South Carolina libraries receive grants

The American Library Association’s Public Programs Office, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), and Oprah’s Angel Network have selected 173 libraries to receive Great Stories CLUB grants, which will support book discussion programs targeting troubled teens. Participating libraries will receive 11 sets of three theme-related books to provide to members of a book club. They will also have access to a variety of online resources, designed to help plan and implement programming.  The following South Carolina libraries and their partnering agencies are recipients:

Kershaw County Library, Camden, SC
Continuous Learning Center, Camden, SC

Burke High School, Charleston, SC
Credit Recovery Program, Charleston, SC

Charleston County Public Library, Charleston, SC
Carolina Youth Development Center: Ledford House, North Charleston, SC

Olympia Learning Center, Columbia, SC
Olympia Learning Center, Columbia, SC

Greenville County Library System, Greenville, SC
Pendleton Place, Inc., Greenville, SC

North Myrtle Beach High School, Little River, SC

Creek Bridge High School Media Center, Marion, SC
SC Department of Mental Health, Marion, SC

W-S Alternative School, Wagener, SC

Congratulations to all the grant recipients!

 

Libraries helping women in business

Woman’s Day magazine and ALA recently announced the winners of a contest that asked participants to write about how they started businesses with help from their local library.  It’s a neat contest idea, and one that I think could be easily duplicated on the local level. We’re looking for ways to show the economic impact of libraries, and what better way to do that with stories from your own community about how your library has assisted in creating a thriving, revenue-generating business. This comes at an interesting time because the State Library is in the early phase of a new partnership with South Carolina Business OneStop and the SC Department of Commerce. (In the coming months, we plan to provide you with more information, but for now, you’ll have to settle for the “tease.”)

Have you talked to the small business owners in your communities to find out what your library could do for them? Are you in contact with your local Chambers of Commerce? How about local office of non-profits that advocate for business, like the SC Women’s Business Center or the Small Business Development Center?

Helen Oram, of Book Sale Finder, one of the contest winners, sent me her own press release.  Here’s what she says about how libraries have shaped her life:

“I’m proud to be recognized by Woman’s Day and ALA,” said Ms. Oram. “I have depended upon libraries all my life: as a child, as an adult, as a mother, and as a business owner. I hope this helps motivate others to use the unparalleled resources of their local libraries, and I especially hope that they will attend used book sales. Our motto is: Good Books at Good Prices for a Good Cause - Everybody Wins!”

 

Cost of building libraries increasing…no surprise

Facilities planning is one of the things I do as a consultant here at the State Library, so I look with anticipation for the annual architectural issue of Library Journal in December.  Each year, LJ does a survey of library building projects all over the country, including both public and academic libraries.

Each January, I sit down with the figures and start looking at trends, like the cost of construction per square foot and the cost of equipment and furnishing per square foot.  This data is crucial for the early planning discussions of a building project.  I start with national averages and then figure them for the southeast.

This year, I decided to add a new set of figures.  What percentage of the total project cost was funded by local funds or gifts/donations?  Equipment costs made up what percentage of the total project cost?  Costs are going up, and that’s no surprise to anyone, but the amount of the increase is a little shocking to me.  Here’s just a sample:  (Note: these are national averages.)
For new construction:

• Total project costs (including construction, equipment, site costs, architectural fees, etc.) increased from $200 per square foot in 2002 to $312 per square foot in 2007.
• Construction costs (bricks and mortar only) increased from $141 per square foot in 2002 to $217 in 2007.
• Equipment costs (including fixtures and furnishings) increased from $21 per square foot in 2002 to $27 in 2007 and make up about 10% of the total project cost.
• Local funds make up 85-90% of the total funds, but gifts and donations make up between 5-10% of total funds.  Federal and stat funds are negligible.

For renovations and additions, the data is limited, but the trends are clear:

• Total project costs increased from $153 per square foot in 2002 to $185 per square foot in 2007.
• Gifts and donations are more important in renovations or additions, making up 6-18% of total funds.

These are just a few of the tidbits I’ve gathered from this great issue.  There’s also an excellent article on the trend toward sustainable design in libraries.  If you haven’t, dust off your copy of the December 15, 2007 issue of LJ and check it out!

 

Carver’s Bay Branch Library Reports on Successful Digital Arts Experience

The staff of the Georgetown County Library has every reason to be proud of the success of their current project — the Digital Arts Experience or DAE.  The program is a fast-paced 12-week course designed to expose middle school students to the basic concepts and skills required to complete digitally oriented audiovisual projects. The students are encouraged to think for themselves as they work together in teams to concept, storyboard, shoot and edit their own video productions.

Not only did they get promotion from WebJunction, there was a front page article about the project in the Myrtle Beach Sun.

Go here and here for more information. Congratulations to the Georgetown County Library Staff!!

 

Gen Y uses the library more than other groups

Good news to start the new year!! In a new Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funded study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, shows that Generation Y (defined here as 18 - 29 year olds) is using the library more than any other age group when searching for government-related information.
Here’s a paragraph from the announcement:

The survey results challenge the assumption that libraries are losing relevance in the internet age. Libraries drew visits by more than half of Americans (53%) in the past year for all kinds of purposes, not just the problems mentioned in this survey. And it was the young adults in tech-loving Generation Y (age 18-30) who led the pack. Compared to their elders, Gen Y members were the most likely to use libraries for problem-solving information and in general patronage for any purpose.

Furthermore, it is young adults who are the most likely to say they will use libraries in the future when they encounter problems: 40% of Gen Y said they would do that, compared with 20% of those above age 30 who say they would go to a library.

The study also looks specifically at users on both sides of the digital divide, those with broadband access to the Internet at home and those who either have no access at home or only through dial-up connections. Interestingly enough, users with access at home were as or more likely to use the library than those with low or no access.

Read the announcement and the report.