What will they think of the library as adults? We are
trying to find ways to get the kids into the library - - - 

But that's just my 2 cents worth. 

Andrea 
 
Andrea Berstler - Director 
The Village Library of Morgantown 
PO Box 797, 207 N Walnut St 
Morgantown, PA 
www.villagelibrary.org 
610-286-1022 
Preserving the Past . . . Preparing for the Future . . . 

Life will always throw you curves, just keep fouling them off... the right
pitch will come, but when it does, be prepared to run the bases.  ~Rick
Maksian

-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of Michael D. Logusz
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 11:32 AM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] Curtailing Services To Drive AWAY Patrons?

Curtailing Services To Drive AWAY Patrons?

Before you collectively roll your eyes at yet another post about the
'dangers' of social networking sites like MySpace I want to assure you that
there is a new slant on the reasons why such sites are being blocked at a
Public library near me, which I won't name for reasons that should be
obvious. 

I'm sure we're all aware of concerns over social networking sites like
MySpace possibly exposing children to predators, being used for
cyber-bullying or even gang activity and violence
(http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6854245&nav=0Rce); but the
situation I'm writing about didn't appear to concern any of these things.
The 'new slant' is blocking MySpace to discourage groups of children from
entering the library.

A little background: This recently constructed library has no main branch;
circulates over 20,000 items per year and employs 9 full-time employees and
20 part-time employees. A few months after the grand opening, a 1600
student, private K-12 'International' school suddenly opened in a long
abandoned building across the street, which necessitated the purchase of
more computers and furniture to handle the large groups of children that
enter the public library once school let out. Sometimes these students enter
the library in groups of up to 40 at a time. Most of these students are not
residents of the city and are the children of recent Middle Eastern
immigrants. Many of these households are made up of extended families, and
include grandparents and pre-school aged children who only read and speak
Arabic dialects and some French, with minimal English skills. 

The complaints from long-time patrons and even some of the circ staff: large
groups of kids 'hogging' resources; long-lines at the circ desk; loud noise
and active atmosphere; resources going to non-residents; resources going to
recent immigrants; the parents drive poorly; the female kids wear hijabs,
etc.

Issues: Culture-clash. Should we only serve residents? Should we only serve
U.S. citizens, or 'real' Americans as some patrons have stated, and ignore
or drive away recent immigrants, new citizens or visa holders? Is our
library a loud place of community and activity, or a quite reading room?

Actions taken: After purchasing more computer stations and furniture to
accommodate these patrons, complaints about 'all these darn kids' continued
and access to MySpace was blocked.

Result: One the first day children were phoning their parents to pick them
up, the library is now a ghost-town from 3pm to closing; many long-time
patrons (and some staff) express happiness at the kids being gone.

Issues: Basically I'm wondering if anyone else has encountered, or put into
place, policies which curtail services with the goal of 'getting rid' of a
certain user or groups of users? Any thoughts on the specific situation
mentioned above would be welcomed too. 

To be clear-I'm sure some of you have blocked access to MySpace out of
concern for younger users; but have any of you heard of eliminating services
to drive away patrons? Like removing the comfortable sofas in a periodical
reading area to discourage homeless people or senior citizens from napping
there? Getting rid of an external return-box to discourage late-shift
factory workers (read: lower class) from using the library? 

I apologize for the length of this post and also thank you all in advance
for any forthcoming thoughts, opinions, advice, etc. 

- Mike in Room 301
-----------------------------------
Michael Logusz
au6855 at wayne.edu
mlogusz at comcast.net

313-359-0867 (home)

8415 Salem Lane
Dearborn Heights, MI 48127

I will be at Purdy-Kresge at least once a week for the rest of 2008, so feel
free to put things in my LIS mailbox located in the 3rd floor lounge, in the
black file cabinet in the corner of the semi-enclosed area with the soda
machine.