PPLdirectorsblog

At Your Service

2011-12-28T13:33:00.000-05:00

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!

2011-12-27T15:58:00.001-05:00

“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”

2011-12-16T16:24:00.003-05:00

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

2011-10-17T11:12:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-21T10:34:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-09-02T10:17:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-08-29T15:22:00.003-04:00

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?

2011-08-02T11:58:00.001-04:00

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?

2011-07-29T15:12:00.001-04:00

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!

2011-01-05T16:48:00.043-05:00

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.

How it gets on the shelf...

2010-12-10T16:42:00.002-05:00

Each year the Library funds its ability to buy materials of all kinds (print, media, electronic, etc) for every age and type of user through money from the endowment, fees and donations, most notably the Annual Fund. This year’s collection budget will depend on the Annual Fund to provide approximately 25% of the total budget. Our goal is $115,000 and right now we are more than a third toward reaching it. December is a critical month to expand our current total of approximately $45,000

Our friends at VOX Gallery are donating 20% of the sale of each photograph sold from the show, “Vox Photographs: Art Nouveau/New Work.” If you haven’t seen this show in our Lewis Gallery you have until December 31 to do so. It is terrific work.

So, buy a great work of art, or send us a check or donate online and take some great and deserved joy as you give the gift of reading this holiday season.

Kids and E-Resources

2010-11-01T15:42:00.003-04:00

For the past few years’ business at PPL has been growing and with the newly renovated main library the trend continues. Attendance and borrowing of collections under the roof at our 4 locations are one source of increased activity but there is also a significant increase in the past year in use of “e-resources” by the general public.

No where is this better illustrated than the statistics for October for TumbleBooks and TumbleReadables which are both available through our website (http://www.portlandlibrary.com/kidsplace/tumblebooks.htm). Both of these products are designed to develop a love of reading (TumbleBooks) and to encourage early readers (TumbleReadables). TumbleBooks also has a feature to allow you to view the site in French or Spanish thus facilitating native or second language development. October use figures have shown a dramatic increase over October 2009. TumbleBooks use grew by over four fold from 3,691 views in 2009 to over 16,200 this October, surpassing 10,000 monthly views for the first time. Tumble Readables use went up 41% (1,299 views versus 919 in October 2009).

It is clear that in the past few months’ that e-books and other non print materials have begun to gain a foothold with our users. Even so, borrowing of books continues to be a strong indicative of the historical situation in libraries whereby all types of formats are used concurrently and often for long periods of time.

The PPL catalog now includes eBooks for downloading. PPL, as it did in the case of the downloadable audio books, assumed a leadership position in providing leadership funds for the both products to then benefit of our users.

Batter Up

2010-10-18T11:41:00.000-04:00

I am unapologetically a sports fan and am now in the process of a quickening immersion in the MLB playoffs now that my Phillies are in the National League Championship Series. Sport is a great thing and at its most basic level (on the playground, track or on the field), I sometimes think it is one of the last uncomplicated pleasures. It is also a great and unending source of material for writers of kids’ books, game instruction, history and novels (think The Natural and Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner). It is great stuff to talk about, to argue about and to learn from; much of it is also timeless and reflective of larger societal trends.

So beginning Tuesday, November 9 from 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, I will host the first meeting of a monthly sports book (reading not betting) group at the Community Room at the Reiche Community Center. We will cover all kinds of sports over the course of monthly meetings. In homage to the end of baseball season we will begin with Roger Kahn’s Boys of Summer a book that is by turns factual, comic, tragic and inspiring. You’ll learn something about baseball but also about a New York City that up until the late 50’s hosted both the Dodgers and Giants along with the Yankees. Baseball players lived very different lives then and were more accessible and human from the view of a fan.

If you are interested in participating please drop an email to me at podgajny@portland.lib.me.us.

At the Heart of PPL

2010-09-27T16:46:00.001-04:00

One of the key objectives of the first phase of the renovation of the Main Library was to give us the chance to fully express our role as a cultural center by providing appropriate physical spaces. This imperative was not in response to “wouldn’t it be nice” thinking but in fact a reflection of what the Library is now and an effort to meet the expectations of what it needs to be in the future. It is clear that as this City and Library have evolved over the past decade becoming more diverse, dynamic and complicated one of our essential roles in the public sphere is to help strengthen and promote the cultural fabric of Portland.

Our prominent position as an anchor of one end of the Arts District engenders a responsibility and an opportunity to enliven Monument Square at all times of the day and in all seasons. Part of that energy is generated by the transparency of the architecture as library users are seen from outside and they in turn engage outwardly with the city. The comings and goings of the library as cultural center include art exhibits, lectures, music and support of the development of public policy and consensus as shown most recently in the exhibition, reception and opinion gathering for the design of the new benches for the Bayside Trail.

At a stereotypical level libraries are known for lending materials but our range of users and activities sometimes makes it difficult to deliver an elevator speech that captures it all. Through our efforts in the renovated Main Library since April, the Library is making a strong statement of identity by accepting and promoting the role of a cultural center.

Hang in There Seattle!

2010-08-30T14:39:00.000-04:00

Last spring city and state budget seasons brought forth horror stories from all over the country regarding library service cuts. In the urban library systems the cuts proposed were very deep. The responses to try and meet the budget reductions were varied including closing branches, cutting collection budgets, shut down days, curtailment of schedules, etc. In Portland we had to close two of our branch locations (Reiche and Munjoy Hill) and almost a third (Riverton) which was saved at the last minute by a one year funding recommendation by the Finance Committee of the City Council. We were reminded this week that the cuts for many libraries will continue to play out during the year while away from casual observation. One of America’s finest library systems, Seattle Public Library, will close from today until reopening the day after Labor Day.

We at Portland Public Library exist in a true urban environment and it could well be argued, as a microcosm of a Seattle. I know what goes on in a week’s worth of PPL service to kids, businesses, families, neighborhoods, readers, technology users, etc. It is an astonishing range and amount of activity. In Portland we have managed to avoid the scenario facing Seattle but I can’t help but contemplate and commiserate with the people of Seattle and my library colleagues as one tries to calculate the human cost of a lost week. It matters.

Onward and Upward Maine Writers and Publishers

2010-08-17T17:02:00.001-04:00

I have been fortunate to have worked with the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance for almost 25 years including when it called Brunswick home. As Director of the Curtis Memorial Library, we were neighbors and I watched the struggle of the organization to grow and evolve … to find the right way to express its mission of supporting the creative literary activity of our state.

So it was with great pleasure that PPL hosted a part of the 35th anniversary of MWPA last Thursday in the Rines Auditorium. The toasts were rightfully many and it was as it should have been. Past Executive Directors, Board members and authors were everywhere. The occasion also marked the end of Shonna Milliken Humphrey’s tenure as Executive Director and the beginning of Joshua Bodwell’s directorship.

MWPA has been a great partner of libraries and of Portland Public in particular. Over the next few months we look forward to developing new approaches to supporting the cultural life of our state and city through program partnerships that celebrate authors, the literary arts and the simple and necessary joy of reading.

Congratulations MWPA!

What we are hearing...

2010-08-10T15:09:00.000-04:00

It is coming up on four months since we opened the renovated Main Library and we have received lots of feedback of all kinds. Business is through the roof and we will talk about that in the next week or so. We are trying hard to respond in an incremental fashion since the overwhelming comments from people indicate a high degree of joy and inspiration at being in the space.

Here’s some of what we have heard:

1. Folks can’t find certain collections or services easily or “Where’s the bathroom?” We are in the process of trying to add some additional signs to help make the building even easier to navigate. We are also developing a volunteer “Greeter” corps that will help answer question and give directions as you enter the Main library.

2. People miss the piano practice room: For many years we have maintained a space for folks to be able to come to the Library and play a piano. That space was a small room that absorbed sound. Phase I of the renovation did not provide for that function. We did not choose to lessen the number of meeting rooms in order to provide a music space. In Phase II, we will make sure that the piano room (music rooms), along with other creative spaces for adults, are in play. If we can find a solution before then we will act.

3. What time is it? We did assume that most folks have timepieces (cell phones, watches, etc) but of course that is short sighted to a degree. We have the time on two of the “information boards” in the Library along with two additional clocks (in the lending and children’s story hour area) for convenience.

4. Why aren’t you open on Monday? As of July 1, we are open 10AM – 7 PM on Monday.

5. How come you don’t have a book cart any longer? We used to have a book cart that sold used books and a swap shelf. Our hope had been to incorporate that into a café space in Phase I. The café space has not been included in Phase I due to some design challenges but sometime this fall we will put a book cart of some kind into play.

6. I’d like to have some step stools to help me with the lowest shelves in the fiction area: We are going to try and have a stool for each 9 foot section of the fiction area but frankly at $50 each for 58 shelf sections it will take us some time to fund the effort.

All of the above may be more detail than you’d ever want to know and bore you to tears. However, from our end it matters to people that we acknowledge, actually hear what is being said and then act on those concerns.

If you have something for us to attend to, please let us know at 871-1700 extension 755.

Back to Blog Land

2010-07-27T14:51:00.004-04:00

It is time to come back to Blog Land. The last few months have been a little exhausting on this end and in fact there has been too much to say but unfortunately it was matched by my lack of posting discipline. So here we go with a new start.

You may have caught a report or two on the recent grant award received by the Maine State Library for $1.36 million. The funds came from the federal Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) and it specifically funds a project called the Maine Public Library Information Commons Project.

The Maine Public Library Information Commons Project establishes or enhances public computer centers in more than 100 public libraries in Maine. The centers will serve as access points to free high speed Internet service, and will provide assistance to vulnerable populations both in the use of technology and in finding and using needed information in the areas of employment, civil law, health, government services, small business information, and workforce development. This project also establishes 11 additional video conferencing regional hubs to enhance training for patrons and librarians.

PPL is both one of the 100 public libraries and one of the video conferencing centers. We are also hoping to receive a mobile computer lab at some point. It is also worth noting that we have recently received significant upgrades to our bandwidth that should allow us to take full advantage of our participation in the program. The subject areas targeted by the grant are of enormous interest to us as we are already focusing some of our efforts already in these areas through our External Work Groups (Business and Government; Science, Technology and Health) and potential community partnerships that we will talk about over the next few weeks.

Hardware Summary

6 desk top computers
10 lap tops
Video conferencing unit

Partners in the project include the Maine State Library, Maine InfoNet, the Department of Labor's Center for Workforce Research and Information, Access to Justice and Project Compass, and Maine InfoNet.

The full executive summary may be found at: http://www.maine.gov/msl/recovery/

As we have more information we will try to provide regular updates.

This is a very exciting development.

A view of the fiction section

2010-03-19T15:48:00.003-04:00

The renovation of the Main Library continues at a quick pace as we look toward our April 15th opening. The fiction collection on the first floor has now been fully installed and to get a sense of the new incredibly bright space take a look at the attached very short video.

A View from inside the Renovation

2010-03-04T17:03:00.003-05:00

Welcome to a new series of views inside the renovation - check back daily for new sights of the new spaces and thoughts on the new environments.

Taking Shape!

2009-09-18T12:02:00.012-04:00

As we approach the 50% completion mark, this week has seen some major and very visible advances in our Monument Square renovation project. A key element in the design has been to reenergize the Library’s role on Monument Square and to contribute more to the life of this critical location in heart of the City. For the first time there is some definition in the redesigned facade as portions of glass have been installed in the grid.

Galaxy Glass employees installing glass panels

The hidden activity which has made up the bulk of our effort to this point continues. Ceilings, walls, wiring, plumbing, new boilers, etc, are being attended to and it is a mundane yet a critical part of our effort. But it must be appreciated that the public statement for all to see of a library reinventing itself to face the decades ahead is a moment to celebrate.

Library facade as seen from Snell's Family Farm stand at the Portland Farmer's Market

Let's Talk About It with Maine Humanities Council

2009-08-28T14:52:00.004-04:00

The Maine Humanities Council (MHC) is a great partner of Maine’s public libraries. In our case, the Council has hosted pod cast recordings of many PPL programs at the MHC Humanities on Demand site. The Council has also supported the purchase of equipment to enhance the new program space set to open in the April 2010. One on the most widely known MHC programs is the Let’s Talk About It series. It has been held countless times over many years at public libraries all over the state. PPL has hosted discussions on the Middle East, contemporary American Indian writers and women’s stories from cultures around the world.

This fall, we will hold a series of Let’s talk About It book discussions on five Japanese novels entitled “Family and Self: Readings in 20th Century Japanese Fiction. These 20th-century novels show the importance of the place of family in Japan, the importation of certain Western ideas, and the strain modernization placed upon tradition. How do Japanese novelists depict the family, as a nurturing institution or hierarchical unit? How do they chronicle changes over time? Are Japanese families different from families in the West? What happens to people outside the family unit?

Facilitated by Pat Parker, the discussions are held at the Main Library on Monument Square from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. on the following Tuesdays:

The Waiting Years by Fumiko Enchi -- Sept. 8
The Makioka Sisters by Junichirô Tanizaki -- Sept. 29
The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai -- Oct. 13
A Personal Matter by Kenzaburô Ôe -- Oct. 27
Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto -- Nov. 10

The discussion series is free and open to the public and books are available for loan from the Library. However, space is limited so registration is required. To register or for more information, please contact the Library at 871-1700x725 or reference@portland.lib.me.us.

Pat Parker, the series facilitator, has a Ph.D. from New York University and taught American literature at Salem State College, Salem, Massachusetts for many years. She has also taught American literature and English as a second language in Korea for one year and in Japan for over ten years. She has traveled extensively in Asia. In Japan she became interested in Japanese literature, especially novels by women, and began studying and writing about them. She retired in 2004 and moved to Maine. She lives in Falmouth with her (American) husband who also taught over 20 years in Japan.

Welcome Friends of PPL!

2009-08-17T14:42:00.005-04:00

For the past several months we have been investigating and have now created the Friends of Portland Public Library. The roll out has included the creation of a website and beginning the process to hold an annual book sale that we believe will become the signature event of our Friends group in the year’s to come. The first sale will be held next June.

The formation of a Friends group is momentous for all of us associated with Portland Public Library. The financial support is important enough but the constant presence of community ambassadors who believe in the mission of PPL is a great comfort to us.

We have a lot of friends in the region but we are asking folks who believe in the idea of a great public library to become a Friend by formally joining our group. If you want to learn more and maybe join, please visit the website at www.friendsofppl.org.

Richard Russo returns with some "Magic"

2009-07-28T14:54:00.004-04:00

Join us Wednesday, August 5th at First Parish Church for a Reading and Book Signing with Richard Russo, author of That Old Cape Magic

We are so pleased to announce that Maine author Richard Russo is working with Portland Public Library again to offer a reading and signing celebrating the release of his new novel, That Old Cape Magic (release date August 4th). The event will take place at First Parish UU Church (425 Congress Street in Portland) at 7pm. It is free and open to the public, although donations are always greatly appreciated.

When Rick worked with us in October 2007 on an event helping to launch Bridge of Sighs, about 500 people came to hear him read from and speak about his new book. If you were one of the lucky audience members, you know what an entertaining and thoughtful speaker he is. If you missed it, please join us this time for an exceptional evening!

More about Richard Russo’s new book from the publisher…

That Old Cape Magic is a novel of deep introspection and every family feeling imaginable, with a middle-aged man confronting his parents and their failed marriage, his own troubled one, his daughter’s new life and, finally, what it was he thought he wanted and what in fact he has. The storytelling is flawless throughout, moments of great comedy and even hilarity alternating with others of rueful understanding and heart-stopping sadness, and its ending is at once surprising, uplifting and unlike anything this Pulitzer Prize winner has ever written.

Following Bridge of Sighs—a national best seller hailed by The Boston Globe as “an astounding achievement” and “a masterpiece”—Richard Russo gives us the story of a marriage, and of all the other ties that bind, from parents and in-laws to children and the promises of youth.

Griffin has been tooling around for nearly a year with his father’s ashes in the trunk, but his mother is very much alive and not shy about calling on his cell phone. She does so as he drives down to Cape Cod, where he and his wife, Joy, will celebrate the marriage of their daughter Laura’s best friend. For Griffin this is akin to driving into the past, since he took his childhood summer vacations here, his parents’ respite from the hated Midwest. And the Cape is where he and Joy honeymooned, in the course of which they drafted the Great Truro Accord, a plan for their lives together that’s now thirty years old and has largely come true. He’d left screenwriting and Los Angeles behind for the sort of New England college his snobby academic parents had always aspired to in vain; they’d moved into an old house full of character; and they’d started a family. Check, check and check.

But be careful what you pray for, especially if you manage to achieve it. By the end of this perfectly lovely weekend, the past has so thoroughly swamped the present that the future suddenly hangs in the balance. And when, a year later, a far more important wedding takes place, their beloved Laura’s, on the coast of Maine, Griffin’s chauffeuring two urns of ashes as he contends once more with Joy and her large, unruly family, and both he and she have brought dates along. How in the world could this have happened?

Want to reserve a copy of That Old Cape Magic from PPL? Click on http://catalog.portland.lib.me.us/search/t?SEARCH=that+old+cape+magic to add your name to the list. You will need your Portland Public Library card number to place a hold.

Library People

2009-06-29T16:10:00.009-04:00

There are lots of stereotypes about “library people” that is, those who work in a library. Mystery and assumption about what they actually do, (beyond just sitting around and reading all day :-) ) and what kind of people they are in real life, is revealed pretty quickly as soon as I mention what it is I do for a living.

Over the past few months in response to some recognition from the outside world I got to thinking about our “people”. At Portland Public Library we employ 45.5 FTEs and their stories and accomplishments are rich. We have authors, artists, athletes, activists and musicians and much more among us.

Our recent authors include Gail Kesich Donovan (In Memory of Gorfman T. Frog published by Dutton Children’s Books) and Patti Delois (Bufflehead Sisters published by Berkley Books division of Penguin Books). Patti’s second novel, Penguins in Amsterdam, will be published in August 2010. Our musicians are many including Kurt Baker of punk group The Leftovers (www.theleftovers.com and www.myspace.com/theleftovers), singer songwriter Jason Wilkins and Tom Wilsbach fiddler and Celtic musician who has performed widely in schools and clubs in our area.

This past April saw two of our maintenance and security crew honored through the National Arts Program sponsored by the City of Portland. Mark Upson sculpture entitled Pump Jack won Best in Show, while Wayne Frederick took a first place for his photograph Bare Bulbs.

So next time you think about library people or run into one in conversation, you might be surprised and delighted to learn who they are and what they do. Best of all, they bring those talents, interest and passion to work every day.

Steve's Summer Recommendations for Reading

2009-06-22T10:41:00.002-04:00

Each summer most of us have visitors or family who, with regularity, will express their wonderment at all things Maine or pepper you with questions about Maine. I find myself especially in the summer referring to and reading books about Maine. I need short things to sample and pick at during the summer. The tiles below are some of my favorites and all share the character of having brief sections but don’t equate brevity with lack of substance.

I’d also argue that each of these books ought to be in your home but if not, did I mention that you ought to visit your public library?

On Wilderness: Voices from Maine. Edited by: Phyllis Austin, Dean Bennett and Robert Kimber.

Nice compilation of photos, poems, short essays dealing with Maine’s incredible natural world. It is a paperback and nice size to put in your backpack.

The Wildest Country: A Guide to Thoreau’s Maine. J. Parker Huber.

Huber recreates Thoreau’s journeys as described in the Maine Woods. In Huber’s words: “This book is an invitation. It invites you to gain an appreciation of yourself, Maine and Thoreau.”

Contemporary Maine Fiction. Edited by Wesley McNair.

Fourteen short stories by outstanding Maine related authors including Richard Ford, Carolyn Chute, Monica Wood, Stephen King and Richard Russo (just to name a few).

Maine Reader: DownEast Experience – 1614 to present. Edited by Charles and Samuella Shain.

This is a fabulous compilation about our state and should be sampled regularly. Included are a variety of writers from over Maine’s history who have either lived here or visited. Chapters include discovery and exploration, small town life, Maine Woods Maine and the Civil War, Maine artists, etc. You get the idea.

Maine Speaks. An anthology of Maine Literature. The Maine Literature Project.

Along with the Maine Reader just put this on your coffee table and let people sample all summer. Great Maine authors abound in this title covering topics such as nature, work, origins, identity and communities.

Throwing Sand

2009-05-07T15:46:00.009-04:00

Today, we held the “groundbreaking” for our renovation. Since the project is a renovation, we didn’t exactly break ground but in fact threw some sand. Morris Fisher, President of the Board of Trustees, Nick Mavodones, City Councilor and Former Mayor, Scott Simons, Project Architect and I, all spoke to the attendees. Below are my comments made this morning on behalf of our staff and in recognition of accepting this gift from all of those who believe in Portland Public Library.

> Throwing Sand - Steve Podgajny, Peter Benard- Ledgewood Construction, Morris Fisher, Scott Simons, Joe Gray-City Manager, Taffy Field-PPL Trustee, Nick Mavodones
================================================

I first want to join Morris in thanking my colleagues for doing their absolute best to handle the many years, and episodes, of disruption – especially over the past year. To have the opportunity to thank people is always a delight regardless of the reason.

Today, on behalf of the Library staff at all of our locations, I want to express our gratitude. The employees of the Portland Public Library are among the most fortunate in public service - the beneficiaries of a true public-private partnership. It is a partnership that provides resources to serve the City significantly beyond what might be possible from solely public or private sources. We refer to this support as our “Margin of Excellence.”

This morning we celebrate this Partnership, because its fruits have given us a Library that, at the end of Phase I&II, will express widespread levels of quality and excellence unattainable through other means and at the top tier for cities of our size.

Without the selfless commitment of the Trustees and volunteers, as well as the support of the citizens, City Council and City Manager of Portland, the federal, state and county governments, and our hundreds of individual, corporate and private foundation donors, we would not be here today.

Next spring we will have the privilege of occupying new spaces to perform our work. When we accept this gift, the staff of Portland Public Library will also embrace two measures of accountability.
First, we will become the custodians of its physical care, a responsibility that will be there for all to literally see how well we are doing.
Second, and even more importantly, but much harder to see on a casual level, will be the fulfillment of our individual and group responsibility, to, day-in and day-out, reach the service potential that this new building presents in our efforts to improve the lives of our users and to strengthen the fabric of our city.

Boiled down to the most basic level: These two imperatives are individual and organizational, ethical and moral obligations that the staff incurs upon accepting this gift. We recognize and embrace your generosity and the expectations extending from it.

I believe we will make you proud as the receivers of this gift and once again, I thank all of you for your faith and trust in us.

Thank you.

The Library on Elm Street

2009-03-31T08:55:00.003-04:00

Today the “Library on Elm Street” opens at Monument Square. While Phase I of our renovation unfolds we will be operating essentially a large branch at the site. The staff have culled as many items as possible that have a high probability of being borrowed by those visiting the space. Otherwise we are counting on being able to efficiently (and as quickly as possible) deliver items that you request, either in person at any of our 6 locations, or on-line via the web catalog.

It is an exciting day for us as we look forward to a huge improvement in the aesthetics and functioning of our main location. This phase of the renovation is scheduled to last at least 10 months but we are hopeful it might be a little longer reflecting our success as we concurrently pursue funds for items that are scheduled for Phase II.

We have done our best to work with the space we have available but it is not by a long shot perfect. There are not enough seats, not enough computers, etc. but hopefully the staff will be able to help you get what you need during your visit. Let us know what we might improve in the space and we will do our best.

As the highway signs say: “Temporary Inconvenience for Permanent Improvement.”

Budgets & Civility

2009-03-27T12:50:00.006-04:00

This is budget season in the world of municipal finance. It is never comfortable even during times when the money is flowing. Flowing is a very relative term believe me but 2% increases sure look good about now.

Yesterday, the Library had a conversation with the Finance Committee of the City of Portland. It was civil and, to the extent possible during difficult times, supportive of what we do. It strikes me that there are a lot of good people in the world trying to do good things while doing their duty. It may not be possible to do both right now. You can't control the external factors but you can control your attitude and level of civility. I was grateful for the presence of those qualities last night in speaking with people with a hard job to do.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PPL Executive Director Comments RE FY 10 Budget

City Council Finance Committee

Thursday, March 26, 2009 – 4:00 PM

Chairman Mavodones, members of the Finance Committee and City Manager Gray. Before beginning, I’d like to acknowledge my colleagues from the Library who are with me today: Morris Fisher, President of the Board of Trustees, Nathan Smith, First Vice President, Shelley Carvel, Treasurer, Clare Hannan, Director of Finance & Operations and Heather Tiffany, Director of Development and Programming for the Library.

For the second consecutive year, we, collectively as a City, find ourselves in extremely difficult fiscal conditions that merit the most thoughtful consideration, response and understanding and maybe most importantly, collective good will.

We recognize – and in fact have experienced both this year and last - the severe distress that this Committee and the Manager face through this process. There is much at risk: people’s livelihoods, our City’s quality of life, how we will nurture economic development; the list is endless. For our business this afternoon, Portland Public Library is part of the question of whether certain City services will continue to exist, and if so, how to address the challenges to effectively delivering those services to the greatest number given that every agency or department –including the Library - has been terribly compromised.

The budget proposal that you have before you has a very simple goal which is to maintain our current schedule of hours and by extension our existing level of personnel. This budget incorporates the drastic cuts made last year in the Library system in the form of a 10% reduction in system staff which played out in an 18% loss in hours at the Main Library – our busiest location. I don’t think I need to repeat or parrot the endless media coverage that we all have been subjected to concerning the demand and importance of public libraries at this moment. However the demand is very real and it makes last year’s cuts and any potential cuts next FY very painful to real people trying to hold their lives together.

This year’s budget contains some startling expressions that reflect the broad economic turmoil including a reduction in the collections budget of $117,000 due to the falling value of our endowment. Clearly we have our own “revenue problem”. Further, losing one full day per week at our busiest and largest location has affected our ability to rent rooms and lessened our overdue fees due to falling lending numbers. For this next FY, the situation is further exacerbated due to the renovation of Monument Sq which has compromised some of our earning possibilities by limiting room rentals.

The collections and programs of the Library are paid for primarily by Library funds including fees, fundraising, endowment earnings and grant support. In the past three years alone the Library has brought in approximately $3,000,000 to support Portland Public Library activity. Of that amount close to $1,500,000 has gone directly to support the operations of the Library while the remainder $1,500,000 is helping to renovate the main library. The funding from the City is of course vital in that it supports the staff salaries, electricity, heating, etc. – our infrastructure as it were.

We continue to raise funds for operations, have finished a case statement for endowment growth and are devoting more time to grant writing. An additional bright spot is the formal creation of the Friends of PPL which is now getting off the ground and from which we expect financial and program support once it is firmly established.

While we appreciate and understand the stress and challenge of your work, it is our duty to communicate clearly the impact of a flat funding scenario for the second straight year. Last year we worked with a set of budget principles that we communicated to the Council and posted on our website for public review. We have to some degree used those principles again but have also incorporated the “Observations” gleaned from the neighborhood meetings. Those observations, along with all materials from our 6 fall meetings, have been posted on our website for the past 6 months. We also shared at those meetings new “budget statements” that were intended to leave no doubt as to what we heard last spring and what our preliminary consensus was in the approach to the FY 10 budget. (Copies of these documents are part of your packet and will be reposted on our website as part of our budget packet)

It is worth noting that over the past three years we have hosted or participated in over 30 neighborhood meetings –including the Fall 08 series - discussing all kinds of library issues. The feedback from these many meetings, as well as two major citizen surveys, have informed our on-going planning and thinking around this year’s budget.

At our Fall meetings we promised publicly to submit a budget to cover costs to maintain all of our current operating hours and locations;

We stated that, if the necessary funds were not forthcoming, reductions would have to come from neighborhood locations.

The attendees at the meetings understood these two features clearly and asked that we keep them informed along the way of our budget submissions. We have done that to this point except for the details of this evening, out of courtesy to this Committee. The community also stated clearly that they favored a “share the pain” approach if funds were not available to maintain the system at FY 09 levels.

With that context in mind, an appropriation equal to last year’s will lead to the following steps:

All locations – except the Main Library will be reduced by 10 hours per week.

Peaks Island, Reiche and Riverton will be open 10 hours per week beginning this July 1.

Burbank will be open 30 hours per week.

East End Community School (or PPL Children’s Library) will be open 30 hours and then be reduced to 10 hours by the end of FY 10 after the Youth Services staff returns to the renovated Monument Sq facility.

With the loss of 50 hours per week and 2.5 FTEs for the next Fiscal Year, we will have compared to two years ago 15% less staff and a reduction of system hours of 23%.

In closing, we all have to make very tough choices. Portland Public Library has, indisputably, demonstrated a record of engagement with our users, planning, openness and a willingness to thoughtfully consider the options to deliver the best library service possible. As you all are painfully aware, we are in the second year of a continuum of fiscal uncertainty – and there may be more ahead - and we need to reorient ourselves to a new reality and force ourselves to transcend narrow agendas. It is clear that the Portland Public Library system is not the same institution of two years ago in terms of financial capability and no amount of wishing or posturing can alter that fact. There is a way forward – no doubt the road will look different - and we invite the Council to participate in a constructive, energetic and objective exchange with us as we continue to grapple with the challenges ahead

Monument Square Renovation Begins!

2009-02-27T11:28:00.005-05:00

The renovation of the Monument Square location of Portland Public Library has begun. For a project that has been going on in some manner - planning, fundraising, community meetings, etc - for ten years, it is exciting to finally begin work that can be immediately seen by our members and staff.

A significant amount of our collections on the lower level have been moved including Government Documents, older magazines and newspapers and we will begin to move tens of thousands of items more in the next three weeks. All of these items are going to the Brown Annex. The collections that will be stored in the annex will be available through our catalog and can be requested and delivered to any of our 6 locations.

Beginning March 16, we will be closed for two weeks as we finish the moving of our materials. The Branches will all be open their normal hours.

For much more about the closing and the details of the project please see our FAQ.

NEWS FLASH: LIBRARIES DISCOVERED!

2009-01-20T14:42:00.006-05:00

You probably have noticed in the last few weeks the large amount of coverage in the news media concerning public libraries. Sources from the Wall Street Journal and New York Times to the Bangor Daily News and MPBN have covered the surge in library lending and computer use during this difficult economic stretch. The recognition of library value is a good thing and like the starved institutions we are, we gratefully accept the momentary crumbs of affirmation thrown our way.

That may sound like a harsh thing to say, but the fact is public libraries are not simple triage institutions responding to stressful times. Day in and day out for years we have been returning – well under the radar - a tremendous value to our communities. But regardless of the value we bring, and the quality performance in delivering that value, neither is connected to the funding level of our institutions.

BURBANK BRANCH

Portland Public Library (PPL) is a case in point but there are thousands nationally I am sure. PPL lending grew by 15% over the last two years ending June 30, 2008. It may be that public libraries are the canary in the mine anticipating the broad economic pain to come or it may be that we are doing our job well and growing because of internal changes to serve our members better. But one thing is certain: in today’s public funding approach whether it be federal, state, county or local, the funding for public libraries has nothing to do with the value returned. The response in funding from state and local sources for PPL did not reflect our success but in fact resulted in serious reductions in library service.

Too often cuts are made during difficult economic time with a pseudo equity mentality. All agencies will be cut 20% for example, regardless of their value (or ability to absorb the cut) at a given moment in the continuum of affairs. If use of libraries is growing greatly because people actually NEED the library then that should argue for a more nuanced process for reduction in funding. I admit that is hard for a legislature or a City Council to do as there are many good agencies and departments and enormous needs unmet.

In thinking about value returned, let us use a conservative number – say $20 average - for the value of the 800,000 plus items lent by PPL in the last year. The return is about $16,000,000 on a taxpayer investment of $3,400,000. That number does not include a value (cost of a computer or ISP fee) on the over 125,000 computer sessions held at the Library or the over 130,000 research questions answered by reference librarians. So in our world the 15% growth is not “profit” that can be reinvested in infrastructure and staff to get even better. In fact, other than value returned directly to users, the 15% growth means nothing in terms of acquiring stable funding to improve long term institutional performance.

Before you are tempted to say that $16,000,000 is a phony or even irrelevant measure, then explain why it is that people flock to the public library in response to economic distress – and I emphasize this- in greater numbers, if there is not real value gained from the library use? The value is real and is returned daily regardless of economic circumstances but what is clearly different today is that the net of users has widened.

So after our economic prospects brighten and take hold, don’t forget that libraries were there when you needed them and more importantly, they will be doing every day quietly, far from the media watch, the very things you individually, and we as a community, need to prosper. The value proposition remains!

NEIGHBORHOOD CONVERSATIONS

2008-09-11T16:57:00.000-04:00

Next Tuesday, September 16 on Peaks Island, the Planning Committee of the Portland Public Library begins a series of 6 public meetings (see schedule) to both inform and be informed by the public in connection to the future of the library system. These meetings are augmenting the ongoing Library planning and are also in response to a City Council request that we seek community input as we go forward in responding to any future financial stress.

One of the difficulties in generating useful and quality public discourse is the lack of historical memory by the people participating. We often underestimate the value of the documents or statements that were previously produced during crisis moments but possess a clarity that is born of necessity of the moment. We plan to hand out some material at these meetings but the “Response to FY 08-09 City Funding Reduction” located on our website since last May continues to describe our framework as we struggled to reduce expenditures by $225,000. Our goals, principles and steps are there for all to see and hopefully inform as to what our universe looked like at that point. The general thinking is as valid now as it was in May.

After two record setting years in a row, we have begun this new fiscal year with a 20% reduction in hours at Monument Square. Maine’s largest public library facility and the backbone of our library system now operates on a 5 day per week schedule after a loss of over 10% of its staff. The main library supports the work of our other 5 locations in addition to serving users directly. Interlibrary loan, the acquisition and cataloging of materials, the technology resources, outreach services – many, many things are done at Monument Square that make the branches better able to serve the neighborhoods.

The Library is full of hope that many people will attend one or more of these meetings and engage in a constructive and civil conversation about how we can create a great Library system and what that might look like. That will require a transcendence of narrow neighborhood interests and a genuine appreciation of what the mission and responsibility is of a library system to the entire city. Regardless of that vision outcome the financial commitment of the City of Portland must remain strong in supporting the Library’s infrastructure while the Library raises funds for programs, collections and services.

Reorganization vs. Renovation

2008-07-09T13:27:00.001-04:00

When the doors to the Monument Square location closed at the end of the day on Saturday, June 28, we took a deep breath and began to contemplate the huge reorganization job in front of us. Since Sunday, June 29, volunteers and staff have put hundreds of hours toward the task of moving tens of thousands of items over two floors in an attempt to reorganize library operations and respond effectively to budget reductions and the loss of the equivalent of 4.5 positions.

We have eliminated a service desk and moved collections, computers and services for a more logical and pleasant user experience. We have continued to provide interlibrary loan, buy and organize materials and serve the public during these two weeks through branch operations at five other locations.

We have heard many things from the public while we have been closed these two weeks. Many have said that they miss us and for that we are deeply grateful. We have also heard that some folks misunderstood these two weeks to be our “renovation” project for which funds from the Reach for the Stars capital campaign are being directed. This is a good opportunity to clarify things.

The renovation of the Monument Square central library will begin next spring. The project, when completed in the spring of 2010, will change the nature of not just the Portland Public Library’s main facility but of Monument Square itself. If we are successful in the effort Monument Square will assume a position as one of America’s great small urban squares equal to what this City aspires to be. (Success in the short term means raising the remainder of the needed project funds)

When we reopen on Tuesday, July 15 at 10:00 AM, we hope that your experience at Monument Square will be a quantum improvement over past years but only a morsel size taste of what awaits once the renovation is completed in the mid 2010.

PPL in Neighborhood Life

2008-05-13T15:31:00.004-04:00

If you live in Portland and read the papers, you’ve probably been exposed to the controversy surrounding our response to the FY 08-09 budget situation. We have posted an information packet (6-26-2008 - this link has been corrected - the document is on the PPL website, under the Press section) that tries to give context and explanation to the steps that we have taken which include reduction of approximately 11.75% (6 FTE) of our staff and an impact on when and where we can offer service.

The vast majority of the reduction has come from the downtown location (83%) and we will be open one less day a week. We have also made the very reluctant, and unpopular, decision to close the Reiche Branch at Reiche School in order to balance the remainder of our budget. We have offered to be part of a bigger discussion in the Reiche Community around quality of life and the role of the Library. Even though the funds may, with luck, be restored by the City Council, we desperately need to use the momentum of the current situation to understand more fully the community need that clearly transcends traditional library mission. We need to talk!

Neighborhood presence in as many Portland neighborhoods as possible is critical to meeting our mission and to the future of the Library. We hope to be part of a city-wide conversation next year with many possible partners to try and improve the quality of life in our communities – whether or not we currently have a building in that neighborhood.

The Board will host an open forum on Wednesday, May 14 at 4:00 PM in the Rines Auditorium concerning the response to the budget. Please come and share your feelings if you can or email me through this blog.

Tough Times in Portland Town

2008-04-25T14:01:00.012-04:00

The United States of America, State of Maine, Cumberland County and City of Portland are experiencing economic stress. “Stress” is a nice word to use to describe the fall out from people losing jobs in all walks of life and being faced with all sorts of bills from taxes to food to fuel that make everyone concerned about our individual and group future. Portland Public Library, as an “end-of-the-line” institution for governmental funding, has now experienced reductions from the State, County and City during this fiscal year. (We don’t worry about the status of our direct funding from the federal government as there isn’t any.)

Next year the funding landscape is even more difficult. The City of Portland is considering scenarios that either “flat fund” the Library or reduce the Library’s funding by $50,000 from the current year. The difficulty is, of course, that in the fulfillment of all types of contracts such as technology, staff, maintenance, etc., “flat funding” means an inability to meet the contractual demands at the current level. The result is a reduction in expenses to meet the income available. In our case the major reduction in expenses will have to be staffing levels. The current work has led us to the conclusion that 6 FTEs (Full Time Equivalents) will need to be eliminated and other savings found in order for us to create a balanced budget.

The City is clearly in a difficult time and it may be a multi year situation. The Library has many friends in the community and is appreciated by a City Council that understands its value. The irony, of course, is that an institution functioning at record setting levels and is most needed during periods of economic downturn will be severely compromised in doing the work. It is a huge challenge for the Council to engage in anything other than triage at this point due to the depth of the problem. The Library has to respond intelligently to the situation with a plan that attempts to position us for better days, yet still tries to provide quality service when open.

Though the details of our response are still being refined, one thing is at least clear: the Portland Public Library system will not be open as many hours beginning July 1. Though we all understand and experience daily the fiscal realities, as Maine’s most heavily used visited public cultural resource there is sadness to our being less available.

We have attempted to provide some additional information concerning the budget situation for next year through a series of FAQs. The first FAQ document is located on the Portland Public Library web-site at http://www.portlandlibrary.com/Press/BUDGETFAQ042508.pdf

More About Those Numbers

2008-02-29T15:26:00.008-05:00

The lending of non-book materials (videos, spoken word and music in various formats) accounts for a substantial amount of activity at the Portland Public Library system. Below are videos in various formats that have been borrowed at least 500 times in recent years with Waking Ned Devine the most borrowed. All good stuff for a variety of ages, tastes and moods!

Next time we'll check out the music.....

Waking Ned Devine

Emma

The Black Stallion

Peter Brook's The Mahabharata

Breakfast at Tiffany's

MOONSTRUCK

The Wizard of Oz

The Story of English

The Last picture show

Brideshead revisited

Unforgiven

Lilias! alive with Yoga

Taxi driver

Gettysburg

The Great escape

Transformations of myth through time : the soul of the ancients

The African Queen

SAINT ELMO'S FIRE

Lonesome Dove

Shakespeare in love

Yellow submarine

The end of the affair

Alice's Restaurant

Cabaret

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Crouching tiger, hidden dragon

Some like it hot

PPL By the Numbers

2008-02-21T09:29:00.003-05:00

Portland Public Library set a lending record for the July 2007– December 2007 period, reporting a 10 % increase over the same period last year. This is especially encouraging to me as it follows a record setting year that ended in July, and it now marks an 18 month period of record lending. Book circulation swelled by 10% and audio visual items grew by 11%, both exhibiting substantial increases.

For the year ending June 30, 2007, the Portland Public Library system lent 742,779 items and experienced 617,449 visits from users.

Lending of materials is one of the key statistics libraries use to gauge activity. Preliminary figures for January 2008 show an 8% increase over last January, continuing the strong positive trend. The renovation project at Monument Square once completed in mid 2010 should further increase lending rates.

What does it mean? I tend to worry about trends more than absolute numbers but the possibility of lending over 800,000 items this year is an impressive prospect. That level of activity seems to make the statement better than I can with hundreds of words that the PPL is alive and well. This evidence flies in the face of the casual observer’s conclusion that libraries are book warehouses, nobody cares about them, etc. Usually the population group assumed to not use libraries (or at least is pulling away from them) is Generation Y (ages 18-29). The recent Pew Internet & American Life Project report (December 30, 2007) "Information Searches that solve problems: How people use the internet, libraries, and government agencies when they need help” found that group “are the most likely library visitors for any purpose.” People are using public libraries right now and the prospect for future continued heavy use is bright.

Some of My Good (not new) 2007 Reads

2008-01-07T14:17:00.001-05:00

The Road Washes Out in Spring: a poet’s memoir of living off the grid by Baron Wormser.

Maine’s former Poet Laureate writes gloriously about poetry and what it was like to live in the Maine woods near Madison in the 1970's. The people and the land are equal stars.

History of the American People by Paul Johnson.

Sometimes cranky English historian mostly tells it like it was while striping away American myths.

The Maine Reader: the Downeast experience from 1614 to the present edited by Charles and Samuella Shain.

2007 was the first year that I have concentrated on this wonderful compilation. If you haven’t familiarized yourself with it yet, make it a date.

Confluence: Merrymeeting Bay by Franklin Burroughs and Heather Perry.

Merrymeeting Bay may be a mystery to many but for sure it is a natural treasure. The mixing of the Androscoggin and Kennebec Rivers above Bath has created a natural wonder. Heather Perry’s photography is incredible and Frank Burroughs, retired English Professor at Bowdoin, is one beautiful nature writer.

Contemporary Maine Fiction edited by Wes McNair.

I am not a big fiction reader so to have a chance to read short stories by Richard Ford, Stephen King, Elaine Ford, Monica Wood, etc. is not just a convenience but a thrilling ride.

Podcasting @ PPL

2007-11-19T11:46:00.000-05:00

A recent edition of the ‘Maine Sunday Telegram,’ mentioned that the Humanities on Demand podcast from the Maine Humanities Council is online now. You can access it directly at http://mainehumanities.org/podcasts/
Seven recordings to start have been released: three interviews from the MHC 30th Anniversary CD, ‘Maine Writers Speak’ (Cathie Pelletier, Richard Russo, and Monica Wood), three readings from the Portland Public Library’s Brown Bag lecture series (poet Elizabeth Edwards, novelist Eric B. Martin, and writer Meredith Hall), and a poetry reading by Wesley McNair from the Maine Humanities Council archive.

We are proud to be a collaborator in this effort. During the past year we have been cooperating with the Council, many authors have agreed to allow for recording of their lectures for future Humanities on Demand podcasting participation. Look for many more Brown Bag Lectures in the future being available for download.

It’s a Thing of Beauty!

2007-10-19T12:20:00.000-04:00

No matter how interesting your job is, I think we all run the risk at times of being so focused on tasks that we forget the wonder being expressed all around us in our little corner of the world. I am leaving shortly for meetings at OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) in Dublin, Ohio. OCLC is ‘big” – an international library collaborative which has built WorldCat, a database of 1 billion (yup, billion) library holdings in many languages and countries. This is the basic product that allows PPL and other libraries to execute interlibrary loans and catalogue material efficiently. So my focus this week has been to get lots of tasks completed so that next week is reasonably smooth for my colleagues here at work before I depart for something BIG.

I took a deep breath this morning before starting the tasks and looked back at a week in the life of the PPL system and yes, it is a thing of beauty. The fact that last night Portland’s own highly respected punk music band The Leftovers graced the Rines Room at our Monument Sq. location for a 45-minute set was cool enough on its own merits. But contrasted to this morning’s programs: Series for Seniors: An Overview of Important Issues “Enrichment Opportunities”; a Maine Humanities Council Let’s Talk About It Program on the Middle East (Behind the Headlines: An Introduction to the Middle East); and Tales for Twos (for two year-olds), all of which followed early in the week offerings of Preschool Story Time, Finger Fun for Babies, a panel discussion on the future of Congress Street and Pat LaMarche (2004 Green Party VP candidate) speaking about her new book on homelessness in America "Left Out in America".

It - this week anyway - ends tomorrow, Saturday, October 20th, with children's author Cathryn Falwell launching her new book with Shape Caper's, a fun program for children from 11 AM to 2 PM, as well as the Third Saturday Book Discussion of Dave Eggers "What is the What". Then we start again next week.

The programmatic landscape of the PPL system couldn't have reflected better the breadth of creativity we offer in reaching every age in our great town. It’s nice to breathe it in!

2 Great Authors in 1 Great Week!

2007-08-31T12:08:00.000-04:00

The first week in October will be something special at PPL.

Every once in a while, extraordinary programs come along that we are lucky enough to be able to share with the public. This fall, we’ll be having two internationally renowned authors present programs.

First, Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo will be joining us for the inaugural stop on the tour for his new book, Bridge of Sighs. Russo will speak on Tuesday, October 2nd at 7pm at the First Parish Church at 425 Congress Street in Portland. He will be reading from his new book and signing copies after the reading. Books will be available from Longfellow Books at the event. If you’d like a more “intimate” meeting with the author, there will be a reception before the reading. The event at 1st Parish Church is free and open to the public, but seats will fill up fast so make sure to arrive early. Tickets to the reception are $35 each or 2 for $60. You can also support our Annual Fund by becoming an Event Sponsor for $250, which includes 4 tickets to the reception, preferred seating at the public portion of the event, recognition on the Library’s website and at the event, as well as other benefits. If you’d like to attend the reception or have any questions, please contact our Development and Programming office by phone at 871-1700 ext. 759 or by e-mail at progdev@portland.lib.me.us for more information. You can also check out our website at www.portlandlibrary.com

Three days later on Friday, October 5, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees, The Mermaid Chair, Firstlight) makes a rare New England appearance—in fact, we’re the only New England appearance on her tour. She will read from her newest collection of essays, Firstlight, answer questions from the audience, and sign books. She’s also happy to have her photo taken with fans after the book signing is complete. Books will be on sale at the event by Borders, who’s co-sponsoring the event. Tickets to this exciting evening only $12 each, and are available through PortTix (842-0800; www.PortTix.com; 20 Myrtle Street Portland, ME 04101). The event will take place at Merrill Auditorium. Again if you’d like more information or have any questions, please contact our Development and Programming office or check out our website at www.portlandlibrary.com.

Proceeds from both events will benefit Portland Public Library’s 2007-2008 Annual Fund for new books, materials and technologies. We hope you will join us for both of these wonderful authors and help support the Library!

Is anybody reading?

2007-08-27T15:07:00.000-04:00

On August 22, the Portland Press Herald posted an AP article headlined, "One in four Americans read no books last year". There was no mention of library use, just books sales being "flat in recent years and are expected to stay that way indefinitely." The article also reminded me of the 2004 National Endowment for the Arts study "Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America" which raised an alarm (for a short time anyway) regarding lack of reading of novels, poetry, short stories or plays during leisure time.

I am the first to admit that I'd love to see different headlines but I think that there is much more reading going on than studies measure. Some of the benefits of reading are intellectual engagement, acquiring information and participating in a common culture, and many people are doing it on the computer or via magazines or for that matter, my favorite as a kid, cereal boxes and the sports section. I am not sure that western civilization is ready to end just yet.

By some numbers, the past year at Portland Public Library system was a very good one that illustrates that the Library is growing in its relevance and vitality. New cardholders rose by 12% with over 7,200 people signing on to use the Library and its rich resources. Lending increased significantly to a record 742,000 items borrowed and most importantly, breaking free of a four-year stretch of stagnant borrowing. So, I take solace in those numbers -- somebody is reading whether it is a computer screen, book or magazine. That's a good thing.

Some PPL@PPM reflections

2007-06-15T11:07:00.000-04:00

From my perspective, the defeat of the proposal to acquire and renovate the Portland Public Market building was a golden opportunity lost to the people of Portland. I continue to believe that the project strength was expressed best in the focus on downtown users and uses, the tremendous efficiency and inspirational aspects of the building and the economic development opportunity for the City that was associated with the redevelopment of Monument Square. But the project was not “sound bitable” and I am reminded by Thursday’s editorial in the Portland Press Herald (http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=113597&ac=PHedi ) that certain facts never quite became ingrained in the debate. The statement that we are now “not losing some 20,000 square feet of space that the market move entailed” continues to be inacurrate.

The above statement of “loss” applies if one intends to simply replicate what exists now. We were never able to effectively communicate to voters that it was about transformation of the library system as well as the users of the downtown location. In fact, there was 14% more space at the Market building versus the same Monument Square service areas. That would have led to much higher lending, more people through the door and a more enjoyable work environment and user experience. The minimum total square footage that the library would have had at the conclusion of the project would have been 85,000 sq. feet (58,000 in the market building and 27,000 in the basement of Monument Sq.) versus 78,000 sq. ft currently which is a 10% increase.

The PPL system will set a direction sometime in the next few weeks based on our available funds and a reconsideration of our past and current planning including what people have told us about their wishes. We then must get on with the business of improving our ability to deliver better service and make the experience at each our six locations the best it can possibly be. It’s time to move on.

What happens on June 13?

2007-06-11T15:40:00.000-04:00

I have been asked by many people what would happen if the June 12 vote is affirmative on moving the downtown branch to the Public Market. The Library and the City would act in the two weeks following to honor the terms of the purchase and sale contract which calls for $2.75 million purchase price. The City would utilize $2.0 million in bond funds while the Library would contribute $750,000 to the purchase. The process to create an RFP (Request for Proposals) for architectural services would also commence and the Library would fund that activity for the next year. The end product would be to produce construction drawings for the use of contractors interested in bidding on the job. The City during that same time would begin its process of deciding how to utilize the current libary structure to maximize economic return. The final goal would be to move into the Public Market space by the end of calendar year 2009 without substantial interruption of library services at Monument Square. In a future post an updated project timetable will be presented.

If the June 12 vote is negative the Library Board will need to convene and determine the future course of the renovation and its timetable.

What is a reasonable investment in a Library?

2007-06-01T15:00:00.000-04:00

We are headed to voting day (Tuesday - June 12) on the proposed move to the Portland Public Market. The voters will have to decide whether to authorize redirection of previously approved $4 million in bond funds for Monument Square to be used for the purchase and renovation of the Portland Public Market building. The measure also asks the citizens to provide another $1 million in funding (from already existing funds in the City's CIP). This public investment would be increased by the Library's Capital Campaign of $4.6 million.

The last few weeks have led me to many encounters with supporters and doubters through public meetings at the downtown Library and in various communities. This is not a sound bite project and it takes time to explain the general benefits of economic development, transformation of the library system and architectural preservation. One thing is sure, we are more convinced daily that a plan that strives for efficiency and focuses on the users and uses in an inspiring building, has a power of its own. There has been a great deal of misinformation spread including less space when in fact, the library will have a minimum of 85,000 sq feet available and increase of 7,000 sq. feet from the current number. The amount of public spaces to be housed in the Public Market increases by 14% over what could be offered at Monument Square, to say nothing of the overall efficiency and improvement in building climate.

Each community decides what it wants its public library to be. In Portland we have a system of 6 locations which lend well over 700,000 items yearly and have over 600,000 people come through the door. The system needs an investment to allow for collection growth and improve the quality of direct service to our users. Is the request for $ 5 million an unreasonable one? If you compare fairly recent capital investments by other significant Maine towns the request seems reasonable. Approximately ten years ago, Bangor invested $2.5 million in its library renovation. On a per capita investment basis, that comes out to roughly Portland's $5 million. Brunswick in 1996, with socio economic indicators at the state average, provided $4 million for its library project which extrapolates to $12 million if using Portland's population.

Bottom line for us at PPL: we believe we will lend more items, have more people walk through the doors and that they will have a better experience in the revamped Public Market building.

However you view the question of the downtown library please vote on June 12.

Reiche: Looking Good in the Neighborhood!

2007-05-21T13:52:00.000-04:00

The PPL system is committed to creating a superior experience in each of its 6 locations. The talk of the day has centered on our Monument Square location and the possible reuse of the Public Market building but each location is a critical consideration for us. On May 17, the refurbished Reiche Branch reopened with new windows, new paint, new shelving and maybe best of all, a new floor plan.

The effort was fueled by our community partners including United Way (United Way Day of Caring volunteers), West End Neighborhood Association, Portland Parks and Recreation, Portland West and Day 1. We also had a host of individual neighborhood volunteers. Our final task is to acquire an awning to go with the picnic table on the plaza.

Each of our locations has a different feel, size and clientele. (Approximately 50% of our lending takes place at locations other than Monument Square.) It is our goal to invest aggressively in each of them and celebrate their unique role in their communities.

The Library Has A Face

2007-05-14T15:36:00.000-04:00

If I have learned one thing during 30 years of library work, it is that libraries - regardless of the type - are not well understood by people. They are prone to being stereotyped (as are the people who work within) but so are I suppose just about every other occupation and institution. (Think about lawyer and politician jokes!) Libraries have earned some of that stereotyping but much of it is unfounded and the result of a lack of libraries putting forward a human face. The depth and complexity of library users and uses is rarely communicated by librarians and that is what I hope to do with this blog going forward.

I also hope to reflect the rich conversation that I am privileged to have regularly with the citizens from all walks of life . If nothing else, people have strong opinions about the Portland Public Library system and they aren't shy about telling me. That is a good thing and it calls for contemplation and comment by me.

I am looking foward to it!

PPL @ PPM?

2007-05-02T16:51:00.000-04:00

It has fired the public imagination and it has generated a level of intense debate. The comments have ranged well beyond just a discussion of two buildings and have touched upon what people think the downtown PPL location is in reality (at present) or should be. In advance of the June 12 bond vote, we will be covering the issue in this blog in hopes of clarifying some of the aspects to enable people to cast an informed vote.

Look for more soon!