Libraries Offer Community

Last night, Library Director Kathee Rhode and I went to an event to bring together public and school librarians. During the first presentation, director of the Memorial Library of Nazareth & Vicinity Josh Berk did what librarians do best: tell a story and share information. Berk’s story was that libraries are not going to be put out of business by eBooks, as libraries are embracing and adopting current technology. His information highlighted ways libraries had responded to their community’s need in the wake of Hurricane Sandy last week, including statistics on what one library in the New England area had gone through in supplies in order to serve people… even down to rolls of toilet paper used!

Kathee and I were sitting next to Josh for the event, so when he sat back down, we began to discuss our own libraries’ experiences re-opening after the storm, and after getting a little We-love-that-our-job-allows-us-to-serve-the-community Librarian-happy, we realized how important it was to record our stories. This is not one of those discouraging “Libraries are in budget crisis” call, but just a “This is what libraries really provide” positive story.

I could start with the numbers. Last week we re-opened on Wednesday, and Wednesday and Thursday were extremely busy days as many were still without power. Just look at some of these numbers comparing the Wednesday and Thursday before Sandy (an “average” day) with the two days following:

• Circulation
  
  • Wednesday pre-Sandy: 865 items 
  • Thursday pre-Sandy: 680 items
  • Wednesday post-Sandy: 1557 items
  • Thursday post-Sandy: 1074 items

• People Count
  
  • Wednesday pre-Sandy: 402 people 
  • Thursday pre-Sandy: 446 people
  • Wednesday post-Sandy: 1105 people
  • Thursday post-Sandy: 748 people

• Attendance at storytime
  •  Wednesday pre-Sandy: 33 kids 
  • Thursday pre-Sandy: 36 kids
  • Wednesday post-Sandy: 75-80 kids
  • Thursday post-Sandy: 50 kids

We also had significantly more activity on our Facebook page. Some people who didn't have power were able to conservatively use their smartphones to get information. We tried to share and pull information from various sources, like the township and community center, as well as our own hours and services.

Sorry, we didn’t count the number of toilet paper rolls!

Statistics paint one picture, stories paint another, and we have many Sandy stories. Word started spreading that we had power, warmth, wifi, outlets and entertainment. Our phone was ringing off the hook and we began answering before 10:00, as people were calling to see if we were open. You could hear the relief and excitement in people’s voices when we responded we were! Nearly as soon as we were open and all day Wednesday, every seat in the place was occupied and stayed occupied. People were sitting on the floor next to outlets, and we were pulling extension cords out. Parents were charging phones and laptops in the program room while their kids were in storytimes.

I’m used to people standing in lines playing with their phones rather than talking to the people around them, but not last week. Social conventions were broken, as we saw random strangers sharing tables, outlets and talking to one another about their current situations. The staff basically put aside all our other responsibilities that we do behind the scenes to keep this place running and focused on caring for weary people. I’m guessing we served a lot of people who don’t even have library cards but knew we had power, and that’s great, because we could help… and maybe they’ll continue to come now that they know! The community center also opened up for residents, putting out tables near outlets for people to use.

We served as a go-between for information with the township. The director took calls from people reporting trees down to pass on to the township because they didn’t know who to call and from parents wondering when the township would do trick-or-treating. We kept a list of organizations that were offering shelter or meals to share with visitors and callers, and we heard patrons exchanging information about which restaurants were actually open to feed people without power. These are all stories of people helping other people, neighbors helping neighbors.

As we discussed these stories last night, the conclusion we came to was that libraries are not in danger of extinction because of eBooks or the internet. If libraries embrace these and adapt, we’ll be just as relevant as ever. But the reason we’ll continue to serve communities is because the library is a place to build community. Come get your books, movies, music and databases, use our computers and wifi, please. But also visit with your neighbors, kids’ classmates’ or teammates’ families, coworkers, or meet some new friends. Just remember to use your library voice.