Your MORE Responsibilities

Happy New Year! Here's hoping 2012 is a year of happiness, prosperity and regular library usage for your family.

If you don't have a card or someone in your family doesn't have a card, be sure to get one this year. If you do decide to get one, you'll notice on the back of the card you'll fill out that the following points are covered under a heading that reads "By becoming a MORE library cardholder I accept the following responsibilities:"

• "Any library materials checked out on my card are my sole responsibility.


• "I will promptly return all borrowed items by the due date or pay overdue charges.


• "I will pay any replacement costs assessed for lost, unreturned or damaged materials."

In the last month or so, I have had to deal with several less-than-pleasant situations wherein I had to explain to people who had checked out items that were returned grievously damaged or after long periods of being overdue that they would be held responsible for the replacement costs or the sizable fines. With all the tact my mother taught me to use, I have had to point the above agreed-to responsibilities out to library users, reminding them of the contract they signed with us, before politely insisting that they recoup the library for damaged, destroyed or long-overdue items.

We live in an imperfect world, and it's impossible to always tell with mathematical certitude where, how or at whose hands damaged or destroyed library materials met their fate, and I am certain that some good people who frequent the library have been made to pay for damage not done by them or their children since I have been director. If this error occurs, the fault is completely mine. But one of my responsibilities as library director is to ensure the health of this library's collection (and to bear the disdain of those who pay under protest).

Let me say, however, that we of the library do not leap for joy when our books return to us with pages torn out or marker scribbles or coffee stains across half of the pages. We don't see damaged books as a chance to "get over" on the public or punish wrongdoers. It is often with heavy hearts that we tell esteemed patrons they'll have to pay for a book damaged while they had it checked out. And paying fines for books kept long past their due dates can be thought of as recouping us the cost of having to get the book from another library in the MORE system (a service which all users pay for).

I thought I'd take this first blog posting of 2012 as an opportunity to explain our thought processes and to ensure our users that, even if we get it wrong, our hearts are in the right place. We hope that's clear.

The Indianhead Federated Library System

In the last few months, the Chippewa Falls Public Library has made some changes--mostly cosmetic--that have turned out to be more popular than I would have thought they'd be. We moved the computers to a slightly different location, moved in some new furniture, changed the location of the new books, etc.

But I'd like to take a moment to make clear that the libraries in the MORE system get a lot of help (and indispensable help it is, too) from the staff of the Indianhead Federated Library System. The IFLS staff makes our popular computer services possible (and got us the grant that made moving the computers possible), does most of the legwork involved in keeping the catalog and circulation and material-sharing software working correctly. And, when we have individual computer issues, they are willing to drop everything and work on them. It happened not long ago, actually. Saved us from a virus.

They coordinate workshops, host meetings, patiently explain complicated legal and technical issues to directors (like me) who need information, spread the word about informative articles. They do it all in a friendly, efficient and professional manner, too. Usually, if you deal with an organization of more than 10 people or so, you find the one that makes you think: "Lord, how'd THAT guy get hired?" But I've never met that person at IFLS.

The Indianhead Federated Library System, despite doing all of this for 40+ demanding libraries (at least, I hope they are all as demanding as we are or I'll feel guilty) and having to absorb budget cuts in the coming year, keeps the a good chunk of the northwest corner of Wisconsin neck-deep in decent library service.

I thank them for it and hope you'll keep their contribution in mind when our library serves you well. If anyone ever tells you the state wastes its money, you can look that person in the eye and tell them to visit the Indianhead Federated Library System Offices in Eau Claire, Wisconsin before they say too much more.

Kindle & Overdrive

We have such great timing, we should be sponsored by Timex.

Finally, after months of telling people that Overdrive will work with Kindles "some time by the end of the year," the wait is over, to a surprisingly small amount of fanfare.

And we timed this perfectly. Our Kindles just became available last week and now, this week, Overdrive and Amazon make the announcement.

So, if you or someone you know has an Amazon Kindle and they want to read books they don't have to pay for (directly), then tell them about Overdrive...or email them this blog entry.

Here's the Overdrive link for people who live in the MORE service area:

http://dbooks.wplc.info/

MORE on the Go

The Indianhead Federated Library System just went live with the new mobile version of the MORE catalog. Look up items, check your account and place MORE holds all from your device!

If you have a smart phone, just open the browser and go to http://m.more.lib.wi.us.

FAQ: Governor's Budget Bill & Libraries

The library staff and I have been getting quite a few questions about what the new budget bill will mean for the Chippewa Falls Public Library. I have been trying to wait a while so that no one could accuse me of being unduly alarmist, but when I was asked this past Saturday by a local gentleman if the budget meant the library's membership in MORE was going to be cut, I told him I doubted it but that everything, frankly, was on the table if things got tight enough.

His advice was to make sure the public was warned and informed so that they weren't caught off guard by any changes.

So, I'll try to answer a few of those Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) here:

If Passed, What Does the New Budget Have in Store For Wisconsin’s Public Libraries?

Not much is known just yet. The budget bill recommends the elimination of maintenance of effort funding requirements for belonging to a library system and a 10% cut to the budget of the Department of Public Instruction, the state agency that oversees public libraries and Badgerlink. The budget bill calls for a 10% cut to Badgerlink as well.

What does “Maintenance of Effort” mean?

Maintenance of effort has been a legal requirement for libraries that belong to a library system. The Chippewa Falls Public Library, for instance, belongs to the Indianhead Federated Library System, which administers MORE. The requirement states that a municipality must fund a library at a level that is at least the average of the past three years.

Theoretically, this keeps libraries from being unduly targeted for cuts during sudden power shifts in local government or economic downturns and ensures that libraries in a consortium all contribute a fair share without relying too much on other communities.

So far, Act 150 requirements have been left intact. Act 150 requires that counties pay municipalities for the library service rendered to those living in areas without libraries at about 70% of the actual value of the transactions. In other words, Act 150 requires that Chippewa County reimburse the City of Chippewa Falls (or Bloomer or Cadott) 70% of what it costs the city to provide library service to someone living somewhere like Jim Falls or Eagle Point.

What Could Cuts Mean For The Chippewa Falls Public Library?

The City of Chippewa Falls values its library and knows library service needs to be maintained. However, if the new budget entails large cuts to municipal aid, then the entire city government will need to spend that much less. Changes to services could be possible, depending on the changes in the budget.

No matter what, we will do our very best to avoid any inconvenient changes to or interruptions in service.

How Much Money Does it Take to Run the Chippewa Falls Public Library?

The library budget for 2011 is just over $1 million. Of that, salaries and benefits make up about 74% of the expenditures. The rest is operational, including purchase of books, CDs, magazine subscriptions, databases, MORE membership, utility bills and building upkeep.

Who Oversees the Library?

The library's daily operation is overseen by me, the library director. As a department of the City of Chippewa Falls, the library has a Board of Trustees made up of seven people appointed by the Mayor. The board oversees and has final say over the usage of the budget and monitors the administrative competence of the director.

Because the library receives a sizable amount its budget from the County of Chippewa, we also have two board members from adjacent communities in the County nominated by the County Board Chairperson who report, as needed, to the County Board.

What Can I Do to Speak Up For My Library?

Communicate with government. Let your state legislators and local representatives at the county and city level know that you care about your library, use it and want it to be a funding priority, even in a lean year.

Labor History Links

There's some interesting stuff going on in our state. If you're looking for some historical perspective, try these links:

University of Washington's Collection of Labor History Links

Wisconsin Labor History Society

Wisconsin Historical Society: The Birth of the Labor Movement

MORE Catalog Search: "Labor Unions--History--Wisconsin"

MORE Catalog Search: "Labor Movement--History--United States"

The US Department of Labor: Wirtz Labor Library

History @ The Department of Labor

National Right to Work Committee

Library Elf

I have meant to blog about this for a long time, but it kept slipping my mind, until now.

If one of your New Year's resolutions was to get more organized, then I've got something useful to show you.

Library Elf Instructions

The above link will take you to instructions for signing up with Library Elf, a service made available to members of the MORE system. Library Elf basically sends you alerts via email or text reminding you that you have books due OR that holds have arrived. I believe the free subscription we get through MORE is a premium one, though I confess I am not wholly certain.

Anyway, once you have looked at that little brochure, go here:

Signing Up In MORE

Follow the prompts to sign up. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly. I've been hearing about Library Elf for years, but just signed up myself today.

By the way, if you know someone else who might make good use of the service, feel free to send them a link to this blog, even if they don't live around here. They might be able to find their library on the list of libraries with Library Elf access.

Great Library Story

Christine Byerly, esteemed Director of the Frederic Public Library, tells this great story:

"Wednesday morning we received a call from Delta Airlines in Georgia. Agent Susana said they had found a carry-on duffel bag with no identification in it, except for a library book with the Frederic Public Library stamp! She must have traced our address to find a telephone number and contact us in order to unite the lost luggage with its owner. We took it from there - looked up the book, called the Ladysmith patron, and she was delighted to learn the bag had been found, since her carry-on held all her traveling essentials. This is yet another example of how important libraries are to our everyday lives! BTW, in yet another kind gesture, we waived the 10-cent overdue fine on our book and renewed it for the patron.

"Wave the banner, go forth, fellow colleagues in libraryland,
Chris"

I just wanted to share. This is the kind of thing libraries do all the time, and we don't blow our own horns enough.

Now you know.