[Publib] sacred cows - mobile libraries are important

Fri Jun 19 17:52:25 EDT 2009

Do you think bookmobiles would have the same value if households now
served in northern MN and Tulsa had broadband access along with computer
access?

I am not sure if  "online catalog browsing is a faint, second rate service
to browsing a physical collection".  That certainly depends on the size of
the collection and the quality of the OPAC.  One of the libraries I managed
had 37 miles of shelving. The OPAC, even when it was CLSI, exponentially
increased access to library materials.

R. Balliot
http://oceanstatelibrarian.com

On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 4:51 PM, Paul Ericsson <ericssonp at krls.org> wrote:

> Robert & Colleagues --
>
> I believe that this issue has many facets to it.  For our rural area and
> knowing the demographics & profile of our patrons, I would passionately
> argue the opposite case.  Our Region's mobile library service in northern MN
> is needed as much now as ever before.  Some points that come up in our
> analysis:
>
> 1) More than half the rural population does not have access to broadband
> internet in their home, partly due to affordability, partly due to lack of
> availability.  Land-wired coverage is not there at all, and satellite is
> spotty at best.
> 2) The growing rate of unemployment indicates that the unemployed in rural
> areas will continue to not be able to afford broadband access and purchase
> computers.
> 3) Even for those with internet access, online catalog browsing is a faint,
> second rate service to browsing a physical collection.
> 4) Our mobile library has a growing circulation - it has been that way for
> several years now..  At one of their recent 3 hour stops, they reported a
> 700 item circulation.  That is through a single check-out-station circ
> desk.  I seriously doubt that few (if any) brick & mortar library can report
> a peak 230+ circulation per hour per checkout station.
> 5) USP, Fedex and/or USPS service to rural areas is nothing like service to
> a "neighborhood".  Just does not compare.
>
> I do understand that we all are being forced to find areas to cut budgets.
> But I hope that as decision makers evaluate mobile library service in rural
> areas, they do not mistakenly think they are offering anything like
> comparable service if they eliminate mobile library stops.  Online catalogs
> and for-profit delivery do not provide anything close to a comparable
> service.
>
> The brick & mortar branch that I work at is 50+ miles from some of the
> rural areas of our county.  We continually hear from patrons that their
> trips into the "city" are more and more difficult to do.  If we cut mobile
> library stops, we simply are cutting library service altogether for a
> segment of our service area.  Lets not confuse cutting a service due to
> funding reductions with "universal availability"
>
> My opinions are my own, and sometimes passionate.
>
> Paul
>
> Paul Ericsson
> Branch Manager, Bemidji Public Library
> 218-751-3963
> ericssonp at krls.org
> http://krls.org/branches/branch_bj.html
>
>
>
> At 12:40 PM 6/19/2009, Robert Balliot wrote:
>
> I think Margaret's bookmobile solution is timely and green.  Don't modern
> on-line catalogs circumvent the need to carry
> tons of books to people so they can physically browse and select a few?  If
> UPS , FEDEX the US Mail are
> already going to the neighborhood what is lost?  The point of the
> bookmobiles has been outreach and the ability to
> bring a small, relevant part of the collections to remote users.  Can we do
> that with modern catalogs and delivering
> just what they want?  I realize that not 'everyone' has online access, but
> it on-line catalogs are certainly moving
> towards universal availability via hand-held media.
>
> R. Balliot
> http://oceanstatelibrarian.com
>
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 11:48 AM, Margaret Neill <mneill at las-cruces.org>
> wrote:
>
> We’ve done some trimming in our budget, the most significant of which was
> getting rid of the bookmobile. As it spent more time at the mechanic’s than
> on the road, we initially thought people wouldn’t miss it much, but we were
> wrong. There was a drive by some locals to keep it going, even though they
> could offer no way to pay for it. We replaced it with a books by mail
> service that actually gets more use than the bookmobile ever did, and with a
> few small reading rooms in some of the outlying areas of the county. The
> pro-bookmobile people sort of drifted away after that.
>
>
>
> Margaret M. Neill
>
> Library Manager, Technical Services and Systems
>
> Thomas Branigan Memorial Library
>
> 200 E. Picacho Ave.
>
> Las Cruces, NM 88001
>
> (575) 528-4043
>
> (575) 528-4030 FAX
>
> mneill at las-cruces.org
>
> http://library.las-cruces.org
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org<publib-bounces at webjunction.org>]
> On Behalf Of Rachelle Miller
> Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009 9:07 AM
> To: publib at webjunction.org
> Subject: [Publib] sacred cows
>
>
>
> Due to a significant loss in revenue this year and dire predictions for
> next year, we are now taking an extremely close look at all of our services
> to see what we can do without. (We’ve already renegotiated service
> contracts, reduced hours, reduced payroll, travel, supplies, the materials
> budget etc.). This includes looking at sacred cows. Some libraries are now
> doing away with paper notices for overdue items and for holds. We’re
> seriously contemplating doing away with paper notifications and using only
> email for notices but want to make sure we know all of the ramifications
> ahead of time.
>
> For those who’ve done this or are in the process, have you noticed an
> increase in phone calls? Have you had more items returned late? Have you had
> more reserve materials not picked up in time?
>
> If you use email and phone calls, how much additional staff time does it
> take for the calls and how many calls do you make a day?
>
> Is there anything else I should know?
>
> This will not be a popular decision so I’m planning to approach it as not
> only a cost-saving measure, but as a “green” measure. Any other thoughts on
> ways to gain acceptance?
>
> Also, are there any other “sacred cows” libraries have either changed or
> gotten rid of to save money?
>
> FYI, we are a small to medium-sized county district library with a main
> library, two branches (one is a local history library), and a bookmobile.
> Our budget was almost $1.8 million and is now around $1.5 million a year.
> Thanks in advance for your responses.
>
>
>
>
>
> Rachelle Miller
>
> Director
>
> Troy-Miami County Public Library
>
> 419 W. Main St.
>
> Troy, Ohio 45373
>
> 937.339.0502 ext. 16
>
>
>
>
>
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