At Your Service

Over the past three years we have been having many conversations within the library system as to how best to respond to an external environment that has been and remains unpredictable from a fiscal, programmatic and technological viewpoint. It has become important to understand in-depth – beyond assumptions and clichés – who it is we are serving, not serving and what resources do we have available to employ in that service.

There is a great deal of talent in the Library system and PPL faces a challenge as to how to best take advantage of that talent. One of the barriers is the traditional library organizational structure that focuses more on how (lending, public computing, reference, etc.) we do things versus concentrating on the who we are trying to serve. We have taken a big step going forward in redesigning our structure to identify the who and the topics that we intend to concentrate on over the next few years. To begin this engagement we have created Teams of staff that have skills and expertise associated with the scope of each Team.

The Teams are:

Business and Government
Children
City of Readers
Cultural Center (Arts and Humanities)
Health
Portland History
Science and Technology
Teens

Over the next few months we will publicize each of these Teams and describe in more detail their mission and scope. We will be looking for volunteers to support the efforts of each Team.

AMPED!

“It is not a tsunami we are running from; it is a wave we are riding.”


A colleague at Portland Public Library made this comment as part of her post mortem of the recent MPBN Maine Watch program called
“Public Libraries Evolving." At odds with the continued and decades long prediction of the demise of public libraries was an articulation by the public librarians on the show that was upbeat, realistic and most of all ringing in the reality of record public library use. So whatever the next wave is – no matter how high – we have the attitude and skill to ride.

We’ll be here.

“To be Sharp, Yet Open”

I like the woods in any season which leads me to read a lot of nature writing.  I am re-reading Bernd Heinrich’s A Year in the Maine Woods  at the moment.  In the prose of the best nature writers there are many passages such as the one below that resonate with a broader application beyond the purposes of the book.

“Very few people know the birds exist here at all, so I feel like I am delving into a deep secret.  If I can find out how they do it, then I’ll know something that nobody in the world knows, and that prospect excites me.  I do not yet want to form a hypothesis to test, because as soon as you make a hypothesis, you become prejudiced.  Your mind slides into a groove, and once it is in that groove, has difficulty noticing anything outside of it.  During this time, my senses must be sharp; that is the main thing – to be sharp, yet open.”

Portland Public Library, like all public libraries, is undergoing tremendous and complicated change and the need to stay sharp, engage, observe, see clearly and yet be wide open (stay out of the organizational and personal ruts) to the possibilities and potential within the current environment is our critical and essential bundle of qualities.  The assertion that the role of libraries is in fact changing may or my not be accurate depending on your perspective. One thing that is abundantly clear to even fairly casual observers is that the HOW part has already, and is now daily, changing hugely and I would argue for the better.

Portland Public Library, at this moment in its history, has never been better equipped to respond to the needs of the community.  We have the information tools – digital and print - and the needed infrastructure that, thanks partnerships and networks of funders, present a potential to be an even greater force in the daily lives of our users.  I would not suggest that we have enough staff but that is the ever present ‘complaint” of all organizations now.  But, I do believe that the imperative that we become true experts in the knowledge and effective use of all tools at our disposal is a critical competency that we need to acquire.  It is easy to get bleary eyed at the enormous number of electronic journals in a data base and to not delve deeply into the value of the content and then deliver it to meet user needs.  The recently completed community survey strongly stated the public expectation that PPL have great collections, safe, comfortable and productive environments and a staff that is helpful, skilled and committed.

Farewell to Some Friends

The impending retirements next spring of Richard D’Abate, Executive Director of Maine Historical Society (MHS) and Jim Morse, Superintendent of Portland Public Schools, will have an impact on PPL. Both men are first rate and approachable colleagues and thinkers and always interested in ways to work with PPL. Our relationship with MHS has helped to inform our building planning and the evolution of the Portland Room collecting. Jim Morse has been a big supporter of PPL through the budget and planning processes since his arrival three years ago. Most recently he vocally supported the funding for the Riverton Branch of PPL even though there was potential for the schools to benefit from additional space.

A lot of what makes PPL effective comes through our various partnerships and those relationships are only able to develop due to creative leadership of various partners and the ability to recognize mutual benefits.

I am very grateful for all that they have done to support PPL and I will miss both of them as will my colleagues at PPL.

PPL: The gift that keeps on giving

Budget discussions in any organization are an annual ritual but the perspective, if a business or organization is going to thrive, has to be on long term return on investment. Portland Public Library has the same ritual yet often we speak publicly only of the last year’s performance which is a limited view and articulation of our value.


People are dead right to ask “what are we getting for our money?” The answers echo over the generations and among tens of thousands of people. A couple of quick facts serve to illustrate the year after year pay back:

The 1,000,000th visit to the renovated Main Library will take place at some point next spring;

Among the 48,413 active card holders who live in Cumberland County only, 7,010,225 items have been borrowed over the life of their relationship with PPL with more borrowed every day. And, there were thousands of other people who preceded them over many years who are no longer active card holders.

Who uses PPL? Is it still relevant?

Case closed.

THE BIG LIBRARY IS HERE!

The Library of Congress (LC) is a cultural icon to the American people and it is an inspiration to not just our libraries but to cultural organizations everywhere. Its sheer size is daunting yet its mission language is decidedly simple, elegant and inspiring. 

“The Library's mission is to support the Congress in fulfilling its constitutional duties and to further the progress of knowledge and creativity for the benefit of the American people.”

Library of Congress Mission

The Library’s programmatic expression of its mission touches every aspect of knowledge from the arts and humanities to the sciences. At the Portland Public Library the connections are direct. LC has for decades been a driving force in setting strategic direction for America's and the world’s libraries through establishing standards for information organization, discovery and sharing.

Two of our closest cultural collaborators are significantly influenced and inspired by LC. The Library of Congress Center for the Book was established in 1977 to promote books, reading, libraries, and literacy. The Maine Humanities Council has served since 1997 as the Maine Center for the Book and has worked hard to fulfill that mission.

Maine Historical Society has built a nationally respected tool called Maine Memory Network  which was inspired over a decade ago by the LC’s American Memory project. Maine Memory now provides on-line access to tens of thousands historical documents from not just the Society’s collections but from over 200 other organizations throughout Maine. Resources for teachers and on-line exhibits are also included. It has become the indispensable tool for preserving and studying Maine history.

We are honored to co-host the Library of Congress travelling exhibition today and Saturday on Monument Square. Our thanks are extended to our friends at the Portland Downtown District for their co-sponsorship.

Riverton Rising!

Last Thursday night's Open House was a sweet night for all of us associated with PPL and the Riverton neighborhood. After the uncertainties of the last two years the budget for the Riverton Branch was solidified this spring and we can now with some level of confidence sink our teeth into creating a first rate library experience at Riverton.

We have started with renewing the physical space effecting a transformation of the previous space from cramped, dark and cluttered

to an environment that employs the lessons learned in the renovation of the Main Library.

We have lowered the stack heights, maintained the same amount of linear shelving feet through a new shelving layout, widened the aisles and created specific spaces for adults reading, children’s programming and teens. It is now a light filled space with room to move!

The next stage is to continue to analyze and refine data regarding use of the collections and having the collections reflect the needs. After the first three months in the new space we will analyze the use of the collections and attendance and ask opinions of our Riverton users to see what specific changes we might make. Our plan is to surpass the records this year for lending (64,227) and attendance (50,671) at Riverton.

The Open House last Thursday was a joyful event with new City Manager Mark Rees, City Councilors John Coyne and Dory Waxman, Superintendent of Schools Jim Morse and PPL Trustee President Nathan Smith all in attendance. We had the chance to thank each other for the hard work and support and also unanimously to thank the Riverton Community Association led by President Chip Edgar for their passion and help in keeping PPL operating in the Riverton neighborhood. We are grateful to all.

Doing Better with Less?

Libraries don’t often speak in defined ways about productivity. In any job after a time you get a glimpse (or more likely “feel”) when there is a greater workload or activity. The questions you have to ask yourself after accounting for all of the variables are “Did I actually do more or better work or did I add any value to the organization or to the life of the library patrons?”


At PPL, which is first and foremost a service organization, we have to start with some broad measures that make an effort to quantify effort and activity and cost. One way to look at the overall return on the investment of people is to look at the relationship between the number of staff and the amount of lending or visits the library system experiences in a year and which must be “serviced.” This is an important question for an organization whose staffing has declined roughly 10% since 2008 and is significantly lower than any year since 1990. It also important to state that other infrastructure costs associated with library service need to be accounted for to the point that staffing – all associated costs – account for under 68% of the budget which, depending on your point of view is either low or very efficient - for a service organization.

The graph above reveals some interesting things and points toward a bright library future in the service of our users. The years 1990 – 1996 show a flattening in terms of lending and visitation per FTE * (Full Time Equivalent). In 1996, the first full year of operation of the Burbank Branch, lending and visitation begin to rise per FTE which is a measure of more activity per staff member. It also argues for investment in service locations that have a critical mass in terms of collections and hours. The period 2008 – 2011 reinforces this notion strongly as the Main Library first underwent hours reduction due to budget constraints and then a renovation that resulted in substantial reduction of space. Our system numbers fell accordingly. Once the Main Library came back on-line (April 2010) with improved and expanded spaces and a six day a week schedule (July 2010) the productivity per FTE rose dramatically despite 25% fewer hours due to the closure of the Reiche and Munjoy locations.

In September, we will publicly release the results of our community survey conducted late last spring. One relevant finding however to share now is that respondents indicated to us (in support of critical mass/efficiency) that fewer locations open longer hours and with strong collections was preferred over more locations with short schedules and small collections.

* Total number of staff work hours available divided by 40.

Who Loves Ya’ PPL?

Well somebody does if we think a bit about the statistics that we just received for our year ending June 30, 2011. Despite being open 25% fewer hours over last year due to budget driven closures of Reiche and Munjoy Branches last July, PPL system visitors (633,854) hit record levels as did the lending of print and digital materials (1,089,338).


List those markers of activity along with our raising a record amount for our annual fund $119,120 from 725 donors then it is clear that we are headed in the right direction.

The budget process that concluded in the spring for this year held a critical outcome for us. The City made a commitment to provide the funds to stabilize the number of locations in the library system by funding the Riverton Branch. We are delighted with that support and beginning August 5th we will remodel the Branch to make it a more responsive and attractive location for library users.

Our thanks to our partners, library users, donors, Friends of PPL, volunteers and funders such as the City of Portland for their belief in Portland Public Library. As the Executive Director it is always my privilege to thank the staff and Trustees for their commitment and passion for the work that we do.

A Reader is a Reader is a Reader!

We have recently been asked by media and individuals our opinion about the surge that eBooks have experienced as a reading source and how that might affect libraries. Below are our answers to those questions. Regardless of what you think of the technology and format from our perspective the more readers the better!

1. What steps, if any, is PPL taking to accommodate eBooks and eReaders?

Recently, we provided start up funds and now participate in the statewide initiative for eBooks through a service called Overdrive. With your library card, you can begin to utilize popular eBooks or Downloadable audio books through the Maine InfoNet Download Library listed on our website (www.portlandlibrary.com)  This service complements our other eBook resources such as Tumble Readables and Tumble Books available on our website and geared toward children that are being used thousands of times per month.

We have been providing eBooks for a number of years but they have tended toward reference titles such as languages, dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, etc. You can find those in the PPL catalog online on our home page.

  

2. How do you think eBooks can, and are, changing public libraries? Would you go so far as to say eBooks will revolutionize public libraries? If so, how? Fewer books? More computers?

It is pretty clear based on rising sales figures for eBook and eReader purchases, as well as “mentions” in the popular press that we have reached a tipping point in the acceptance of eBooks. Popular acceptance, or at least widespread curiosity, was confirmed for us just recently as 55 people showed up (with approximately 10 days notice) to a program at PPL to demonstrate eReaders and how to acquire eBooks. (See information on this event through CTN's link)

Having said that, I am not sure that the revolution is as much about public libraries as it might be about reading itself.  PPL’s  City of Readers Team has a mission to create a culture of reading in Portland. Whether that reading engagement with the printed word comes through print, audio or through digital download doesn’t concern us. The future of reading conversation is not the same as the future of the book. So for us at PPL we are excited that there is a developing world of convenience, value and enthusiasm that takes advantage of electronic devices utilizing literature of all types.    

The tendency of folks to engage in “either / or” scenarios regarding the future of public libraries each time a significant technology event occurs is very familiar. We have been through it with computers, compact discs, DVD’s, etc. Libraries have always existed in a rather messy format world of concurrency whereby we offer various formats at the same time. Call it a “long tail” phenomena if you’d like but the fact is that our full range of users tend to use various formats for a long term, often well past their announced demise by pundits. So what public libraries do is participate in the changes that come to our society – like eBooks -  and brilliantly incorporate those while holding on to useful resources that might appear at first glance out of date but remain quite valuable to our users.

We are discussing creating downloading stations as many eBooks still do require being downloaded to a computer and then transferred to a device. However, in general,  I don’t see many more computers of desk top size or profile being required, as the overwhelming momentum for eBook use is on hand-held devices, whether it be smart phones or dedicated readers which are light, portable and which pack tremendous power. There is real instability right now in the eBook world whether we are talking about formats of eBooks or what an eReader will or won’t read at present. This is confusing and frustrating to everyone. There is also a more immediate concern for libraries and that is the struggle that publishers are facing in creating a business model that makes sense in this environment. A price will eventually devolve from that model and that will determine how many eBooks PPL can afford to have available to our users.

Librarians are trying to have a voice in some of these debates. This fall PPL hosted a forum for the staffs of Maine’s larger libraries that featured an address by Tom Allen, President & CEO of the Association of American Publishers concerning the current state of publishing and what it might mean for libraries. 

I agree that there will be fewer physical books in the future but among the fewer, many will be older titles that when needed are important to have but the delivery will be quicker and the storage cheaper when it is in digital format. This is clearly being played out as Google Books becomes more and more a force both in the marketplace and how libraries will choose to manage physical collections going forward. For us at PPL, knowing that our collections have the potential to expand by millions pushes us to make sure that the collections can be found in the digital environment and that what we do collect has a higher degree of likelihood of being used multiple times while on the shelf.

3. If a significant number of readers switch to eBooks, do you think the library will notice a drop in number of people who physically visit the library?

I think if reading grows overall because of convenience due to portable reading devices through which folks can also acquire content from the library or commercial sources that will be a great thing. I don’t think necessarily that means fewer people in the library because of the large and varied types of things that we offer beyond borrowing printed books. But I think it will be a more a case that if someone is now reading eBooks then they will enjoy reading for its own pleasure and benefit but the physical book will still be a big player in the arsenal of a reader.  It will remain another option or format.

Whether less people will visit the library is an interesting point to ponder. Prior to our renovation of the Main Library, Portland Public Library was the most heavily visited cultural organization in Maine with close to 620,000 visits annually to all of our locations. We are on record setting pace again now that the Main Library is reopened with over 37,425 average visits per month at that site alone. This speaks to the complexity of the public library and its relationship to its community which extends well beyond lending materials. People use PPL for many things and reasons whether attending programs, using technology, or simply experiencing the library as a public space to appreciate art, architecture and to be part of the social community. 

4. Do you believe the eBooks will ever wholly and completely replace the physical book?

No. I say this not in knee jerk reaction as a book lover and not at the expense of the value of eBooks nor in opposition to the embedded caution and maybe even good sense of “never say never.” There is something special and clearly different about a printed book; it is undeniable. It is a different kind of sensory experience – visual, tactile, smell, etc. -  it is portable, needs no power source and is tremendously tolerant of run of the mill environmental conditions. People often say that young people don’t read books. That is not supported by library lending nor anecdotally. My son’s generation (“20 somethings”) grew up with all manner of technology and certainly use it aggressively now but they also still read books. I am discovering that is not unusual. (If you love to read you’ll read the comics, graphic novels, cereal boxes, e-Books, box scores, free newspapers, novels, information on the computer, etc. -  whatever.) It seems that the book has so many basic advantages and positive visceral qualities going for it that I think it will be around for a long time to come.