s/o Robin's post about the Friends of the Library

[Sherry]

I've been pondering how much have we contributed to the decline of library collections.

I bought most of the B4 and FIAR vol. 1-3 volumes.

My local library is small. I can and do get books through a consortia but planning becomes difficult. (Right now I have a read along title I won’t need for another 2 weeks, but am still waiting for a read along title intended for last week’s row.) I buy many more books than I did when we lived in the city with easy access to 3 large public library systems (plus a university).

But, I am aware that libraries buy new materials based on circulation. That old copy of Mike Mulligan is worn out – how often has it circulated in the past year? Once, twice, not at all? Discard it and replace it with a newer title. In near constant circulation? Better buy another copy. Maybe the library needs two copies. Out of print title in worn condition that is still circulating, send it for repair. Not circulating? Put it in the book sale.

Based on my borrowing pattern, my public library needs a lot of Rookie Geography Readers, Let’s Read and Find Out Science titles, and a lot more books about the solar system. They also could use more DVDs similar to The Way Things Work and How’d They Build That. All of that is true. But what the librarians don’t know that my boys love Mike Mulligan and other titles by Virginia Lee Burton. We never borrow those titles. DH jokes that we have a better collection of quality picture books than the library does. But, is our collection hurting the library?

What do you think? Are avid readers who buy the books they love contributing to the declining quality of public library collections?

[Julie in AZ]

I know that several years back, a bunch of gals checked out FIAR books regularly from the library for this very reason. I wish I could remember if I participated. :lol:

[Jekka Renee]

Our library is wonderful. It is full of older, well written literature. I have to return my FIAR books because they get holds placed on them all the time. It might be annoying, but looking at it from this angle, I am glad these are in demand at my library!

[Judyn]

A librarians perspective :

People that use the library often typically HAVE more books in their home than those that don't visit the library often or not at all. It doesn't make since...but is true...and its not by a small margin either.

Yes...if NO ONE checks our Mike Mulligan, that is going to have an impact on the collection...but not as much as you think. You buy it...and tell other book lovers how much your son loves it...they go to the library and try it out...after 5 or 6 check outs of Mike, they now know a good Christmas present for their little Johnny Doe :-)...and so on!

A good way of looking at...how many people own the Twilight Saga or Harry Potter...they stayed at #1 practically forever...yet still, libraries have SEVERAL copies of each of these.

The best way to support your library is to use it. Another big way to support your library is to get your friends to use it. And lastly, if it is possible, It doesn't hurt to donate 10 dollars a year if you have the money.

Libraries are hurting. No one wants to be politically incorrect and say that libraries are dumb or uncool...but their funds have been cut drastically. My budget for books this year is 0. Yes. You are reading that correctly. There is no money for me to buy any replacements or new award winners. There is no money for repair tape. If a label is torn off of a book...there are no labels to re-shelve that book. But we aren't allowed to announce that to patrons...that makes the district/my employer look bad...so no one knows its even a problem.

The district also cut all libraries 50% so they are only open on ea. campus 2 1/2 days a week.

Our town public library has had to reduce the hours by 2 each day and in January they will be closed 1 day each week. Their book budge is larger than 0 but was cut 73%.

It hurts my heart:sad:

Keep on going...and pass the joy of this community service on to others.

[Robin H in VA]

Don't you all think that digital media is hurting libraries as well??

Our libray system now owns 6 Nook e-reader and 2 Kindle e-readers. And yet I have heard complaints of this book not moving off the shelves in such and such time b/c it is on the Nook or Kindle. Or this book will be pulled now b/c it is on the N or K. I have actually checked out some books that I KNEW I would never read (not my kind of reading) and re-newed them b/c they were on the 'chopping block'.

Our library (the one across from us) is fairly small and it seems as if they pull books more often than they do media (DVD's) and that is one thing that makes me sad, but that is what 'sells' I guess in today's world. What is even sadder, is that in the part of the county that I live in, the illiteracy rate is VERY HIGH. But yet we cannot even get our local Literacy Voluteer's Group to come to our library and do classes. We cannot get their children's reading program put on the children's computer because our county won't approve it. It's the Study Dog program that I am sure some of you are familiar with.

I am not big on digital media, especially books, but if that is the only way I can get it and it is more affordable than buying the book on e-bay or other on-line source, I will get it. But if I find that same book at a yard sale days, months or even years later, then I am going to get rid of the digital one probably and get the one I have found at the yard sale, book sale, or where ever I was lucky enough to find it.

We are at the library about 4 or 5 times per week and we have 4 library cards to check out on. My card, my hubby's, ds card and my mom's (she let us have it b/c she doesn't do the whole reading thing :sad:). Ds ALWAYS has ALL 4 cards filled with Audio Books, his favorite and we have been told many times by the staff at all three of our branches that he is only one of a few kids that actually come in and check out Audio Books, either in Juvinile or Teens. If it weren't for him and those few other kids, then all of the Audio books would most likely be pulled. I have actually asked if I could put my name on the most popular ones with him, like a waiting list of sorts and have been told no. :sad:

Same goes for children's books, I have checked some out just to get them to MOVE off the shelves. And I have also asked about particula books (aka:FIAR) titles as well as others, that if they were going to be pulled if I can get a phone call or an e-mail to get first dibs, NO! Our library had Who Owns The Sun, it was on the shelf (top for display) one week, I went to check it out to row it, it was gone. So I thought I would put it on hold; but I could NOT, b/c it was GONE!!! It was pulled. Have no idea why, it was a BRAND NEW BOOK, never been checked out. Have yet to find out what happened.

Going back to the MEDIA thing, does it help libraries in gerneral to have all the computers that are in some of them? I mean the ones that the public uses. I know that the computers bring in people and most if not ALL libraries REQUIRE a library card to access those computers, but are the computers worth the price of the budget to have people to come in and just sit at them for hours on end playing games and chatting with friends and NOT using the library for other things. I mean most libraries have WI-FI and even though not everyone has a laptop, why do the libraries offer such an exspensive 'item' as Wi-Fi for patrons if that is ALL THEY ARE GOING TO USE?? To me that makes no sense. It's kinda like going to the grocery store filled with all sorts of food and drink to only buy a bag of chips or candy bar every day or ever so often and never using the store for other items. That is probably the worst example, but the only one I can think of. But you understand, right?

Anyway I will get off my soap box now. :D

[Tricia O]

When we row a FIAR book we own, we also check it out from the library if they have it (and if we remember) so we can help their circulation. I make a special point to check out the OOP ones a couple of times a year even if we aren't rowing them (especially if we do not own them).

[Robin H in VA]

When we row a FIAR book we own, we also check it out from the library if they have it (and if we remember) so we can help their circulation. I make a special point to check out the OOP ones a couple of times a year even if we aren't rowing them (especially if we do not own them).



I like this idea. Our library probably has more of the B4 titles though than any others, but they don't have ANY of the OOP's that I have found. I do a search of ALL the books about once per year and I have everything listed that can be checked out and there are some that I can only get in what our system calls Literacy Tote Bags (I think that is the name of them). Basically they are tote bags that have books and some activities in them, really nice to have when rowing. Most of those are again B4 titles, but there are a few others that have some FIAR books in them. They are mainly for pre-k through about 1st grade. When we first started homeschooling I was not allowed to check out these bags. The library management said that since I was NOT a teacher, I was NOT allowed to check them out. I could use them on-site but could not take them off campus. :sad: I told them that I homeschool (this was when my son was pre-k) and again I was told NO. They said unless I worked in the school system or worked in a day care, I could not check them out. That policy was finally changed about 4 years ago. :clap: