We want books!
An editorial in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer argues for more funding for the city’s library collections and urges the mayor and City Council to pay more attention to library patrons’ needs.
“A council study suggests that the library needs up to $2.5 million more than requested to maintain a top-notch collection of books, magazines and electronic resources. The study also shows that, due to a 2003-04 budget crisis, funding has been ‘unstable.’”
The editorial notes that once a collection’s strength is reduced, it is extremely difficult to recover and there is no real catch-up funding in the current budget.
“While city librarians had to scrimp on expenditures and patrons got used to huge waiting lists for new books, the neighboring King County Library System (KCLS) thrived. That has already forced minor changes in the mostly seamless ties between the two systems, and it could create bigger troubles if city branches aren’t better stocked.”
As a patron of both library systems, I wholeheartedly agree, except for the “minor changes” bit. I got accustomed to Seattle Public Library’s (SPL) two weeks of closures each year (during historically low use times), but I was extremely upset by the decision last year of King County Library System to no longer allow “holds” by Seattle library users and to deny access to their Overdrive ebook and eaudio collection.
I understood their reasoning since KCLS estimated that Seattle really needed to pay them much more money for reciprocal services to account for the use that Seattle city citzens enjoyed, and SPL didn’t have the money. But I basically lost access to millions of books — it’s too far for me to drive to a KCLS branch without knowing that the books I want will be waiting for me, and I especially regret losing access to the Overdrive collection which seemed more extensive than SPL’s. Of course, there may have been other issues at work in the decision. Having spent 27 years working for and with libraries, I know that politics sometimes drive decsisions.
We have beautiful new and/or remodeled library buildings in Seattle, now it’s time to beef up collections.
Editorial: Library porn filters would block patrons’ legitimate inquiries
An editorial in the San Jose Mercury News says filtering library websites is still a bad idea. Dampening the rights of inquiry and speech of all patrons at every city library is an unacceptable trade-off to address a few complaints. A free account to the newspaper is needed to view the editorial.
“Although the technology has become more sophisticated since the late 1990s, recent studies by Consumer Reports and New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice found that filters remain sweepingly imprecise, continuing to block out information on AIDS and sexual diseases and odd sites like the ‘Let’s Have An Affair’ catering company,” the editorial points out.
But some City Council members are pushing the installation of filters on San Jose city computers again, after failing a decade ago, despite the fact that City library director Jane Light says her office has received only three complaints this year of pornography at branch libraries, where computer terminals tend to be in open areas. She says pornography use constitutes a tiny portion of 700,000 annual sessions on computers at the library. [via LISNews]
Good news for Medford and Ashland libraries
After six months of closure, library buildings reopen today in Medford and Ashland, Ore.
Various celebratory activities are planned, says the Mail Tribune, and other county library branches will reopen next week. [via LISNews]
I found “Identify the devices that slow you down” and “Free wi-fi the safe way” of particular interest. Perhaps you are interested in “Three ways to get more for your money.”
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