The Olympia library should stay open

And, frankly, I’m surprised that anyone is suggesting that it close.

The situation in Olympia certainly has gotten worse over the last few months, but I don’t think it is isolated and or even centered on the library.

I also disagree strongly that the staff in the library being at fault for unlawful acts at the library. I especially wouldn’t blame people who work in the library every day. I know they’ve been working hard to make the library a welcoming and safe place.

I also think one of the worst things you could do would be to shut off the library to the vast majority of the public who still depend on the library, despite what has been going on.

After the stabbing downtown earlier this summer, our reaction wasn’t to shut down Intercity Transit or Sylvester Park. We continued to try to draw people into our city with Music in the Park, Lakefair and the Pet Parade.

Board meeting tomorrow in Montesano (feasibility studies for Oakville and Morton)

The two most interesting to read documents for our meeting tomorrow are the feasibility studies for two possible joint use libraries in Oakville and Morton.

We’ve been discussing the future of Oakville (study) for a few years now, hopefully this option of moving into and improving the current high school library is a good option. It sure is nice to see some real words on paper about what exactly the facility would look like.

The facility situation would be much the same in Morton (here’s the study for that facility).

Now, I may be reading this wrong, but the total cost of making over both school libraries into public libraries is included in the studies. For Oakville and Morton, the costs would be $76,000 and $83,000 respectively. The seems like a very reasonable and doable cost for both. I’m very excited.

Here’s the entire meeting packet.

New Olympia library manager coming in June and meeting the public services manager tonight

One important note from the materials for tonight’s meeting posted on the TRL website, there’s a new library manager coming to Olympia. Donna Feddern, who currently works as the Digital Services Manager for the Escondido Public Library in California, will start in June.

Our current executive director, Cheryl Heywood, was the last Olympia manager. But, last year she became the interim public services manager for the entire distirct and then we (the trustees) hired her to be director last fall.

We’ll also be welcoming our new public services manager, Kristine Tardiff, at the meeting tonight. She most recently worked at the San Luis Obispo County Library.

I’m not ashamed to say that California’s loss is Timberland’s gain!

More on maker kits

During the trustee meeting tonight I asked some questions about the maker kits mentioned in the department reports.

The back story is the staff is trying to fit the idea of a makerspace into what TRL calls “programs in a box,” which is a set of supplies a particular library could request and have on had to hold an event. For example, a small rural library could get the knitting “program in a box” delivered and the staff could get acquainted with the program and supplies. Then a week later, they’d hold a program/training on how to knit.

Of course, a knitting kit would qualify as a maker kit.

So, they’re trying to figure out what exactly they could “fit in the box” for maker kits for libraries that don’t have the available space for a permanent makerspace. Tim Mallory, the adult services coordinator, said that their timeline is to have some maker kits deployed by the end of the year.

New “Maker kits” at Timberland Libraries (coming soon)

From the Department reports for tomorrow’s meeting, a reference to the development of Maker Kits:

In addition to revising and updating existing kits, we will develop new kits center on the theme of “Maker Kits” based on the concept of “Maker Spaces”. These kits will all enable the involvement of participants in creative activities extending their skills and interests by providing tools and materials not normally available in their communities. 45 examples of maker spaces were reviewed from a “Maker Spaces” web site, and we will individually and collectively work on implementation ideas for this year.

Last year there was a short discussion (online and otherwise) about hosting a Makerspace at the Olympia library. Obviously, space is an issue, but it is great to see our staff making positive moves in this direction!

Entering into negotiations with Cheryl Heywood for the library director position

Earlier tonight the library board voted to enter into negotiations with Cheryl Heywood for the library director. Heywood was one of three candidates that participated in public forums and interviews with the board. She’s currently the interim public services director at Timberland.

The media for tonight’s meeting should be available here soon.

I myself was impressed by the diversity and overall quality of the final candidates. Each had unique qualities and strengths that would have benefited the library. You can read more about the candidates here.

What I want on Black Friday

Not this.

I want the library to be open.

Maybe not all the branches and not in the typical library open way. Maybe just one branch in a county (or tight geographic area) and we should do something special. Something low-key, something relaxed.

Timberland does a kick-off for summer reading at the Olympia library each year. The building hosts a magic show, arts and crafts and other activities. Maybe we could host some sort of lower key, community focused event in a few libraries across the district. Live music, activities and maybe a Friends book sale.

Thanksgiving is the day that we get together with our families, maybe the day after should be the day we get together with our community.

Another alternative to breaking the “ebook blockage”

Run an ebook system without the “Big 6” like Douglas County:

In a free market, companies are free to set their prices. But we are free to seek a better deal – and we’ve found one. Instead of passively accepting what amounts to a 33% reduction in the purchasing power of the library, we’ll be extending our network of electronic publishers to include those who are more responsive to our needs and budgets.

 

We have now identified some 12 groups of publishers, comprising over 800 individual companies. We have purchased from them over 7,000 ebook titles, which are now available from our catalog. We are buying the titles at discount, and we actually own them. This model of distribution, created by Douglas County Libraries, is now being picked up by hundreds of libraries across the nation. And we’re signing up new publishers every day.

 

The best part of this Douglas County experiment I’ve seen so far has been this price comparison sheet (via No Shelf Required). Fifty Shades of Gray, for example, $50 for your local public library, $10 for you.

What we could be doing instead of breaking the “ebook blockade”

EDIT 11/14 8:04 p.m. Please forgive the the tone of the following post. I’ve rudely overstated my point, that libraries should accept that publishers are being unreasonable in terms of ebook licensing. This is unfortunate and I hope at some point public libraries and big publishers come to an understanding. But, in waiting for something like that to happen, I believe in alternatives.

Above all, I’d like a healthy dialogue on this topic.

Breathless report on the ebook crisis(!) from our library neighbors:

Managers will share about a confusing and frustrating dilemma: publishers are not allowing libraries, including Pierce County Library, to buy e-books. Publishers have not provided a clear answer to their blockade of libraries or holding them hostage to outrageously inflated prices or heavy restrictions. With the advent of e-books publishers have drawn an arbitrary line and they are either not selling to libraries or doing so at costs 100-300% higher than the list price of books or with heavy restrictions. Currently, only two of the six major publishers will sell to libraries at either an exorbitant cost or with substantial restrictions. Pierce County Library wants to participate in the e-book business and supply the demand its customers are calling for from e-book choices. This month the Library will work to inform the public about the blockade and further tell publishers it wants to offer e-books to Pierce County residents.

Dilemma! Blockade! Hostage! Arbitrary!

If you’re unfamiliar with the issue between major publishers and libraries on ebooks, here’s some background.

But, basically, publishers have either not been allowing libraries to lend ebooks or putting on some pretty strict controls. And, honestly, I’m giving up caring about it.

First, it isn’t arbitrary (though it may seem so) for a publisher to want to control the at no cost distribution of their product. As much as I’d like to wish for there be no difference between ebooks and real books in the library/publisher relationship, there is. And, publishers don’t want to play, which is absolutely within their right.

Second, I’m wondering if its good for libraries to be so wound up about caring. I know a lot of our patrons now own ereaders (and tablets and phones). And, since we buy or lease a lot of copies of popular titles, we assume they we need to make sure our patrons can get those in any format available. But, at a certain point, if publishers don’t want that to happen… well okay, let’s move.

One thing I’ve learned in the last few year is public agency budgets are a serious zero sum game. If you’re not doing one thing its because you’re doing something else. So, lets ask: if we’re supplying popular ebooks from the big five publishers, what aren’t we doing?

My top priority would be cultivating local content. Digitizing essentially public domain titles we own that no one else owns (local histories, for example). Or, maybe local music.

I know this isn’t apples to apples in terms of patron interest. You wouldn’t be able to say to someone looking for “Graced, Dream Realms Trilogy, #3 – Part 1” by Sophia Sharp and expect them to walk away with an ebook of “How the West Was Once.”

But, getting back to the basics of public budgeting, what is the most important use of a public dollar? A great local history available no where else in the world? Or (something less local and more popular):

 

Laura has been reunited with Logan, and together they must face the elders. But this time, they have the angels on their side. It is a precious advantage, but only if used properly…

 

Okay, I was a bit rude using that passage to describe what I thought. I still think my overall point is valid. Let’s spend money on important things first, popular ebooks second.

Re: Seattle library fact check experiment risky, but valuable

I’m not sure the participation by the Seattle Public Library in the Living Voters Guide was all that dangerous. From a somewhat old story by Monica Guzman in the Seattle Times.

This week I’ve been hearing the old trope about “if everything’s on the internet, what role do libraries have?” The question is set up to be a straw man for professional librarians to knock down by explaining the traditional role libraries play and will continue to play.

That said, everything should be on the internet and libraries should be helping put it there. Libraries should be about making information easier to find, not protecting their turf by hoarding yet to be uploaded material. That said, libaries and librarians should be ever-present on the internet, doing the sort of work Seattle Public recently did.