I had the great pleasure of attending and presenting last week at the South Carolina Afterschool Allaince Conference here in Columbia.  The South Carolina Afterschool Alliance is a non-profit group dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of quality after school programs, serving as an advocate for providers, children, and families, assisting providers in developing best practices, and collaborating with organizations and groups to link services and develop partnerships.

I know from the discussions I had at the conference that many of our state’s libraries have forged a strong working relationship with after school programs and providers in their communities, but there’s room for growth.  I admit to being a little embarrassed by my lack of knowledge about the variety of program types in our state.  I met providers from day cares, faith-based programs, K-12 sponsored programs, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and so many more.  They were all great people and have passion for serving the children in their communities.  In that way, we have lots in common.

If your library hasn’t already reached out to the after school program providers in your community, I hope you will.  They have access to the children, and we have cool programs and collections to share.  More importantly, they are interested in the same things we are…providing support and development for our next generations.  There is so much we can offer one another!

To find a listing of programs in your community, visit the SC Afterschool Alliance Directory.

Shelf Awareness Blog reports that retail stores and libraries realize that the more books are “face out” on the shelf, the more books circulate/sell.  With more books “face out” there will be less room for less sold/borrowed materials.  The original Wall Street Journal article (subscription needed)  says at a typical Borders superstore, the reduction of inventory will be between 4,675 and 9,350 titles out of about 93,500. Borders said customers at its new concept store had the impression that more books were available.

So it is not really about the total number of books you have, but how the books are displayed and having lots and lots of high demand items.  To read the article go here.

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!

In the March 2008 Computers in Libraries there is a great article about how the Howard County Library in Md. have switched all public computers to open source software with great results. What I found particularly interesting is the survey conduced using “SmoothWall” to analyze which sites patrons use. Over 80% of web activity in our branches went to five websites in order of number of hits: MySpace, Google, the library catalog, Facebook and Yahoo. As noted in the article its nice to see that the library catalog is in the top five. Also of interest was what patrons are using the computers for–job applications which can sometimes take longer than an hour.

Libraries will not be obsolete in the coming years, but instead will continue to be viable places to locate information, improve lives and communicate with others! Take a look here (hopefully full text soon!!). If the article is not available locally, contact your local SC public library who will contact the SC State Library interlibrary loan services :-))

Libraries need to change with the times.  Being able to design a new or renovate a library does not happen often.  More likely we have to adapt our physical building to our changing role in our community.  The way a library effectively functioned pre Internet is completely different to todays collaborative environment.  I just finished watching the College of DuPage’s latest teleconference — the subject of this session was trends in library buildings. I have always been fascinated physical arrangement of libraries and how it impacts on its functions. The teleconference gave lots of food for thought and will be archived and available soon.

Reference Desks is one area that definitely could use some improvement. Yesterday, at the Public Services and Reference Managers Exchange, Deb Salmond of the York County Library (Rock Hill, SC) described their new reference workstations that are scattered in the nonfiction, reference areas. The workstations have large signs with the words “JUST ASK ME”. Each station (there are three) has a small desk with computer printer, chair (for librarian) and chair for person asking the question. Wow, so simple and so effective. The best part of the plan is that everyone knows what “JUST ASK ME” means!! Deb is finding that there they have more business than ever before and staffing has had minimal changes.

Later, I was looking at one of my favorite blogs Logic+Emotion. David Armano blogged about another blog (how many blogs can you have in one sentence) on changing furniture to meet today’s needs. Take a look. It does not have to cost a lot of money to make your environment more inviting –

I came across this blog post in Slashdot this morning, where discussions about libraries sometimes occur.  It’s always useful to hear how our profession is viewed by people in other lines of work, particularly in technology fields.  I’m not sure I buy the demise of libraries as portrayed on this “Timeline” but it’s clearly food for thought, and I totally agree with the comment below on the role of libraries as social centers.

“Ross Dawson, a business consultant who tracks different customs, devices, and institutions on what he calls an “Extinction Timeline,” http://www.rossdawsonblog.com/weblog/archives/2007/10/extinction_time.html  predicts that libraries will disappear in 2019. He’s probably right as far as the function of the library as a civic monument, or as a public repository for books, is concerned. On the other hand, in its mutating role as urban hangout, meeting place, and arbiter of information, the public library seems far from spent. This has less to do with the digital world—or the digital word—than with the age-old need for human contact.”

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!”

  The sight of teenaged boys clustered around a game console or computer monitor, controllers in hand and eyes fixed on the screen, is now a familiar one in many libraries.  But wait…are those players really boys?  Or even teenagers?  Or…are there a few gray heads in the mix? 

In fact, the increase in older people buying and enjoying electronic games is a phenomenon attracting attention, and librarians should take note.  Much of the new action is due to the popularity of the Nintendo Wii, a more senior-friendly game platform than its higher-tech competitors.  According to a recent N.Y. Times article, the growth now in the gaming market is in “simple, user-friendly experiences that families and friends can enjoy together.”   

And also, apparently, retirees:  The Wii is becoming a staple component of group exercise equipment at senior living facilities around South Carolina.  People who are comfortable using a TV remote controller find the transition to the Wii very natural.  And the fitness potential?  Fantastic, compared to TV watching.   

We haven’t actually heard of game programs being offered for seniors in libraries in our state…yet!  But, as the graying of library patrons increases over the coming decade, we think more senior friendly activities should be offered in libraries.  Who’s game?

Here are some great places to start looking - and most are free (or very cheap):

Library 2.0 Ning Post:

-This is a great list put together by Marianne Lenox. 

The Accidental Technology Trainer:

-This is a VERY comprehensive list put together by Stephanie Gerding - This is a must.  You are bound to find what you are looking for here.

The South Carolina State Library/CE Page:

-I have been keeping a list of resources for training, professional conferences and anything related to South Carolina Library related information.

LibraryTrax Page on this Blog:

-Click on the top tab named “TechTrax” and you will find links to web 2.0 tutorials and more.

The South Carolina State Library/ Calendar of upcoming events:

-You can either check this out on our homepage (http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/home/) or click the link above.  You can also subscribe via RSS feed from our homepage.

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!