Funding for Public Libraries Is Essential

There are many ideals, organizations and causes to fight for in this great nation of ours. Thankfully we live a society that allows the average citizen to raise concerns to their government representatives.  When this fails, citizens can take their case to the “streets” in a peaceful manner to have their voices heard.   Allow this blog to serve as a peaceful protest to gain  the  citizens attention.    Voters need to be informed on how and when government money is being spent.    When tax dollars are  spent in our Nation's capital what is the top priority?      If it is education, building up communities and supporting economic growth funding than  continuing to fund libraries should be near the top of the priorities.  
  Why is it important to bring up funding for libraries at this time?  In a nutshell, The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (also known as Labor HHS) is working on the FY 2018 appropriations bill that includes funding for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). Additionally, the  Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program is also facing similar cuts.  Discussions have been focused on eliminating financial support to both programs which amounts to having 210 million dollars cut.  Without this financial support many urban and small libraries will have to make drastic cuts in hours, services and staffing.  In some cases, they may even have to close their doors.    Funding public Libraries would be the most responsible investment in America’s future that the current administration could make, yet they are choosing not to.    Despite what President Trump and his advisors believe, cutting funds to American libraries is striking down the core of community stability and economic advancements.
            Small, rural and urban libraries (making up 80.5% of America’s libraries) depend on LSTA funding to keep their doors open.  What it means for the citizens and patrons of the library is not only access to information in print or electronic, but also programs for lifelong learners of all age.  This includes the little ones preparing to enter preschool to senior citizens.   Libraries are the heart of every community where folks,  in good times and bad, find the one sources where information is available to everyone.  .  When looking for a job to help put food on the table to discovering what to make for dinner from a new cookbook that has just been released.  Allow me to illustrate what cuts in the LSTA  would  mean for a community similar to the one I serve just outside of Detroit.
            Cuts would mean that hours of operations would be jeopardized. This is not a threat it’s a reality.  To bring things closer to home, at one point our library was open five days, 39 hours a week.  Today,  we are at 3 days,  21 hours a week. Patrons have remote access to the library on days that are closed, but only if they have a computer at home.  Most do not.  That’s one’ of the major reasons they come to the library.  In 2011, when Detroit was experiencing the worst of economic times, due to property taxes falling, the Detroit Public Library had to close four branches.  These branches were in areas that had businesses closing, houses abandoned, and a failure in many other city services.  In short,  the surrounding community failed and thus so did the libraries.  One would think that when communities come back from hard economic times, so will their neighborhood libraries.  That’s not always the case as is proven in the Detroit Public Libraries and surrounding urban areas such as Royal Oak Township.  In areas where libraries need financial support the most government funding is often the only hope for a library.
            Resources, such as computers, books and DVDs, would also be in jeopardy.  The library has become the place where the return on investment can be seen each time patrons check out materials.   Going hand in hand with that are the computers needed for internet access allowing patrons to apply for jobs, government assistance even communicating with the local school districts about their child education The Internet has made the library a much needed resources to those who are not able to afford the luxury at home. In a sports analogy, libraries level  the field when it comes to  information access for all.
            Programs, such as the Summer Reading Programs which is just around the corner, will no longer be funded or available for children to attend.  The effects of this would be a slide downwards in reading skills across the board.  The library’s summer reading programs offer children the opportunity to keep their reading skills current during the summer which prepares them for the coming school year.  Studies have shown that children living in poor neighborhoods are less likely to have access to children books in the home.  If breaking the poverty cycle is a goal of government then keeping libraries funded and open is a good first step in that direction.
More importantly than all of the reasons just mentioned,  the library offers a safe place for kids after school.  Many of the children I serve are living in homes were both parents are working two or three jobs.  They come to the library to do homework, catch up with friends or find the right spot for them to unwind with a game or book after school.  Currently, our library closes at six and closed on weekends.  This leaves our patrons looking to use library resources in other communities.  Which can be a hassle in some cases due to lack of library privileges or as in most cases, transportation.  If the Trump administration is looking to strengthen Detroit and other metropolitan cities, it would benefit them to continue funding LSTA.  By this action alone they will be supporting one of the few institutions that support the communities’ lifelong educational needs.  If President Trump refuses to do this, then it is up to our Representatives and Senators to speak up and defend America’s greatest treasure.  The public library.

Marketing the Library: A Few Things To Bear In Mind

If you are not marketing, you are not communicating. If you are not communicating, the community knows nothing about your library. Interesting thought to ponder for library administrators today. Library directors are not thought of as marketing scholars but then again I don't believe any director, or assistant director ever thought they would have to be the Human Resources chief either. It's all in the vain of going with the what you have versus complaining about what you don't have. Which leads to marketing. Without ever having to take a course in business most librarians can do what comes natural Think about the costumer. Pin point what they like or want. Then always and it is imperative to remember this point. Post it on the office door or on the desk. It is simply this: always communicate the positive. Whether your library is big, as in a major city's library or small as in rural libraries, all marketing concerns and hurdles are the same. Finding cost effective means to get the message out. Thanks to the digital era, marketing programs and news about the library can be as simple as tweeting about new bestsellers that have arrived to the registration date of Summer reading programs. However, printed library newsletters that are mailed to every resident can still add value when considering that there are still those without an electronic footprint. Or as one patron once said in a library surgery, "getting something in the mail has a personal touch. Its a sign that someone took the extra effort to reach out to the recipient." Communicating to someone is very personal. One can argue that the old fashioned mail to every address is expensive. This is not that case anymore. The United States Postal Service has made it very affordable to mail business promotions to every address for a rate that is almost too good to be true. (check out Every Door Direct Mail at www.usps.com) As with any business, a library strives or dives by the image it has in the community If the image is negative, then the flow of patrons dwindles down. Which cab lead to losses in state aid. To keep the revenue flowing, all libraries become positive brand promoters. When enticing the taxpayers to visit the library often and offering positive value to the community, the library director has made the community a partner in the library's future. This is not an easy task to do because it is a very delicate balance to achieve. For example, situations can arise where libraries will remains "loyal" to a small portions of the community because this is the group that has always supported the library. This is costly to the library in the sense that they have risked the future of the library. It's good to reward the loyal diehards who always walk into the library. However, if the diehards are demanding that nothing changes, then communicating to entire community is a worthless task and the image of the library as being able to serve only a select few is ingrained in the community. The image of the public library should be that it is there to serve the community. All can agree that the best image of the library is that it is equipped to take on the challenges of the future and use public monies well. The difficulty of small libraries is that with limited funds sometimes it is hard to keep up with the changes. Larger libraries can project that image better. Even if that is the case, a positive image can make the challenges seem invisible. If a library director can create marketing and communications plans that focuses personal and positive messages. It is also important to remember to be persistent. This is another way of saying be polite when nagging. Consider the local dentists who sends out reminders every six months that it's time for a teeth cleaning. The persistence in getting the patient in doesn't stop there. It is often followed up with a friendly phone call to remind the patient of the need to get their teeth cleaned and how convenient is it that the receptionist can schedule that appointment right now? Libraries don't need to schedule appointments but they do need to get their patrons in the door. An email blast may not be enough to get patrons' attention. It may have to be a combination of methods to motivate them to come to the library. Whatever combination works, it is the libraries' best interest to do use it again and again. Marketing and communications is not a one size fits all deal. Every library will find a way to reach out in their own way. The key to being successful at this is to always being communicating with your community. Any opportunity to communicate to the public about what the library does and what it can do should not be wasted or overlook. Finally, don't be afraid to fail. Sometimes, failure is the best teacher.