Serving Iowans

The headline in today's Telegraph Herald reads:  Library shuts down some features of open access. 

It’s good news, bad news kind of story.  The good news is that more people than ever are using their public libraries in Dubuque county.  Carnegie-Stout Public Library saw a 7% increase in circulation this last fiscal year and Dubuque County Library circulation increased over 8%.  The bad news is that increased usage strains resources in these difficult economic times.  Libraries are competing with other public agencies and services for limited funding.  Fire and police departments, mental health providers, and parks and recreation commissions are all vying for the same dollars in state, county, and local budgets. 

Carnegie-Stout Public Library and Dubuque County Library currently work together through a state program called Open Access.  Libraries who participate in Open Access agree to lend materials and provide services to citizens outside of their tax base in return for compensation from the State of Iowa.  The program began twelve years ago and the vast majority of public libraries in Iowa now participate.  This means that wherever you live in Iowa you are no longer disadvantaged by what your local library has on its shelves.  You can borrow from any public library in Iowa depending on what is convenient and available to you.  If you live in Farley, but work in Manchester, you can use the local library on your way home after you stop for groceries.  Open Access levels the playing field for rural and urban citizens and allows Iowans to share resources across the state. 

When the legislation for the Open Access program was passed, the target was a reimbursement of $1.00 per loan.  That first year, the program paid $.39.  It has never been fully funded.  This year, due to the rise in library usage and little additional funding over the life of the program, reimbursement has dropped to only $.19 per loan.  With the current cost of library service, the reimbursement should be closer to $3.00. 

All of the public libraries in Iowa are feeling this pinch.  Libraries in urban areas are particularly hard hit because customers work and live in many jurisdictions.  They shop in one suburb and live in another.  Underfunding Open Access only pits those libraries against each other in order to survive.  But now is not the time to abandon the program.  Now is the time for citizens to talk with their legislators and ask that Open Access be fully funded in the state budget.  The dollars spent on this resource- sharing approach are money well spent.  Libraries are a cost-effective way of reaching all of our citizens.  We provide free access to the Internet, continuing education through workshops and seminars, lifelong learning from story times to senior computer classes, current books, magazines, DVDs, and downloadable ebooks and audiobooks. 

Carnegie Stout Public Library and Dubuque County Library both want to provide quality services to the residents of Dubuque county and, in turn, the citizens of Iowa.  This county should be proud that these two public institutions are out there striving to bring information and materials to everyone.  The numbers prove that people want library service.  They just don’t understand how libraries are funded.  Per capita rates for the public libraries in Dubuque county vary widely.  Everyone does not pay the same amount for library service.  Open Access is one way to ease these differences.  It cannot replace local support but makes cooperation possible.

All of our citizens need to support adequate funding for libraries at both the state and local level.  Help us better serve all our people.  

Annual Report

The new annual report is here.  The new annual report is here.  I feel like Steve Martin's character in "The Jerk" who was so excited about the arrival of the new phone books.  I'm always excited when I can review the statistics from the past year.  The Library's 2012 annual report shows what we have accomplished and where we want to go moving forward.

The numbers were very good.  Circulation is up 8% from last year for a total of 88,775 in 2012.  This number includes downloading (using electronic books and audiobooks).  Downloads were up from 889 in 2011 to 2,275 in 2015.  There are lot more ereaders out there and our customers are learning to use the free collection available through our NEIBORS website.  Staff have presented several workshops to help people learn how to download and access material through their mobile devices.  New borrowers were up as well.  We issued over 1,500 cards this last year.  7,044 new books and dvds were added to the collection.  Program attendance was at an all-time high of 3,449 people who attended children's, teens, and adult programs.  The highlight was that 109 people attended the bat program in Asbury in June.  872 children and 149 adults participated in our summer reading program. 

A couple of measures were down slightly.  We had fewer people using computers in 2012.  In 2011, 6,324 people signed in to our public computers but only 5,169 used our computers in 2012.  Perhaps more people are getting their own computers or using their smart phones.  That would match a national trend.  We also had about 500 fewer visitors in 2012.  That may be attributed to the fact that we were closed several days at Epworth branch because of the Bierman Road construction.  Access to the library was hampered for several weeks.  We were also closed a week around Christmas to move the Farley branch to Drexler Middle School.

And for the dollars and cents . . .  Total expenditures for 2012 were $5,99278.  This is a per capita cost of $25.45.  Expenditures were up almost $10,000 from 2011 when we spent $589,835.  On the revenue side, we brought in $3,003.97 in fines and fees.  That is up from $500.00 in 2011 because now we are charging for late returns.  I know no one likes to pay fines, but it sure does help get materials back on time so that we can fill the holds for popular, in demand titles.    Check out our website (www.dubcolib.lib.ia.us) for the whole annual report.

We have lots to look forward to in the year ahead.  We have a grant of $1,500 from Alliant Energy to update our health and wellness collection of books and dvds.  The building plans are continuing for a new municpal building in Asbury which will include a larger library and programming space.  This fall we are going to begin a series of computer classes.  Come learn how to surf the Internet, download materials, and much more.  Children's programs are diversifying to include working with the Canine Connection so that you can learn how to choose, raise, and train your dog.  There are special doggie visitors at several storytimes.  And don't forget the new Lego programs going on all fall. 

The Library still has much to do to provide you with outstanding library service, but we are growing and we are striving to be your public library.  Have a great weekend.  Dawn 

Books can be suprising

Have you ever thought you would never like a book and then read it and be completely wrong?  Well, I have--just this week.  In August, GAB (Girls and Books), the library's book discussion group, chose "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Shaffer and Annie Barrows as their book for the September meeting.  I was so disappointed.  I had heard of the book.  I knew it was popular with book groups.  But I thought it was another of those "book club" books where the main plot was describing a quirky ensemble of book club members and their lame interactions.  Boy, was I on the wrong track.

"The Gurensey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" is an enthralling account of the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II.  The Germans invade these islands that lie between England and France and occupy them for five, long years.  The book unfolds through letters to and from Juliet Ashton (a budding writer) and her friends, publisher, and the inhabitants of Guernsey. 

At first I thought I would hate reading a whole novel of letters, but as I kept reading, I found that this was the absolutely perfect way to tell this story.  How else could people slowly unburden themselves of their wonderful and terrible stories of living under very harsh conditions?  The reader learns as Juliet learns what the islanders went through with dwindling food supplies, zero help from England, and only their community to rely on.

Don't get me wrong.  This is not a dark, depressing novel of horror stories.  It is a story of perseverance and of people with just as much grit as any American Conestoga wagon pioneer.  What surprised me was how eager I was to read the next letter and the next.  (I finished the book at 3 a.m. because I couldn't stop.)  Also, don't worry that it is all dreary history.  I love historical fiction and I learned so much about a slice of history I knew nothing about.  Most Brits knew nothing about the occupation either.  But this novel also has intrigue and romance and you can't wait to find out what happens. 

GAB will be discussing the book next Thursday, September 20th at 6:30 p.m. at our NICC/Peosta branch.  It should be a lively evening just like those of the Potato Peel Society.  Come join us.  Copies of the book are available to borrow at all our branch locations.

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society" is a book about a book club with quirky characters and their interactions, but it far from dull or lame.  The message of the book is that books can be surprising.  They may just get your through hard times and bind you to your community.  Imagine that.

Have a great weekend.  See you at the library.  Dawn

Author Visits

Dubuque County Library has two local authors coming to visit with us this fall.  I am so excited.  Obviously, I am a reader.  My mom had to kick me out of the house on summer afternoons to "go play"!  I was much happier lying on the living room rug reading "Seventeenth Summer."  By the way, what a wonderful pre-teen novel that was.  In the old days, the book ended with a first kiss.  Anyway, I love to read, but I cannot imagine writing a novel.  I would have so many questions to ask a successful author if I were to even think about writing.  How do you let a story unfold over 300 pages?  How do you develop characters without telling us in stock phrases who they are?  How do you decide how it ends?  If you are a budding writer, or just like to talk about books, mark your calendar for these upcoming events:

Jessica Schmitt, the first-time author of "Monster Under My Bed," is coming to Epworth and Holy Cross branches on September 24th.  Epworth at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. at Holy Cross.  Schmitt is a Rickardsville native and Western Dubuque High School graduate.  Jessica received her Bachelor's degree from Loras College and moved to Minneapolis in 2008.  She is currently working in the field of security.  She will talk about her book as well as the writing and publishing process. 

Heather Gudenkauf recently released her third novel, "One Breath Away."  Gudenkauf is a Dubuque native.  She will be joining our GAB (Girls and Books) library discussion group on Thursday, October 18th at 6:30 p.m.  We will be in the community room at NICC/Peosta.  Everyone is welcome to come and talk with Heather.  She will be signing and selling books.  We have multiple copies of the book in our library collection because the holds just kept going up. I absolutely loved her debut novel, "The Weight of Silence."  I have extolled it's virtues in previous blogs.  "These Things Hidden," her second book, is also good.  It isn't quite as dramatic as the first one.  But, have you read the new book yet?  It is riveting.  A gunman enters a small-town Iowa school.  Chilling.  Who is he?  What does he want?  What does he intend to do?  The story is told through the eyes of several townspeople and some of the students.  As a parent, I cannot imagine the agony of waiting through such an ordeal.  I read the book over a weekend because I had to find out what happened.  It's also cool that Gudenkauf includes so many Iowa references.  Heather hasn't abandoned us now that's she's a best-selling author.

So, come join us for these author visits.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Dawn