From the Director
Library news and happenings.
Bookmobile service will end by June 30, most likely sometime in the late winter or early spring.
Our board reluctantly decided to phase out the service due to budget constraints. Voters supported our millage renewal request in May, but as property tax values drop, our revenues drop while many costs continue to rise. 92% of our revenues come from local property taxes.
The bookmobile has been a beloved service. Fortunately most patrons who use the bookmobile also use services at other locations: Central Library and one or more of our four branches. Bookmobile patrons unable to travel elsewhere may find Via Mail or deposit collection services a good alternative.
This decision was made after thoughtful consideration. My full report to the board is on our website as well as the fuller announcement and media coverage.
I’ll keep all patrons, and especially bookmobile patrons, informed as the service winds down and an end date is determined.
Come visit soon – the bookmobile, Central, a branch, or our website.
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Bookmobile
bookmobile-1767-160
/bookmobile/ 
“National Bookstore Day” is Saturday, November 7. It is a day to celebrate bookselling and the vibrant culture of bookstores.
Kalamazoo is fortunate to have a bookstore, operated by the Friends of KPL, located on the lower level of the central library. The gently used books they sell are donations from the community and some discards from the library collections.
Proceeds from the store support many library programs and services. This past summer the Friends funded our summer reading games for all ages. They also support Reading Together, Prime Time Family Reading, and author visits.
Books are modestly priced – it’s a good place to build a home library. Even library users like to own some books! Watch their website for even better bargains during their sales.
Happy National Bookstore Day to our good Friends.
Come visit the library – and the bookstore!
(originally posted 11/5/2009)
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National Bookstore Day
national-bookstore-day-logo-160
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6696364.html
Listening to the school closings on the radio this morning leaves no doubt—the flu has hit Kalamazoo. Like other organizations that serve the public, KPL is trying to limit the spread of the H1N1 as well as seasonal flu.
We’ve posted signs throughout our buildings promoting hand-washing to limit the spread of the flu virus. We’re setting up hand sanitizer stations for library visitors and providing tissues, disposable gloves, and disinfectant wipes to staff.
A new topic guide on our website compiles information and web links on both the seasonal and H1N1 flu. Although not a substitute for professional health care, you’ll find helpful information on this guide.
Our excellent Facilities Management crew will continue to keep our buildings clean and disinfected; we’ll clean keyboards and public work surfaces even more frequently, too.
We sent a staff member to an informational meeting at the Health Department and will continue to follow Kalamazoo County government’s recommendations regarding the pandemic.
Take care, be well.
Flu Information topic guide »
(Kalamazoo Gazette photo by Tyler Tjomsland)
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WMU student with the flu (Gazette photo)
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http://photos.mlive.com/kalamazoogazette/2009/10/shes_got_the_flu.html
Last week the Friends of KPL celebrated their 50th anniversary with a wonderful reception. They recognized past presidents and long time volunteers, reviewed their history, celebrated their strong support and advocacy of the library, shared the success of their bookstore, and gave the library a generous $50,000 gift!
The Friends financial support has supported many of our programs: Ready to Read, Reading Together, Youth Literature Seminars, Prime Time, programming for all ages. This past summer they funded our summer reading games for all ages – preschoolers to adults – as well as the end-of-summer reading party, attended by 1,014!
This gift came from bookstore proceeds. Just imagine how many books they sold for 10¢ to $2.00! Our community is generous in donating books to the Friends and our Friends are generous to the library.
Thank you and congratulations, good Friends; best wishes for the next 50 years!
Come visit the library AND the bookstore soon.
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Friends 2009 Board
Friends909-005-160
/friends/
Beginning this week, you will see many changes in the circulation area at the central library – changes that will help us be more efficient and serve you better.
A generous anonymous bequest allowed us to install a modern inventory system that will enable patrons to quickly and easily check out their own items. We will be creating three new, smaller checkout stations for patron use; the old checkout desk will be replaced with a smaller desk for two staff members and an open shelving area for patrons to pick up their own holds.
These changes will help us manage our ever-growing circulation – an increase of 14% last year.
Work will begin this week and be done in stages. We are aiming for completion in late December.
We’ll keep you informed of the progress by way of a page on our website.
Come visit and watch the changes.
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Renovation at Central Library
central-2009-013-160
/renovation/
Generally librarians don’t encourage patrons to buy books… we want you to check them out from the library! We know, however, that readers also want to own books and that having a home library is important, especially for children.
So, here’s my book buying advice: shop the Friends of KPL Fall Book Sale, this Saturday, September 19, from 9 am – 3:30 pm in the third floor auditorium of the central library. Books are $.10 each or $2.00 a bag! Books are arranged on tables by category: fiction, nonfiction, romance, children’s.
And for additional shopping or just browsing, the Friends Bookstore on the lower level will also be open.
The books are donated to the Friends and the proceeds from the sale and bookstore benefit the library.
KPL is fortunate to have very good Friends! Come visit the library AND shop the fall book sale and bookstore.
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Friends Book Sale
friends-sale-60609-102-2-160
http://www.kpl.gov/friends/bookstore/sidewalk-sale.aspx
Earlier this month, KPL’s board of trustees approved a resolution supporting the Michigan Library Association’s (MLA) campaign to “help protect Michigan libraries.”
By this resolution, our board urges the Michigan Legislature to:
• Keep library services and functions together under the Library of Michigan within state government
• Maintain state aid to libraries at $10 million to retain federal funding for MeLCat and MeL databases
• Retain the position of State Librarian
• Oppose the governor’s executive order disbanding the Dept of History, Arts, and Libraries (HAL)
MLA’s advocacy website discusses the issues in great detail. You can learn more there, including how you can help – contact your state senator and representative and attend the library rally in Lansing on September 10. Library patrons’ voices will mean more to lawmakers than those of the library community alone. If you enjoy any of the services offered by MeL, the Michigan Electronic Library, please add your support to Michigan’s libraries!
HAL and library funding decisions are part of the budget deliberations underway in Lansing.
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Michigan Libraries for the Future
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http://www.milibrariesforthefuture.org/
Last week over 500 people attended the “Hands Around the Library” rally at the capitol building in Lansing. The rally was organized by the Michigan Genealogical Council to advocate for the Library of Michigan, its history, and collections.
As I have written previously and as widely reported, the Governor’s order would dismantle the Department of History, Arts, and Libraries and significantly reduce support for libraries.
The Michigan Library Association (MLA) is advocating for libraries and our patrons. Their position statement and other advocacy tools are available on the website. A rally organized by MLA will be held in Lansing on September 10 when the legislature is back in session.
We are following these developments closely and urge library supporters to do likewise.
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Library of Michigan
library-of-michigan-logo-160
http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17445_19270---,00.html
As you may have heard on the news, the Governor issued an executive order last week calling for the elimination of the Dept of History, Arts, and Libraries (HAL). Of course we are focused on what might happen to the Library of Michigan, various library services, and state funding for libraries. Currently public libraries receive a small per capita allocation from the state, but more importantly, state funds are a match to federal money which pays for MeLCat, the statewide catalog used for interlibrary loan, and the MeL databases.
The Michigan Library Association (MLA) Executive Director has issued a memo outlining the executive order from the perspective of the library community. MLA urges the Governor and the Legislature to maintain library services within state government and keep the functions whole, maintain state aid at the current $10 million level, and retain the position and role of the State Librarian.
I believe the state funded service most vital to KPL’s patrons is MeLCat. We borrow over 1,000 items per month from other libraries for our patrons AND loan an equal number to other libraries for their patrons. That is only possible through the MeLCat catalog, the interlibrary loan system, and the delivery that moves the materials around the state. It depends upon state funding to match the federal funding.
Make your voice heard; contact your state senator or representative. The voice of library patrons will have more force than that of library staff alone.
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Michigan eLibrary (MeL)
mel-mla-logos-160
/melcat/
My previous blog posting was about book, audio, and video reviews at www.booklistonline.com, the website for Booklist, a journal of reviews published by the American Library Association.
When I recently browsed this website, the “Review of the Day” was for Nic Bishop’s recent book, Butterflies and Moths. As many Kalamazoo families know, Nic lives here and has done many family programs for us at central library and branches. His photos are breathtaking, pretty amazing. He “gets up close” is an understatement.
It is wonderful to see a local author receive such well deserved national recognition and especially one who is such a good friend to KPL!
Check out his books. If you aren’t familiar with them, you’ll discover a new favorite children’s author.
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Butterflies and Moths
9780439877572