A Tale of Two Libraries

In March of this year, one public library existed in Tumbler Ridge.  It had a purple ceiling, very old green carpet, and a layout that made the library appear much smaller than it actually was.

 

By the end of October, a different library existed in Tumbler Ridge.  It had a bright ceiling, new flooring, and a much better layout.

 

So who made the changes from the first library to the second?

We did.

On her very first day of work with us last November, Paula told Sharon and me that the Library felt a little cramped and dark, and that three things needed to be changed:  the ceiling colour, the flooring (for safety reasons as well as to lighten the library), and the shelf layout.  I can't speak for Sharon, but I took a bit of offense to her comments, as I had rearranged a few things earlier in the year that opened up the library layout somewhat.  In any case, I was impressed by the scope of her thoughts about the library, but I wasn't sure if we'd even get that much done over the next two or three years.

...It took less than a year.

During our grant-in-aid application last year, Paula requested funds to replace the library's flooring.  The District of Tumbler Ridge granted us those funds, and they were held by the Community Centre until needed.  

In April, construction resumed on the exterior of the Community Centre, and the library was asked to move everything at least five feet away from the exterior walls.  With some help from Community Centre staff, we moved shelves, placed a great deal of furniture in storage, and prepared ourselves for cramped conditions for a few months.

Paula, Sharon, and I continued working away at the details of our flooring and rearranging project during this time.  The Library staff decided on a type of flooring and a colour for the walls, and I spent a few days making a detailed map of the library and its furniture to design a new layout with.  After a comment by Sharon, Paula asked the Community Centre maintenance staff to look into how easy it would be to remove the walls enclosing the reference room.  When we came in to open the library the next day, half of the walls enclosing the reference room had already been removed.

The remaining walls were removed over the next day.

In early September, Paula hired a contractor to paint the library's ceiling.  The library staff (and Sharon's husband, who helped out) spent a day tarping everything in the library, and we were forced to close for two days while the painting was in progress.

Once we reopened, we prepared for the real work on the library.  Paula had hired a contractor to paint the walls and install the flooring, and he began work in early October.  In a few short days, he had the library painted, and began installing the flooring.  Library staff members worked frantically to stay ahead of him by moving books and shelves away from where flooring still had to be laid, while putting as many shelves in their final locations as soon as possible.

    

By October 19th, we were finished.

 So what's great about the new layout?

1)  The library is much brighter

• open access to the windows
• shelves running parallel to the lights
• brighter flooring and ceiling paint

2)  More space for new books

• previous new book shelf now just holds new adult fiction
• low shelves just inside library now hold new non-fiction

3)  Notebook computer users have places to call home

• the study cubicle at front of library has a power bar mounted to it
• small tables with chairs and our red sectional chairs are available at each of the lamp posts
• the library's main tables are available even when events are taking place

4)  The children's area

• much bigger and brighter
• more room for strollers and parents during children's programs
• combining it with the presentation area freed up space elsewhere in the library

5)  Better shelf layout

• more attractive
• easier to find materials
• room for expansion
• less wasted space (one-sided shelves against walls instead of freestanding back-to-back, etc.)

So that's it folks.  A tale of two libraries.  On behalf of the library staff, I'd like to thank all our library clients who have complimented us on the work we've done.  It wasn't always fun, but I think the end result was certainly worth all the effort.

New World of Overdues

Effective September 1, 2011, the library's overdue system will be changing.

Changes to overdue fees
Books    -    $0.25/day
Magazines - $0.25/day
CDs     -      $0.25/day

Maximum overdue fee per item - $10.00

Patrons will now be billed and suspended once any of their borrowed items becomes six weeks overdue.

So what's the reason behind all of these changes?

Let me explain what it's *not*, first:

It's not that we hate our patrons.  We like them a lot!  Without patrons, we wouldn't get to work at the library!

It's also not a way for us to bring a lot of money into the library.  In the past year (July 2010 - June 2011) the library has collected around $100 per month on average from all overdue fees and replacement fees for lost books.  This represents a very small portion of the library's budget, and if our patrons all return their borrowed items on time, we won't even be collecting that much in the future.

So why are we increasing our overdue fees?

The main reason for increasing our overdue fees is simply to have patrons return their borrowed items on time.  The majority of the library's patrons always return things on time, and the changes to our overdue fees will not affect them at all.  However, we do have a small number of perpetually overdue patrons.  These patrons, while very nice in many other ways, seldom return their items on time, and perhaps increased overdue fees will provide some encouragement for them to do so.

There are a few other reasons though.

The library makes it reasonably easy for you not to have overdue items.

• If we have your current e-mail address in our system, you will automatically receive a courtesy e-mail three days before your items are due.
• We're centrally located, only a minute walk from the main parking lot in the shopping district.
• When you borrow items, you're given a date due slip.
• You may renew items in person, online, or by phone.

Finally, the library hasn't increased its overdue fees in years.  The cost of books and other library materials has been rising steadily for years, and our overdue fees do not reflect this.

We're not naive, folks.  We know some of our patrons will be unhappy with the changes to our overdue system.  But if it encourages all of our patrons to keep track of their library items and return them on time, it'll make things better for all of us.

Everyone a Reader

A few months back while preparing for our strategic plan process, I was told that the library should have a vision statement in addition to our mission statement.  I hadn't heard of a vision statement before, and did some reading.  It sounded to me like vision statements are supposed to be shorter and broader than mission statements, and written to be more of a goal than a process.

Because I wrote the library's mission statement, which was then approved by our library board, I started looking at our mission statement and thinking about how I could adapt it into a vision statement.

The Tumbler Ridge Public Library's mission is to improve and promote literacy, intellectual freedom, and free access to information for all residents of and visitors to Tumbler Ridge.

Even now, in my heavily biased opinion, it seems fairly concise and covers the important things we do around here.  But I had no idea how to condense it further or how to make it into a goal.

After some thinking, considering, and (most importantly) pondering, I came up with this for a possible vision statement:

Everyone a reader.

And that's what it's really all about.  We can define and limit things, but it ultimately comes down to that as a goal.

Everyone a reader.

People borrowing John Grisham's newest?  Readers.

Children looking at picture books?  Readers.

Teenagers browsing graphic novels?  Readers.

Men who only seem to like westerns?  Readers.

Audiobook affictionados?  Readers.

E-book enthusiasts?  Readers.

Everyone a reader.

As long as libraries exist, reading will continue to be a cheap, fun activity suitable for all ages.  There's no reason everyone can't be a reader.

That's the goal folks.  Now we just need to make it happen.

Midsummer Update

Hello good readers,

Today seemed like a good time to update you on things happening around the library now that we've left July (and hopefully all its rain) behind.


Summer Reading Club
Summer Reading Club is still ongoing at the library.  Programs take place at 3pm from Tuesday to Friday every week.  Make sure to register your children and have them return their reading records on time so they can receive a prize at the closing ceremonies!

Tuesday, August 16th:  Reading records due
Friday, August 19th:  Closing Ceremonies at 3pm


Evergreen Update
We've been using Evergreen as the library's ILS for seven weeks now, and it's working out pretty well so far.  I've spent some time fighting with it (and learning interesting things in the process), and on the whole I'm liking it much more than our old system.  We've got to spend more time getting e-mail addresses from patrons into our system so it can send out courtesy e-mails before items are overdue, but things are going very well other than that.


Renovations
Renovations to the Community Centre are continuing.  I know everyone is frustrated with the library's current layout, the lack of seating, and the lack of access to some books (especially the picture books), but we're doing the best we can folks.  Once the interior work is finished, we'll be looking at installing the new flooring we'd hoped to install this year, and then rearranging the library to make the best use of the space we've got.

The rearranging we did last summer and then built on last winter was fairly minor.  We opened up the left side of the library and made it more accessible in general.  But now we're looking at bigger ideas.  Can we move the children's area?  Do we need to look at one-sided shelves to place against walls?  Can we set things up better for patrons using their notebooks or tablets?  So far our answer to those questions is "Yes."

Since Paula arrived in November, she, Sharon, and I have been talking at length about the library's layout and how it could be arranged better.  With any luck, you'll see the results of all those discussions in a few months.


Brief Congratulations
I'd like to take a moment and offer my congratulations to Paula, whose term as Head Librarian recently exceeded the length of my tenure (8 1/2 months) as Interim Head Librarian.  ...I'd also like to congratulate Sharon and myself for behaving for this long and not scaring Paula off with our antics!

On a serious note, I'm still having fun back at my Head of Technical Services position, and am very grateful she's decided to stick around.  Thanks Paula!


History of the Library
I've spent some time over the last few months working on and off on a history of the Tumbler Ridge Public Library.  So I've been reading through the old Tumbler Ridge newspapers stored in the reference room, and transcribing library-related stories.  I'm only up to 1986 so far, but I've found a number of good stories about the early days of the library and Tumbler Ridge in general.

There's a lot happening in Tumbler Ridge right now between the attempt to re-open Quintette Coal, the development of an underground mine, new housing, and wind turbine construction, and I think it's a good time to take a look back.  Thirty years ago, there were some fairly lofty goals set for Tumbler Ridge, and I think now's the time to look at them, then see what we can do about exceeding them.


Online Stuff
Finally, if you're so inclined, please take a moment to read my Twitter feed and the Library's Facebook page.  My Twitter feed is full of random whining, occasional poetry, and nonsensical banter with my brother.  The Library's Facebook page is mostly being used for event announcements, but I've also started posting photos of my current whiteboard drawing of what the library really needs.


And with that folks, I'll bring this blog post to a close.  Take a minute to visit the library, borrow a book, and then enjoy the good weather while it lasts.

Making Preparations...

As you probably know by now, Tumbler Ridge will be experiencing a planned power outage on Thursday, July 28th from 7am to 7pm.  Since we learned of the outage yesterday, library staff members have been preparing for it, and have a few announcements to make.

First, the library will be open its normal hours (10am-8pm), and staff members will be able to check out library items manually.  As always, your library card will be required.

Second, some library services will be unavailable.  The library's computers will be shut down, so patrons will not be able to access the Internet.  In addition, we will be unable to create new patron accounts or accept payments for lost books or overdue fees.

Finally, the library's children's programs will continue as scheduled.  Lapsit will still be held at 11am, and our  Summer Reading Club program will still take place at 3pm.


We're in for an interesting day tomorrow, folks.  Please feel free to come to the library, but be aware that it won't be business as usual.

Know when to hold 'em (always)... Know when to fold 'em (never)...

One of the great things about our new library program, Evergreen, is that it will allow us to handle holds properly.  We're really excited about this at the library, because it'll give patrons better access to the books they want without requiring extra trips to the library.

If you'd like to borrow a book the library has, but you're not able to visit the library this very minute, you can place a hold on the book.  Have your library card ready, and either phone us or visit the library's online catalogue (http://tumblerridge.catalogue.bclibraries.ca) to place a hold on the item.

If the book is out on loan, Evergreen will add you to the queue for the book.  When the book is returned, staff members will be alerted by Evergreen, and the book will be made ready for the next patron in the queue.

If the book is on the library's shelves, Evergreen will add the book to a list of holds for staff members to gather.  At least once a day, library staff members will search the shelves and find the requested items.

If we've got your e-mail address in our system, Evergreen will automatically send you an e-mail telling you that your book is ready to be picked up.  Otherwise, you'll receive a friendly phone call from a staff member (usually Jacob) to tell you that your book is available.

That's it!


So, make sure we've got your current e-mail address and phone number, then try it out!   Place a hold, and then recommend it to your friends.



Now that I've described the former, some of you are probably wondering what the latter part of this post's title refers to.  It refers to the *horrible* practice of folding page corners over instead of using a bookmark.  This method of marking your page is second in vileness only to placing the book in the open, face down position known as the spinebreaker.  Please don't do either one of them folks.  ...while I'm at it, please don't use bacon as a bookmark either...

Adventures in Libraryland

Greetings good readers,

It's been an interesting week so far here in Libraryland.

Monday
The week started when I worked Monday for the first time since I started here over two and a half years ago.  Paula, Sharon and I were in to receive in-person training prior to our library going live on Sitka Evergreen on Tuesday.  Now, the library has been here over 25 years, our hours haven't changed since I started in 2008 (I'm not sure how long they were in place before that), and we've got our hours posted on the door.

...I lost count of how many patrons tried to come into the library.  Every time one of them rattled our locked doors, I hopped down from my perch on the circulation counter, unlocked the doors, and told them "We're closed Mondays -- the only reason the lights are on is because we're receiving training today."  Their response:  "You're closed on Monday?"

It's nice to know people like us to be open, but it would also be nice if people were aware of our hours and didn't insist on trying the doors when we're closed...

Tuesday
Yesterday was the library's official "go live" day with Sitka Evergreen.  We had all hands on deck (and crowding behind the circulation counter).  After going through more training, Paula and I worked with our trainer to try to set up our library's local administrative settings.  I chose one option, saved it, and then the program quit responding to any further changes.  We had lost access to our database.

About ten minutes later, our trainer started hearing about Sitka Evergreen being down across the province.  As a result, we worked on some other things.  Later in the afternoon after Evergreen was back up, our trainer was talking to the tech support team.  I could only hear her side of the conversation, and it went like this:

"So it was us?  The setting Jacob changed did it?"

So it's official folks.  On day one, I crashed the Evergreen server.

To be perfectly honest, I'm kind of proud of the achievement.  I did a bit of a victory lap afterward and was bragging to the other staff about it.

Wednesday
When I was getting ready for work this morning, I decided to bring back a stack of my borrowed interlibrary loans.  I haven't had a chance to process the returns since I got back from the Beyond Hope conference last Thursday, so they've been piling up.  I had just carried over a stack of 20+ interlibrary loan books to my desk when Paula caught me and said "Oh Jacob, did you hear that Canada Post has locked out their employees?"

...So I put back my stack of books.  I'm hoping the situation gets resolved soon because my basket for books belonging to other libraries has a very finite space limit, and we're rapidly approaching it.


So that's what's been happening so far this week folks.  Stay tuned, because we'll be keeping busy over the next week in particular as we continue to learn how to use Evergreen and prepare for the Summer Reading Club opening ceremonies next Wednesday.

Summer Reading Club 2011 -- Savour Each Word

It's that time of the year again.  School is winding down, and everyone is wondering what there is around town for kids to do this summer...

As always, the Tumbler Ridge Public Library will be having Summer Reading Club all summer long!  Once your children are registered, they'll enjoy fun activities at the library four days a week, keep their minds active, and receive a prize at the end of the summer for the reading they've done.

This year, Summer Reading Club runs from July 5th to August 19th.

Summer Reading Club Schedule

Wednesday, June 22nd at 3pm -- Opening Ceremonies
      Registration
      Stories
      Music
      Facepainting
      Popcorn
      Door prizes

Weekly Schedule (starting July 5th)
      Tuesday at 3pm -- Storytime and a craft
      Wednesday at 3pm -- Storytime
      Thursday at 3pm -- Storytime and a craft
      Friday at 3pm -- Storytime

Friday, August 19th at 3pm -- Closing Ceremonies
      Prizes
      Medals
      Fun!

So sign your children up, and have them spend their summer at the library!



Before I wrap this up, I'd like to thank all the sponsors who have donated to Summer Reading Club so far:

Spectra Energy
Walter Energy Western Coal
Peace River Coal
Capital Power
Lion's Club of Tumbler Ridge
Lakeview Credit Union
Encana
Avalanche Trucking
Dr. Mark Sevier
Uniglobe 
Chetwynd Dental Clinic

Thanks folks!  This program wouldn't be possible without all your help!

Incoming!

Later this afternoon, Mandarin, the program responsible for the library's catalogue and circulation, will be shut down for the last time.  This weekend, technicians will be uploading the library's data, and the library will officially start using Sitka Evergreen starting Monday.

Instead of writing a lengthy essay about what Sitka Evergreen is, and what it'll do for the library, I've decided to just post a list of questions and answers I wrote for staff members so they could talk to patrons about Evergreen.

So what is Sitka Evergreen?

Evergreen is an open source integrated library system (ILS) -- the program that handles the library's cataloguing and circulation.  Sitka Evergreen is the name for the group of BC libraries that are installing Evergreen.

Why is the Tumbler Ridge Public Library switching to Evergreen?

• Using the same program as other libraries in BC will allow us to
• Share our catalogue listings
• Make it easier for patrons to find books to request through interlibrary loans
• Reduce duplication of effort between libraries
• Lower cataloguing costs
• Give our library a say in how our ILS will be developed and improved going forward
• Evergreen will also allow us to
• Properly track youth accounts
• Distribute overdue and hold notices by e-mail

How will Evergreen change things for me?

• Patrons will be required to show their library cards to borrow or renew items
• The Library's grace period will be reduced to one day
• The Library's online catalogue will look different and offer a number of extra functions, including
• the ability to search the catalogue of every BC library using Evergreen
• a shelf browser, which will show you items shelved near the title you've searched for

Why do I need to carry my library card to borrow items?

Evergreen works differently from Mandarin, our current system.  As a side benefit, requiring library cards to borrow or renew items will increase individual user security, as patrons will no longer be able to borrow books based on their knowledge of another patron's name and/or phone number.

Why is the grace period only one day?

The grace period is programmed into Evergreen, and may not be changed by individual libraries at this time.

Will the library's loan lengths or fines change?

No.  Items will still be loaned for the same length of time, and overdue fines will be unchanged.

The staff members at the library have had training and access to a test server to practice with, but we're still learning exactly what Evergreen can do.  It'll be a few weeks before we're completely comfortable with it.  In the meantime, please bear with us, and always remember your library card.

Garbage-pickers aren't so bad...

When I was a child, and my family visited my grandparents, we'd often play canasta.  If any one of us picked up the discard pile when there was less than a dozen cards or so, we'd be called a garbage-picker.  Regardless of our intentions (often grabbing one or two cards we needed to finish a canasta, etc.), we were labeled for picking up and collecting something that others felt was worthless.

I see that happening at the library sometimes, and it really bugs me.  People with an inflated sense of their own literary tastes put down readers and authors who don't live up to their expectations.

"You really read him/her?"

"I can't/won't read that trash."

"He/She isn't a *real* author."

For those of you who have expressed these sorts of sentiments (and to be fair, I've done it once or twice in my life in response to authors who write more books than I do blog entries), I'd like to request in the politest way possible that you keep them to yourself.  Here's why:

1)  Adult illiteracy is a major issue.

• As I've written about before, we live in a time when illiteracy is a huge concern.  There are many people who will never voluntarily read a book after high school.  As a society of readers, we need to be encouraging people to read, nomatter what the content.

2)  Library funding is derived from circulation (to an extent).

• If elitist readers drive away patrons, the library's circulation stats will plummet and the library's book purchasing budget will follow.  At that point, the library will have to focus its fiction budget on titles that appeal to as many patrons as possible, and will no longer be able to purchase books that appeal to that small elitist subset.

3)  Indiscriminate reading should not offend you.

• Reading is not a conspicuous activity.  Short of reading pornographic materials in public, reading is not an activity where the participant makes a point of doing something to impress or offend bystanders.

4)  There's nothing wrong with trashy novels.

• Okay, these books will probably never be used as a basis of an academic dissertation.  People can still derive pleasure from reading them.  These people are still reading and using their imaginations rather than passively consuming television and other media.

I've read the Illiad.  I also read Star Trek novels.  The universe is not constructed in a way that requires me to only enjoy one or the other.  So leave those readers alone who don't match your expectations, and perhaps try picking up a trashy novel.  Who knows?  You might even enjoy it.

Synchronicity and Summer Reading Club

Greetings, good readers.

Last week Sharon spent a large portion of her time preparing her fundraising letters for Summer Reading Club.  Each year she sends out letters asking for support for this program, and a handful of businesses and organizations have been very generous and made the Summer Reading Club possible.

Sharon was finishing off the letters this morning and was getting ready to mail them when she received an out-of-the-blue phone call from Glenn Auger of Spectra Energy.  He was coming to the library to present us with a cheque for the Summer Reading Club.  Meanwhile, the envelope addressed to Spectra Energy was sitting on Sharon's desk, just waiting to be sealed and stamped.

Glenn stopped in shortly before I left for lunch.  He told Sharon that Spectra Energy knew of the importance of the Summer Reading Club and literacy at a very young age.  Then Glenn presented Sharon with a cheque, posed for a photo, and left with our profound thanks.

Now I'd just like to take a moment to thank Spectra Energy for their donation and for kicking off the Summer Reading Club.  The Summer Reading Club is largely funded by donations of this kind.  The funds are used to buy program supplies, help pay for summer students, develop our children's collections, and (most importantly) buy prizes to reward members of the Summer Reading Club at the end of the summer.  It's a fantastic program that helps keep the children of TR entertained and educated over the summer, and we certainly appreciate the help.

Thanks Glenn.  Thanks Spectra Energy.

Living in the Chaos Zone

Hello good readers, and welcome to a brief blog entry.

Two weeks ago, we were told that work on the community centre envelope would be starting again shortly.  Due to the work required on the exterior wall of the library, we were asked to move everything at least five feet away from those walls.

We spent the next three days (Thursday, Mar. 31 -- Saturday, Apr. 2) moving books, shelves, and furniture with a great deal of help and sweat from the community centre staff.  Due to space constraints, the library's large tables and most of its seating have been placed in storage.

Shortly after we were warned about the pending construction, the silence we've enjoyed over the past few months was shattered as the contractors continued their work.

On Saturday morning while I was shifting books on the shelves, there were a series of loud thumps on the roof which caused one of our fluorescent light covers near me to fall and shatter.  The community centre staff responded, and they've since removed all the light covers so that incident will not be repeated.

In spite of everything, we *are* open for business.  If you visit us at the library, you will likely find it noisy and cramped, but we are open.  Our hours will not change over the next few months, and the library will not (barring any unforeseen dangers associated with the renovation work) close while construction is ongoing.

Before I wrap up this blog post, let's make a deal folks.  If you don't complain to me about the noise and cramped conditions (which are thoroughly beyond my control), I won't rant at you about how I have to work full time under these conditions.

...Wanna shake on it?

Spring Break 2011 at the Library

Tuesday marks the beginning of Spring Break at the library.  Now, before anyone gets *too* excited, Spring Break at the library does not involved attractive college-aged people partying on the beach in swimsuits.  Instead, the library offers two programs (each a week long) for children.

(Please note:  there are a limited number of spaces available for each workshop.)

Pre-registration is required.

 

Week 1 (Mar. 22-Mar. 25):  Paper Mache Workshop with Sharon

Sharon will be working with the children on a week-long paper mache project.  In past years, these projects have included piggy banks and monsters, and this year will be different again.  The children will start by building a basic paper mache shell, and will paint their finished creations later in the week.

Registered participants should wear old clothes, as paper mache tends to be messy.


Week 2 (Mar. 29-Apr.1):  Juggling Workshop with Jacob

In the first part of the week, I'll be showing children how to make their own juggling balls.  After everyone has made a set of juggling balls, I'll be teaching them the basics of juggling:

• two ball
• two ball in one hand
• three ball

Later in the week, I'll be teaching more advanced juggling skills to children who have mastered the basics:

• palm-down three ball
• four ball
• juggling oversized/irregular objects

Finally, I may (time, supply, circumstances, and ceiling height permitting) give a demonstration of my ability to juggle three soccer balls.

...and with that, you now know why I've been seen juggling in the library the past week.  If I'm going to be teaching it, I need the practice.

Failed Blog Posts

I've spent the last half hour or so trying to write a blog post about our latest new book list.

A few patrons have noted that the list contained around three times as many non-fiction books as fiction books.  I was going to explain why in a lengthy post, but the answer boils down to me saying "Stuff happens."  Our book suppliers ship books out to us as they get them in stock, etc., and sometimes that means we receive shipments with many more non-fiction books than fiction books, or vice-versa.

There.  That's all I actually needed to write.  But I've got an inflated sense of my own self-importance, and don't think I should be writing blog posts like that.  I want my blog posts to be epic, thought-provoking, and stellar examples of good writing.  How can I possibly achieve those goals with a three sentence blog post?

In any case, after I gave up on the two previous attempts to write that entry, I looked under the "Edit Posts" tab.  There were five saved draft blog posts that I had never deleted.  Two were blank and two were failed first attempts at posts I eventually completed.

The final draft blog post in that folder was one I attempted to write called "The Next Five Years."  In a few weeks, the library board and senior staff members will be meeting with Andy Ackerman to create a strategic plan for the next five years.  Before I started here, the library created a vision pathway which looked to me like a childish drawing full of pie-in-the-sky ideas like a brand new library building with a built-in theatre for presentations (among other things).

I believe our strategic plan will be a little more concrete than the vision pathway.  As part of the preparation for it, I had to answer a bunch of questions about the library's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (to which I wish I had answered "me", "not enough of me", "cloning me", and "meteors" respectively).  At the end, I had to write down one goal for the library in the next five years.

While there are many worthwhile goals we could strive for, I settled on a fairly simple one:  to double our annual in-library visits by 2015.  We had approximately 56,000 visits to the Tumbler Ridge Public Library in 2010.  If Tumbler Ridge grows as many people expect, we expand our collection, and we continue to offer excellent programming, I think this is a reachable goal.

I think that wraps it up for this blog post that was built on the ruins of others.  Perhaps next time I'll have a topic worth writing an epic, thought-provoking post about...

Lessons not taught, conventions unfollowed?

Be forewarned -- this blog post has very little to do with the library or literacy in a conventional sense (though it does address a related field of literacy --that of chronological literacy).  You have been warned...



Over the past few weeks, I've noticed an interesting trend.  We're seeing a glut of children (most seem to be preteens) coming in to the library and asking staff members what time it is.  Now, none of us mind answering that question.  Even though we don't record it as such in our stats, it's one of the easiest reference questions we're ever asked (next to "where's the washroom?").  But I'm starting to find the trend a little alarming.

We have a clock in plain view behind and above the circulation counter.  The clock is large enough that I can clearly see the numbers from the opposite side of the library.  The only assumption I can draw based on that (other than sheer laziness) is that these children can't tell time -- at least, not with an analogue clock face.  I learned to tell time that way in the first grade. (if my parents didn't teach me before then -- I can't remember for sure...)

Is telling time on analogue clocks/watches a skill that's not taught anymore?  In the past year, I've heard that many children are no longer being taught cursive handwriting, and I thought that was borderline ridiculous.  But at least people who cannot write cursive can take a stab at deciphering it.  The same isn't true for people who have only learned to tell time on digital clocks.  In a very real sense, these people are functional chronological illiterates.

Perhaps this is part of a growing trend against the regular wearing of watches in favor of carrying cell phones.  When I was growing up and given my first watch (an analogue watch), it was like a rite of passage.  I got to wear a watch, and was officially a big kid!  A year or so later, it was supplanted with a more kid-friendly watch (with a stretchy wristband instead of a traditional strap), but the idea stayed with me.

A few years later, I was given my first digital watch just in time for my teen years, and my current watch was given to me on my eighteenth birthday -- to accompany my entrance to manhood.  These watches have meant a lot to me over the years.  My current watch saw me through the end of high school, my years at university, timed my exercise over the past year and a half, and even traveled to Japan with me.  The writing along the edges has been worn away, the buttons stick, and the watch face is starting to accumulate large scratches.  My left wrist has a patch of skin that's permanently pale, indented, and ridiculously smooth.  This watch has been through three batteries, five watch straps, and I absolutely *will not* get rid of it until the day it refuses to work at all.

We live in a world where so much is considered disposable and so many old things and ideas are discarded.  I implore you folks -- don't let that happen here.  Teach your kids how to tell time on analogue clock faces.  Give them a watch instead of a cell phone for their birthday -- the watch and the meaning behind it will stay with them much longer than a 3-year contract.

A match made in the ...clubhouse?

Greetings and salutations good readers,

If you keep up with my Twitter feed (helpfully displayed on the right side of this blog), you already know that I spent much of yesterday working on things related to a golf tournament the library will be hosting in June.

In the past year, we've tried to broaden the library's fundraising efforts.  We've had some success in requesting donations for the Summer Reading Club last year (thanks to all of our generous donors), and holding small to medium fundraisers such as cakewalks and our white elephant sale.  The one thing we haven't tried is a large scale event-based fundraiser.

At a fundraising meeting last summer, the idea of holding a golf tournament was brought up.  I liked the idea, but at this point, I'm not sure if I can even claim that I play golf.  After all, I didn't make it out at all last summer and only went golfing once in 2009...

In any case, Brenda, our board chair, liked the idea and she started thinking about it.  She asked Chuck, the administrator of the community centre, to help with the planning and things have been moving along since then.  We had a meeting a few weeks ago where Paula and I learned more about golf tournaments and we decided on a few of the details.

At this point, I think I should (quickly) point out that certain details may change by the time of the actual tournament.  The library has never held a golf tournament before, and we're learning while we plan this one.  As it stands right now, we're planning a team best ball tournament for players 12+ with a field of 72 players.

All golfers out there, please stay tuned for more information, and in the meantime I'll leave you with this:

Best Ball for Books:

Golf Tournament for Literacy and your Library

Tournament:  Saturday, June 11, 2011

Registration Deadline:  Tuesday, May 17, 2011

One book at a time...

Greetings and welcome to February!

If you've been around the library during the past four weeks, you've probably seen staff members doing inventory and rearranging the library.  We're getting close to the finish line on inventory.  I'm hoping (emphasis on this word) that we can finish the "people in the shelves checking things off and swearing" portion of the inventory by the end of next week.  Then we'll have a day or two of computer work, and we should be done -- about a month earlier than last year.

So what happens when we're done inventory?

1)  Post-inventory work

While doing inventory, we've found a number of books on our shelves that were not in our catalogue.  As a result, those books cannot be searched for in our computers or loaned to patrons.  Sharon, Paula, and I will be working our way through these stacks to decide what can be discarded and re-cataloguing the rest.

2)  More library rearranging

In the future, we may be combining our adult non-fiction, and junior non-fiction, and reference collections.  Right now if patrons search for non-fiction books in a particular subject, they have to go to three different areas of the library to find them.  In many cases, we have 3-4 books on a subject, but they're spread out among these three separate collections.  Putting the collections together should make life easier for patrons searching for books, and will make life easier for staff members because we won't have to draw the line between junior non-fiction, adult non-fiction, and reference any longer. 

3)  Preparation for Sitka

Sitka is the new library program we'll be transitioning to later in 2011.  Paula and I participated in a conference call for Sitka-bound libraries on Friday, and learned a little more about the transition process.

4)  Ordering books

The hardest part about doing inventory is holding off on tasks we enjoy doing, like ordering new books.  I can't speak for Sharon or Paula, but I'm chomping at the bit to start ordering again.  We'll be putting extra emphasis on non-fiction this year, as Paula has identified some areas of desperate need while doing inventory.  Beyond that, we'll continue to order the best of new fiction, children's books, and more graphic novels as we've done in the past.

We've got a lot ahead as soon as inventory is out of the way, so stay tuned!

Library Rearranging 2.22

Greetings and welcome to another edition of "Pat Yourself and the Other Staff Members on the Back Jacob"

When Paula started at the library in November, she pointed out to Sharon and me (fairly early on) that the library was fairly dark.  We've got a decent amount of windows to let natural light in, but many of the shelves, the carpet, and the ceiling were all dark colours.  Painting the ceiling would be a huge job that would probably require the library to shut down for a few days.  Replacing the carpet (which hopefully will happen in the future) is another huge undertaking.  That left the shelves.

Paula asked a friend of hers to paint the library's green shelves a lighter colour to brighten up the library.  In the process of doing that, we rearranged a few things, and discussed rearranging more.  Ultimately, we removed one shelf section from the adult paperbacks, added more shelves to the remaining sections, and spaced out the remaining paperback shelves so they aren't as cramped.  When the paint dried on the first set of paperback shelves, we prepared to move the shelf to its new home against the front wall of the library.

To move that shelf, however, we needed to move the final shelf of junior paperback.  The discussion of how to move the shelves resulted in a plan to completely rearrange the left side of the library.  So last Friday (January 21st), Paula, Chris, Sharon, and I spent pretty much the entire day moving shelves.

As long as I've been here, we've had shelves in the children's section that stuck out from the wall and left a series of dead end aisles.  We changed it, and now we've got two long aisles of children's books running down the left side of the library.  There are still two shelves sticking out from the wall holding the junior fiction and most of the junior paperback, but they're spaced out better.

We moved the study carrel to the blank wall opposite the magazines, and it fits much better there.


So here's the view of the children's section along the front wall of the library.  The picture books run along the back wall and wrap around on the front left, the junior non-fiction run along both interior shelves, and junior paperback series run along the outside right shelves.

These shelves are the end of the children's books and hold the non-series junior paperback and the rest of the junior fiction.

All the rearranging opened up the left corner of the library further,  giving us room for a larger reading area and a new place for our sale books.

The library is brighter, more spacious, and no staff members suffered noticeable injuries in the process (though Sharon did complain of a broken nail).

We're still in the process of doing inventory, so I doubt we'll be doing much more rearranging in the short term.  But anything is possible, so stay tuned!

My Plant

In mid-April 2010, I bought an African violet.  The woman who was selling them as part of a fundraiser had spoken up on the library's behalf a few nights before at an open meeting with town council.  At the time, I wasn't in a position to speak up (I had only been interim head librarian for about a month at that point), and really appreciated her arguing on our behalf.  As a result, when I saw her selling the violets as a fundraiser, I bought one.

Now, I don't have a particularly green thumb.  I have absolutely no plants in my condo, and do not rent a plot at the community garden.  I improvised a water catch tray from a weird lid, and watered the violet daily from a plastic cup.  Somehow (I'm not sure how), I managed to keep it healthy enough for it to bloom again.  At the same time, I fought a never-ending battle against other library staff members who couldn't walk by the violet without stroking its leaves.

So now the violet sits on the second tier of my desk out front.  A few months back, the woman who sold me the violet came in to the library and asked if it was the same one she had sold me.  I said that it was, and she was amazed that it was looking so good.

This violet has gone through a few rough stretches though.  I'm pretty sure I was overwatering it at first, and I damaged a few leaves when I smacked my pen down on them to prove a point to one of the other staff members here.  So I've had to do some pruning of leaves that are in bad shape.  But the violet is still here, still alive, and still looking pretty good.  I've even placed a small origami crane in the violet because I thought it was funny to have a bird "nesting" in the violet.

...now if only I could get it to bloom again.

Clash of Ideals

Greetings folks!

I thought I'd kick off my (real) blogging in 2011 with something nonsensical:  a discussion of the ongoing Cola War in the library.

A few weeks back, I wrote about the nature of caffeine usage in the library.  I didn't go into much detail at the time, but the majority of caffeine consumed in the library comes in one of two isotopes:  Pepsi or Coca-Cola -- and therein lies the conflict.

The library is in the midst of a Cola War, and has been for some time.  In many superficial ways, it's like any other ongoing war.  There are a few gung-ho combatants on either side, separated by many people who are indifferent (or have a mild preference for one side).  Civilians are often drawn into the war regardless of their wishes.  There are often silly battles fought for dubious goals, and the likelihood of having a clear winner is low.

==The Battle==

In the early days of the war (August 2008), a prominent member of the Red Army quit the war.  Her loss was mourned, as the ranks of the Red Army were depleted.

The newcomer on the battlefield officially pledged allegiance to neither side, and indeed, patronized both.  However, it quickly became clear he was sympathetic toward the goals of the Blue Army.  In the weeks and months that followed, this new entrant stepped up the Blue campaign through the use of extensive propaganda.

In March 2010, the neutral head of the peacekeeping force between the warring sides retired.  Unaware of the newcomer's sympathy towards the Blue Army, the committee named him as the interim commander of the peacekeeping force.  This act set the stage for the final defeat of the Red Army.  However, a combination of apathy and budgetary constraints limited the commander to brief skirmishes against the Red Army combined with an ongoing propaganda campaign.

This state of affairs continued unaltered until November 2010.  At that time, the interim commander joined the ranks of the Blue Army and stepped down to make way for a new commander.  She quickly professed her total support for the Red Army.  The forces of the south have risen again, and the battle continues on.....

==Reality Goggles On==

When I started working at the library in 2008, I was replacing a Coke fan.  Originally I was a Pepsi fan, but then switched to Coca-Cola when Vanilla Coke was released.  When Vanilla Coke was taken off the market (truly a sad day), my preference drifted until I ended up consuming both brands roughly equally.  Even though I still drink both, I'm officially a Pepsi fan while working at the library.

When I started at the library, Rebekah was an ardent Coke fan, and it was fun to bug her about it.  The high point was when Michelle (one of our pages at the time) and I placed a skeleton in Rebekah's chair before Halloween.  The skeleton had a can of Pepsi taped to its hand and a sign around its neck that said "Even the undead prefer Pepsi".  I continued making signs in this style for a variety of objects (a mummy, a roll of bubble wrap, and a stick horse).

As interim head librarian, I made a number of jokes about making Pepsi the official cola of the library or approaching Pepsi for sponsorship (after which we'd have to ban Coca-Cola from the library).  Of course, none of these jokes even came close to coming true.

Paula was hired as head librarian in November 2010, and last week I learned that she's also a Coca-Cola fan.  She joked that when she's at restaurants and they ask if Pepsi is okay, she says "Well, it's not okay, but that's how things are."

So I guess what I'm saying is that we *won't* be painting the library in Pepsi colours any time soon.

Still Alive...

Hi folks, and welcome to 2011.

At the moment, I'm very glad I never officially made a resolution to post on this blog more often in 2011.  We've been very busy the past few weeks with inventory, preparation for our winter carnival activities, moving books around so shelves can be painted, and sending in our grant-in-aid application.

Once things settle down again I plan to be on here more often, keeping everyone up to date with what's happening in the library (or at the very least, writing about unimportant, but amusing things).

Have faith readers -- I'll be back here with a *real* blog post and cake in the next few weeks.

...The blog post is the truth.  The cake is a lie.

(sorry folks -- couldn't resist the reference)