Residents Seek More Hours, Less Technology at Libraries

Residents said Tuesday evening that they wanted a better-informed staff and longer hours of operation from their local library at a meeting held at John Marshall library.

Tuesday’shosted by Fairfax County Public libraries to find out how the library system can improve user experiences whether on site or online. Officials are seeking to address a five percent drop in library usage.

Director of library services Sam Clay said at the meeting he wanted libraries to play an essential role in the lives of people living in the area.

“My goal for our library system is that no Fairfax County resident or city resident could imagine going a day without intersecting with the Fairfax County system of libraries, either in person, by telephone, smoke signal whatever,” Clay said. “It matters not. We want to be vital in your lives.”

A local scout troop suggested building a system where patrons could reserves books and pick them up at a self-serve kiosk much like Red Box, the DVD rental company that allows clients to rent movies and return them at any time. The scouts also proposed expanding the young adult section.

 Edith Russo, a senior citizen and long-time user of public libraries, said while she did not have anything against electronic readers, she wanted children to experience the pleasure of printed book.

 “I’d like to see more attention paid to the children,” Russo said. “I’d love to see a dedicated children’s library with a special librarian.”

Clay said the biggest challenge for county libraries was to meet the needs of all patrons in an ever-changing publishing world.

“My contention is that this will become your library,” Clay said, waving a Smartphone to the audience.

Rebekah Mills, who tutors students around Fairfax County libraries said she was worried the digital divide would only expand as libraries adopt new technologies. Especially with the closing of the major bookstore Borders, she said the county would better serve the community by concentrating on providing basic tools like printed books.

 “People who can afford these readers are people who can go out and buy a book,” Mills said. “To devote a lot of resources to people who can do a lot of things on their own is probably a misuse of public funding. Although the library is supposed to serve the entire public I think that disproportional resources should be given to those who would otherwise not have access without the library.”

 Mills added that the one suggestion that stood out to her was the proposal of a floating collection that does not tie any material to a particular library branch.

 “I do not see why a particular collection needs to be tied to a particular branch in the age of databases where you can track where things are,” Mills said. “There are all kinds of businesses making just in time delivery. You can have the book anywhere and deal with tracking and logistics.”

Whatever hybrid resolution the county settles on will require money, but. The county executive has asked all 57 departments to prepare a flat budget as well as three other budgets with 1, 3 and 5 per cent reductions for the 2013 fiscal year.  Clay said the library system will prioritize the most requested ideas from local residents

 “We will look into them and see we can do this we can do that,” Clay said. “This can be incorporated and this cannot. We will certainly give them great weight because people have taken time to come voice their opinions. We are their system and we have to give them what they want.”

Information collected during the neighborhood meetings will be used for strategic planning and residents can expect to see changes take effect around the end of next year.

The third and final meeting is scheduled for August 23 at the Oakton Library.