Got Questions? The Library Has Answers!

Did you know that the number of questions answered at Plainfield Library has increased 2,100% in the last 25 years? It's true! In 1990, over 2,500 reference questions were answered. In 2015, more than 56,000 questions answered by librarians! FTR - that doesn't count things like "where's the bathroom?" and "what time do you close?" With smartphones and Google answering the easy questions, librarians get the complex questions like device troubleshooting and hands on help - and teach people to be good information consumers.

Thanks to EveryLibrary for this great visual. In person, by phone, via chat, text or email, your librarians are ready to help!

For questions specifically regarding the upcoming referenda on the March 15 ballot, stop by a Drop In Q&A with me 6pm-9pm on Thursday, February 4 or 10:30am-2:30pm in the Lower Level Lobby. I'll be handing out Winter Reading buttons too!

21st Century Public Libraries Help Transform the Workforce

According to this article on CNN Money today, jobs are being lost to redundancy and automation, but created in different sectors, requiring different skills. The article states:

"Countries will have to invest in transforming their workforce if they want to keep up with the changes and avoid a worse case scenario of "talent shortages, mass unemployment and growing inequality," said Klaus Schwab, the founder and chairman of the World Economic Forum.

Investing in education and adult learning programs is a good place to start.

Around 65% of children starting primary school today will end up working in jobs that don't yet exist, and their future training is crucial, according to the report." [emphasis mine]

21st century public libraries support job skills development and adult learning programs, as well as the more traditional roles of supporting early literacy development and education. As the job market changes and in-demand job skills shift, public libraries offer adult learners opportunities to gain and develop the skills employers are seeking as well as supporting education for kids.

The Plainfield Library's proposed building and expansion plans are based on providing 21st century public library service to this community that will help our workforce develop the skills that are in demand in the job market, today and in the future.

Libraries Transform

The new campaign from the American Library Association about the changing role of libraries is very timely for Plainfield! Libraries connect our communities to resources and how to use them. Libraries connect people to each other as community centers. And libraries offer services that are as unique as our community.

Why does Plainfield need a new, larger Library?

How has Plainfield changed since 1991? How has daily life changed? The Library building has not changed to keep up with 25 years of technology and advancement!

When construction on the Library began, the official Library district population was 14,123, with 5 schools in Plainfield School District 202. Today, the Library serves 75,337 with 30 schools in Plainfield School District 202. Over 60,000 more people are being served by the same 27,000 square foot Library. When the Library opened, it offered 2 word processing computers and typewriters for public use and collections included cassette tapes and VHS. Modern email did not exist. Today, more than 30 public computers are used for more than 24,000 hours of public computing sessions annually. Formats include DVD, BluRay, MP3, downloadable books and audiobooks, streaming music and video, ereaders, Rokus, etc. The Library has over 209,000 items in its collection today, possible only due to virtual rather than physical items. That’s four times the 1991 opening day collection of 41,558.

People sometimes ask “Why do we need libraries when we have the Internet?” The Internet cannot provide the personalized help and hands-on instruction of the 21^st century Library. In 1991, 2,236 reference questions were asked and answered at the Library. In 2015, it was more than 56,000, over 25 times the number asked in 1990. Today’s questions are more complex because the easy answers are readily available. Complex questions, such as help with devices and teaching new technology skills comprise answers to today’s questions at the Library.

Classes and programs are a huge part of 21^st century public library service. 1993 was the first year the Library kept program attendance statistics – with 2,214 attending programs that were only for children. In 2015, over 50,000 attended a library program, spanning all ages. That’s 22 times more people attending programs in 2015.

With more services and devices and formats in demand than ever before, per capita purchasing power has declined. In 1990, the Library District’s median home value of $100,000 paid $103 in property taxes to the Library, about $30.17 per capita. Today’s median home value of $300,000 paid $192.89 in property taxes, about $44.93 per capita. Adjusted for inflation, 1990 per capita revenue would be $51.99 in today’s dollars.

In 2015, the average Plainfield Public Library resident checked out more than 8 items, attended a library program, used a public computer for an average session of 43 minutes and asked a question. That is $256.87 in value for materials and services received for the $44.93 per capita investment in the Library.

Serving five times more people in the Library District, doing 22 and 25 times the business in core services and holding a collection four times larger than when it opened, the physical building has not changed. Its systems have reached and exceeded their useful life. It was not designed for today’s technology and lifestyles. A Library that is designed to support today’s technology, learning environments and opportunities for connecting as a community is the most efficient and cost-effective solution to continue providing quality library service that meets Plainfield’s needs in the 21st century.

Expansion planning process wrapping up

With just two more Library Board meetings in 2015, the expansion planning process is nearly at an end. It’s been more than a year since the Plainfield Public Library District’s Board of Trustees began planning for an expansion to go on the 2016 ballot. By year end, the Library Board is anticipated to vote on the ordinances which would place referendum questions on the ballot for the March 15, 2016 Primary Election.

The planning process began in November 2014 when Anders Dahlgren of Library Planning Associates was contracted to update the building program with population projections and statistics. The public input began in April 2015 with Open Houses to gather community input on services for a 21^st century library. Public meetings throughout the summer and fall gathered more feedback as the plans came together, helping to refine the concept plans. A telephone survey tested community support for the targeted maximum tax impact. Ultimately, public support for the project will be measured at the ballot box in March.

Visit the Building and Expansion Planning web page for the latest information on the plans and to provide feedback.

The Library Board meetings are Thursday, December 3 at 7:00pmin the Storytime room and Wednesday, December 16 at 6:30pm in the Small Meeting Room. All are welcome to attend.

Conference Call in the Parking Lot

Today, our Senior Services Liaison has a conference call scheduled with the Alzheimer’s Association. She’ll be in the parking lot, sitting in her car during that call. Why? Because her office is a workroom shared with her supervisor and 18 coworkers. What about another room? There isn’t one available. Every staff space is used for multiple functions. Even the Library Director’s office doubles as the staff conference room. This is not employees whining about working conditions. It’s the reality of working in the current Library building. The lack of space affects every level of service, from how and where employees work to how many people can attend a program. A lot of time and energy is spent on making do with physical space constraints that could be spent on providing service.

Comment: I Love the Fancy New Doors.

We’re very pleased to have a functional, accessible automatic door! You may have noticed the increasingly frequent outages of the swing-arm door opener in the year prior to the replacement. As the only accessible entrance to this public building, it is imperative to have a functional automatic opener. Every other entry to the building requires going up or down stairs.

Because Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility was not yet part of the building code when the Library was built 25 years ago, there was no automatic opener on the doors until the early 2000’s. At that time, a swing-arm power opener was retro-fitted to the existing doors. The high volume of traffic through those front doors put years of hard use on the opener.

In the 2012 Building Evaluation, replacement of that opener was estimated to cost approximately $50,000 due to the anticipated cost of redesigning the existing vestibule area to accommodate automatic sliding doors more appropriate to the volume of use. Due to the anticipated cost, the Board of Library Trustees sidelined the project until it simply could not wait any longer. When Midwest Automatic Door submitted a proposal that used the existing door openings, it was a very pleasant surprise to have the replacement cost come in under $20,000.