The Economy and Libraries

It has been extremely busy since the first of the year. Libraries across the nation have reported a sharp rise in library attendance and use of library services. Many coreelate the hard economic times and the rise in the unemployment figures to the increased demand for library services. Why rent movies when you can check them out from the library for free. Why buy books that you are unlikely to read again, when you can borrow them from the library at no or little cost. Looking for something free to do with the kids, check out what is going on at the library. Library managers are stretching their budgets and staff to cover this increased demand.

While all this is happening inside library buildings, city, county and state administrators are facing large budget deficits and demand to cut spending. This usually translate into cutting services and costing jobs. Yet in the library, we are witnessing much higher attendance, circulation and demand for services. It is hard to find a better value for our tax dollars.

Librarians are very creative, we rise to the challenge and we will weather this, too. It is time for evaluating our resources, deciding what services are important for this current situation, and making some long range plans for the coming years. All the economic indicators say this crises will not be passing by quickly. This is time to trim away the dead limbs, the outdated services and practices and really step into the 21st century. I look at this hard time as a time for transitions, a time to get fit and trim and into peak running condition.

Over the next few weeks I'm planning to spend quite a bit of time thinking. Thinking about what is really important to the people using the El Toro Library. Thinking about where we should be in five or ten years. Thinking about how this can be accomplished. Thinking about engaging the community into greater support for library services. This is the challenge.