Ideas

Confession: I miss library school.

I miss the open sharing of ideas with enthusiasm and excitement. While I am certainly learning in the field, it just isn't the same.

People seem guarded...even cynical. They don't have time. They already know it all. They are too shy. Perhaps they've had their ideas/thoughts/opinions mocked by others and are subsequently insecure about sharing. Blah blah blah blah. A plethora of reasons.

Within the last few months, I had someone say to me (paraphrase), "You have interesting ideas, but they aren't always applicable."

Ideas are seeds -- they need to be cultivated. Don't kill the creativity and flow just because it doesn't seem readily applicable to your X and Y variables.

Shape it. Cultivate it. Encourage it.

Conclusion: I miss the openness and freedom of expression that library school encouraged.

Marshall District Library: Explore, Discover, Grow

On Friday, July 20, Janet and I took a road trip to visit Library Director Angela Semifero at Marshall District Library in downtown beautiful historic Marshall, Michigan.

Profile
MDL serves the City of Marshall as well as the following townships: Eckford, Marengo, Marshall, and Fredonia --  a population of around 15,000 thus giving the agency a Class 4 designation from the Library of Michigan which is comprised of libraries serving populations of 12,000 to 25,999. The library operates with a budget of about $940,000 and houses a collection of about 71,000 items in a 19,000-square-foot former grocery store that has been renovated in 1997 to suit the agency's needs.

Mission: "...to serve its community by providing diverse informational, educational and recreational materials in a supportive and accessible environment."

Motto / Tagline: Explore, Discover, Grow. (love this!)

Vision:
To provide a stimulating environment and supportive staff;
To encourage the public's use and support of library services and facilities;
To stimulate children's interest and appreciation for reading and learning while supporting patrons of all ages;
To provide access to electronic resources including the internet;
To provide materials on diverse interests upholding democratic and intellectual freedoms (my favorite);
To provide guidance in the use of references, electronic and loan materials.

About the Director
Angela Semifero graduated from Wayne State University with her MLIS in 2004. She's been with MDL, in various capacities including Deputy Director, since 2006 and became Library Director in 2011. Semifero's resume is impressive and I was tickled to learn that she was an adjunct instructor for the School of Library and Information Science (Wayne State University) in 2009, teaching Young Adult Literature (LIS 6530) and Access to Information (LIS 6120)...and a member of ALA's Social Responsibilities Round Table -- Feminist Task Force -- which is responsible for the Amelia Bloomer Project! Semifero is co-chairing the project and has been a part of the committee for 5 years now. (Yes, she is that awesome!)

From My Notebook...

• We met with Angela at 1:00p on a Friday and the library was BUSY! (She considered it to be slow.) Let me just say: it was a challenge taking photos due to patrons utilizing specific areas of the library.
• Always tries to have a manager in the building during public service hours.
• Very well-lit and with ample (and comfortable) seating for patrons. There was lots of tables for working on projects, as well.
• Excellent signage breaks down and simplifies the various Dewey classes for patrons!
• Oversized non-fiction books were shelved together and easy to access -- no worries about one falling on your head or having to crawl around on the floor to in order to browse the bottom shelf.
• MDL participates in local parades! They're already getting ready for this year's Christmas parade. Semifero said, "We are super involved in the community we serve, such as being a part of service groups, and already planning our float for the holiday parade."
• Uses Gmail and Googledocs for staff communication / collaboration.
• Interesting fact: the City of Marshall actually owns the parking lot.
• The library has a drive-up book drop!
• Space between the stacks allowed for multiple patrons to easily browse without giving feelings of  claustrophobia or bumping into each other people.
• Very big on grant writing -- especially collaborative grants. It's how many of the library's programs and events get funded.
• Uses Millenium ILS.
• Security cameras due to a break-in.
• MDL wrote a $15k grant for an after-school program which is highly utilized by area youth.
• The library provides "ideas" for tweens to teens to help them keep busy (and out of trouble.)
• I was super geeked to see that the library offered a number of a games and puzzles as well as paper, scissors, markers, crayons, and pencils for those feeling creative.
• MDL has a large graphic collection: Anime, Manga, comic books, and graphic novels!
• MDL hosts gaming nights with popular consoles. (Love this idea!)
• Policy and procedure manuals are available at every desk for staff's use.
• A grant from the community foundation has faciliatated the library with digitizing newspapers.
• Study rooms and the reference room -- 1 person must be over 18.
• Mobile laptop lab!
• The collection is shelf-read weekly!
• MDL hosts a volunteer / donor reception to say 'thanks.'
• The library has an artwork collection that circulates for 3 weeks.
• Regular circulation is for 2 weeks and the library offers a 1 week grace period -- very unique!
• Utilizes PC Reservation by EnvisionWare.
• Internet for adults: not filtered; internet for juveniles: filtered.
• Carries court forms.
• A small display cases features "MDL in the News" -- clippings of library happenings collected from the media.
• The library responds to every patron suggestion.

Photos from our visit...

Practicum

Patiently awaiting the news of where my Fall practicum will be hosted...

30 Years and 30 Libraries: Statistics

Image by Andy Thompson

In case you're just tuning in, before my 30th birthday, I began pondering something unique and special to celebrate the milestone. At first I thought about a staging a literary-themed costume party, hosting a read-in, or even a literature-to-film night; however, a better idea came to me: a campaign of library tours called 30 Years and 30 Libraries.

Throughout the months of November, December, January, I visited, photographed, and toured 30 different libraries and wrote about my various adventures via this blog. The 30 Years and 30 Libraries project not only provided me with fun and adventure, but also served as a learning experience for my professional development.

This post will serve as a final wrap-up that'll share some interesting 30Y.30L statistics and anecdotes! As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at jcbrown at wayne dot edu.

Fun with Numbers

• Negativity: In the early stages of putting together this project, I ran into issues with 6 libraries -- one of which, the director actually laughed at me and was incredibly rude on the phone when I was attempting to explain the project (this was even after she received a letter in the mail detailing the project and explaining my background). Needless to say, I didn't end up touring her library!
• The remaining 5 libraries didn't return phone calls during the planning process and were subsequently dropped from the 30Y.30L list after several unsuccessful attempts;
• I drove 3,035.80 miles (round trip -- plus picking up a travel companion prior to heading to the upper peninsula)
• Averaging the cost of gasoline at $3.50 a gallon, I spent about $530.00 on fuel.
•  I spent a total of 73 hours driving;

This photo was taken after the weeds and debris
were removed from the truck's undercarriage.
(Notice the mudsplatter is backwards on the
truck because I left the highway at a spin!)

• Out of the 73 hours, I spent 16.5 hours driving for the upper peninsula trip;
• Sans the 2 libraries located in the upper peninsula, the average drive time to a library visit (one-way) was about 1 hour;
• I got into one single-vehicle accident due to an encounter with black ice on westbound I-69 just slightly past the on-ramp near Imlay City. My truck ended up on the far north-end of the grassy slope near the MDOT fence -- OnStar as well as my four-wheel drive assisted in the recovery effort.
• A total of 59.25 hours were spent touring the thirty libraries which means the average visit lasted around 2 hours;
• For two library visits, I had to use a ferry -- tour #4: Reader's Cove Library and Tour #29: Drummond Island Library -- total fares $19.00 ($7.00 for the ferry to Harsen's Island and $12.00 for the ferry to Drummond Island);
• I stayed two nights in a hotel for this project; 
• Of the libraries toured, 7 were in Sanilac County, 6 were in Tuscola County, 5 were in Huron County, 5 were in Oakland County, 2 were in Lapeer County, 2 were in St. Clair County, 1 was in Chippewa County, 1 was Mackinac County, and 1 was in Wayne County;
• 60% of the libraries were located in Michigan's Thumb area;
• 18 libraries belong to White Pine Library Cooperative, 5 libraries belong to The Library Network (TLN), 3 libraries belong to the Mideastern Michigan Library Cooperative, 2 libraries belong to the Superiorland Library Cooperative, 1 library belongs to the Suburban Library Cooperative, and 1 library didn't belong to any cooperatives due to being private;
• 2 agencies were a blend between public libraries and school media centers -- Tour #18: Opperman Memorial Library and Tour #29: Drummond Island Library;
• 2 libraries renovated former strip malls for their new homes -- Tour #9: Reese Unity District Library and Tour #27: Addison Township Public Library;
• Of the 29 library directors interviewed, only 4 were male -- Tour #6: Bullard Sanford Memorial Library (Eric Andreychuk), Tour #16: Oxford Public Library (Bryan Cloutier), Tour #21: Fairgrove District Library (Larry Haubenstricker), and Tours #29 and 30: Drummond Island Library and Les Cheneaux Community Library (Ken Miller).
• Out of the 30 libraries toured, 11 were under the supervision of a director holding an MLIS degree from an ALA-accredited institution.
• Those interviewed for the project: Tour #11: Eastpointe Memorial Library (Assistant Director: Sue Todd, Wayne State University); Tour #13: Brandon Township Library (Director: Paula Gauthier, University of Michigan); Tour #14: Aitkin Memorial District Library (Jennifer Walters, University of Michigan); Tour #16: Oxford Public Library (Bryan Cloutier, Wayne State University); Tour #17: Orion Township Library (now retired, Linda Sickles, Western Michigan University); Tour #23: Lapeer District Library: Clifford Library (Branch Manager: Rachael Smyczak, Wayne State University); Tour #24: Caro Area District Library (Marcia Dievendorf, Kent State University); Tour #27: Addison Township Public Library (Jaema Berman, Wayne State University), Tour #28: St. Clair County Library: Burtchville Township Library (Branch Manager: Jane Fortushniak, Wayne State University); Tours #29 and #30: Drummond Island Library and Les Cheneaux Community Library (Ken Miller, Wayne State University).
• 6 graduated from Wayne State University's SLIS program!
• The average size of a library toured was a Class 3.
• Class 0 (private library): 1; 
• Class 1 (population served: 0 – 3,999): 4; 
• Class 2 (population served: 4,000 – 6,999): 10; 
• Class 3 (population served: 7,000 – 11,999): 6; 
• Class 4 (population served: 12,000 – 25,999): 3; 
• Class 5 (population served: 26,000 – 49,999): 4; 
• Class 6 (population served: 50,000+): 2
• Press and Coverage: The 30Y.30L project was featured on the front page of the Vassar Pioneer Times; via Facebook, the School of Library and Information Science shared the Hermionish link to the Vassar Pioneer Times article; Bullard Sanford Memorial Library featured the project on their website; my 'featured student' profile on the School of Library and Information Science website mentions the 30Y.30L project and links to this blog
• At the 2012 Rural Libraries Conference at the Grand Traverse Bay Resort, I was approached by several librarians who inquired if I was 'the same Jill Brown who toured all of those libraries.'

Rank by Miles Away

A map showing the 30 libraries!

1. Sandusky District Library (6.3 miles)
2. Elk Township Library (7.5 miles)
3. Aitkin Memorial District Library (18.2 miles)
4. Deckerville Public Library (18.4 miles)
5. Lapeer District Library: Clifford Library (18.9 miles)
6. Marlette District Library (19.0 miles)
7. Brown City Public Library (20.1 miles)
8. Moore Public Library (21.8 miles)
9. Opperman Memorial Library (22.6 miles)
10. North Branch Township Library (25.9 miles)
11. Sleeper Public Library (31.8 miles)
12. Burtchville Township Library (33.3 miles)
13. Rawson Memorial District Library (34.1 miles)
14. Caro Area District Library (38.4 miles)
15. Bad Axe Area District Library (40.7 miles)
16. Bullard Sanford Memorial Library (46.8 miles)
17. Fairgrove District Library (47.5 miles)
18. Harbor Beach Area District Library (50.3 miles)
19. Reese Unity District Library (52.7 miles)
20. Addison Township Public Library (52.9 miles)
21. Pigeon District Library (56.6 miles)
22. Port Austin Township Library (58.0 miles)
23. Reader's Cove Library (64.3 miles)
24. Oxford Public Library (64.5 miles)
25. Orion Township Library (65.7 miles)
26. Eastpointe Memorial Library (71.2 miles)
27. Brandon Township Library (75.5 miles)
28. Holly Township Library (86.8 miles)
29. Les Cheneaux Community Library (287 miles)
30. Drummond Island Library (321 miles)

Rank by Class Size

(Note: this ranking is slightly skewed due to several libraries being a branch of a larger system library)

Guide:
Class 1 (population served: 0 – 3,999)
Class 2 (population served: 4,000 – 6,999)
Class 3 (population served: 7,000 – 11,999)
Class 4 (population served: 12,000 – 25,999)
Class 5 (population served: 26,000 – 49,999)
Class 6 (population served: 50,000+)

1. Class 0 (private library): Reader's Cove Library
2. Class 1: Elk Township Library
3. Class 1: Fairgrove District Library
4. Class 1: North Branch Township Library
5. Class 1: Sleeper Public Library
6. Class 2: Addison Township Public Library
7. Class 2: Bad Axe Area District Library
8. Class 2: Brown City Public Library
9. Class 2: Deckerville Public Library
10. Class 2: Harbor Beach Area District Library
11. Class 2: Marlette District Library
12. Class 2: Moore Public Library
13. Class 2: Opperman Memorial Library
14. Class 2: Port Austin Township Library 
15. Class 2: Reese Unity District Library
16. Class 3: Aitkin Memorial District Library
17. Class 3: Bullard Sanford Memorial Library
18. Class 3: Caro Area District Library
19. Class 3: Pigeon District Library
20. Class 3: Rawson Memorial District Library
21. Class 3: Sandusky District Library
22. Class 4: Brandon Township Library
23. Class 4: Holly Township Library
24. Class 4: Oxford Public Library
25. Class 5: Drummond Island Library
26. Class 5: Eastpointe Memorial Library
27. Class 5: Les Cheneaux Community Library
28. Class 5: Orion Township Public Library
29. Class 6: Lapeer District Library - Clifford Branch
30. Class 6: St. Clair County Library - Burtchville Branch

Rank by Operating Budget
Note: three libraries will be excluded from this list -- (1) Reader's Cove Library on Harsen's Island due to being private and operating on donations; (2) Opperman Memorial Library -- only a collection development budget was provided; (3) Burtchville Township Library (a branch of the St. Clair County Library System) -- only a collection development budget was provided.

1. Bayliss Public Library (Class 5): Drummond Island Library: $25,440
2. Lapeer District Library (Class 6): Clifford Library: $42,688 
3. Brown City Public Library (Class 2): $45,000 
4. Elk Township Library (Class 1): $45,000 - $50,000
5. Bayliss Public Library (Class 5): Les Cheneaux Community Library: $48,180
6. Deckerville Public Library (Class 2): $64,000
7. Port Austin Township Library (Class 2): $72,000
8. Sleeper Public Library (Class 1): $72,000 - $75,000
9. Reese Unity District Library (Class 2): $100,000
10. North Branch Township Library (Class 1): $101,000
11. Marlette District Library (Class 2): $110,000
12. Fairgrove District Library (Class 1): $134,000
13. Moore Public Library (Class 2): $175,000
14. Addison Township Public Library (Class 2): $210,000
15. Aitkin Memorial District Library (Class 3): $230,000
16. Bad Axe Area District Library (Class 2): $248,000
17. Pigeon District Library (Class 3): $250,000
18. Sandusky District Library (Class 3): $250,000
19. Rawson Memorial District Library (Class 3): $300,000
20. Holly Township Library (Class 4): $344, 193
21. Bullard Sanford Memorial Library (Class 3): $400,000
22. Harbor Beach Area District Library (Class 2): $438,710
23. Caro Area District Library (Class 3): $500,000
24. Eastpointe Memorial Library (Class 5): $708,000
25. Brandon Township Library (Class 4): $908,149
26. Oxford Public Library (Class 4): $1,100,000
27. Orion Township Public Library (Class 5): $2,500,000

Total: $9,418,360*
(*Note: When a range was given, the smaller budget amount was utilized.)  

Once again, I'd like to thank the 30 libraries that participated in this project -- I cannot even begin to express my gratitude for this special and unique opportunity. I learned so much from them!

Please, please support your local library. As Marcia Dievendorf of Caro District Library said, "Access to information and knowledge -- that's the driving force. Libraries are an important part of our democracy. You can educate yourself for free."

Lady Bird Johnson said, "Perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library. The only entrance requirement is interest."

And Lesley Conger once said, "The best of my education has come from the public library...my tuition fee is a bus fare and once in a while, five cents a day for an overdue book. You don't need to know very much to start with, if you know the way to the public library."

Rural Libraries Conference: Nifty Green Bag

Later this week, I am attending the 2012 Loleta Fyan Small & Rural Libraries Conference at the Grand Traverse Bay Resort and Spa. It starts on Wednesday, but I am heading up tomorrow morning for some much needed R&R. Cannot wait!

Here are the contents of my nifty green bag (my favorite color) for the conference:

(Yes, I printed off resumes.) 

To be added: chapstick, a water bottle,
and my camera...