Politics...Everywhere?

Just recently, I signed up for satellite TV and, as embarrassing as it is to admit, I watch a little television on my lunch breaks. I notice lately that we are in full-tilt politics season and ads for candidates are literally one after the other, and increasingly obnoxious and negative. Public, visible politicking is all part of living in a democratic society. Politicians want to reach people.

A little while ago, a gentlewoman came into the library and seemed quite annoyed that I hadn't allowed a flyer for her organization to hang on one of our bulletin boards in the lobby. When I explained that I had researched her organization at the website of the Center for Responsive Politics and wasn't comfortable with the close ties it seemed to have with one of the major political parties (and other groups which backed it), she displayed a bit of anger, insisting that it was NOT affiliated with a party in any way. On her way out the door, she warned me that libraries will be in trouble when the political party opposing the one she just told me her organization WASN'T affiliated with came back into power. I thought it was a telling statement.

One thing that I like about being a librarian is that, though politics are sometimes involved in running a library, the job isn't--or shouldn't be--overtly political. Libraries, despite the occasional activist-librarian who insists otherwise, should not be sounding boards for political causes or the groups espousing them, regardless of whether they see libraries as an important social pillar or a drag on the public pocketbook.

The point I think I'm trying to make is that this library has policies in place that allow the library user to know with some confidence that the focus of our mission here is educational and cultural and that anything political--ANYTHING--is held suspect and taken on a case-by-case basis with some thought. Take, for instance, our meeting room policy in regards to who gets to use the rooms. One of the "restrictions on usage" says we'll disallow "political campaigns, although bi-partisan political forums are permitted." I, as your library director, apply this standard to our public notice space, too.

When an organization has demonstrable ties to a political party and makes efforts to be more visible during campaign season or engage in campaigning, even of a surreptitious sort, I make the judgment call that they are part of a political campaign and thus will not be allowed to meet here or display their literature, ESPECIALLY when they aren't forthcoming about who and what they are, who funds them and what they do with their money.

It isn't personal or a reflection of my politics as a director or those of the library board. It's common sense. And good politics.

Tighter Ship A-Sailing

In about a month, there are going to be some changes coming to the Chippewa Falls Public Library's policies. Actually, the changes are already technically in place, but we wanted to make sure the public is well-informed before we begin to put them into practice. We'll start enforcing the following on May 17th, so spread the word! Feel free to copy and paste this blog entry into emails to your best library-using friends.

Checking Out & Using Computers

First, we're going to get a little tougher on people coming in and expecting to check out without having their library cards. Patrons are going to need to have their cards with them. It saves staff time and speeds things along at the desk. We WILL allow one check out without a library card every three months, but a note will be made in the patron record and the patron will have to have it the next time. In other words, don't go to the library without your library card!

Next, we're going to raise the cost of replacing a card to $5.00. A lot of people have gotten three or four cards in as many years, and think nothing of the data entry time, wasted paper for the MORE application, etc. So, keep your card in your wallet and keep track of it!

Also, patrons will need their library cards to log onto our public access Internet computers. If a patron has a card and simply forgets it they can log on, but this(like checking out without a card) will only be allowed once every three months. So, once again, don't leave home without your library card!

Fines

The maximum fine that will allow patrons to check out--AND USE THE INTERNET--at the Chippewa Falls Public Library will be lowered to $5.00. In my estimation as your director, this is still very--crazily--generous. In many library systems, a ten cent fine means no checking out, so five bucks is a great deal.

Also, anyone who has fines they can't handle can work them off at a rate "concomitant with current minimum wage." In other words, you give us 90 minutes and you work off about ten bucks. Just ask to speak with the library director and we'll set something up. This does not apply to replacements or fines owed to other MORE libraries.

If you have fines on materials lost in a theft or fire, just bring us a police/fire department/insurance company report, and we'll let it go. We WILL call and confirm.

And, you know, we're not doing this because we have so many people absuing their library privileges that we need to clamp down. That isn't the case at all. We're doing this because so many people here DON'T abuse their privileges that it makes those who do all the more apparent and troublesome.

And don't worry. We're going to pick one week a year as "Fine Free Week." I think we just might make it random to keep people guessing.

Thanks!