My Library: Celebrate the County Public Library
Public libraries play a pivotal role in the lives of many Americans, from early education to senior services. The majority of Americans believe their local library improves their community (94%), and an equally significant number (65%) have visited at least one time in the past year (American Library Association, 2010). Residents of Connecticut are no exception. As of 2007, Connecticut boosts 195 public libraries containing a circulation of approximately 15.5 million books, and enjoys the third highest rate of per capita library visits in the nation, at 6.5 visits per capita (National Center for Education Statistics, 2009). The West Hartford Public Library, bests the state average, with
…show more content…
These statistics compound to demonstrate the importance of promoting and encouraging public use of libraries. While Connecticut residents are visiting public libraries, room to improve clearly exists. At 10.5 annual visits per capita (National Center for Education Statistics, 2009), West Hartford residents are visiting the library less then once a month. The My Library campaign seeks to encourage more frequent, monthly usage of the library. The campaign aims to accomplish this goal by posting a 10% increase in monthly visitation to the West Hartford Public Library (WHPL) for the 2011 calendar year. West Hartford is an affluent community where medium family income hovers around $90,000 and the majority of residents hold at least a bachelors degree (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Demographically, 93% of West Hartford residents are Caucasian and only 9.3% are foreign born (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Only 30% of foreign-born residents originated from Asia, and these individuals represent a mere 3% of the town’s total population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Therefore, one could reasonably assume that the town primarily contains citizens who associate with western cultures. Individuals in western cultures often hold egocentric attitudes and focus on the needs of the self (Markus & Kitayama, 1991). The campaign taps into the individualistic nature of the town
1. In what way does Bezos’s decision to develop and deliver the Kindle show systematic and intuitive thinking?
“Number of programs”, “Number of program attendees”, “Attendees per program” are used to measure the capability of the library to offer a broad base of programs to the community. “Number of programs” is a good indicator to measure our ability to offer a large number of diverse programs. “Attendees per program” assesses the popularity of different types of programs currently being offered, which can help us identify whether the services we are offering is appealing to the customer. However, “Number of program attendees” is a weak indicator, since it variation could have very diverse reasons
As public libraries struggle to remain relevant in today’s society and respond to the changing needs of older adult patrons it is important to become more
The author of this article Mrs. Denise Davis is the director of the Office for Research and Statistics of the American Library Association. This means that Mrs. Davis is able to access and is responsible for the reports mandatory for each library across America to turn in each fiscal year, these reports are used to determine what changes the libraries need to make to better serve the public. Given her credibility to write on such topics she then chooses a topic each year to write on to prepare libraries and librarians across the country for the upcoming years. In 2010 Mrs. Davis choose to write on eBooks and their increasing popularity throughout the American population as well as the difficulties libraries have encountered in the past fiscal year to compete with eBooks. Because this article is written in 2010 it shows just how long libraries have struggled with the topic of eBooks and can demonstrate the new policies that have been used by the libraries throughout the past four years. This information can help my research in showing how eBooks have affected the library's behavior, and consequently give me the statistics needed to show the effects of eBooks on the libraries throughout the recent years. Understanding this source is outdated other sources will also likely be used in my final project from the American Library Association websites of statistics of more recent years.
The development of a culture in the United States has been a winding road of interactions between differing, oftentimes opposing cultures and races from the first footfalls of Europeans upon the American continent’s shores. Each group of settlers and immigrants have brought their own unique perspectives and underlying values to the table. Many of these perspectives have been incorporated into the mainstream way of life, many others however, have been dismissed and discarded as either foreign or outright dangerous. The
The library I volunteered at is run by the high school, Dr. Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute (C.I.). The school was founded in 1979 and was named after Norman Bethune; a well-known Canadian doctor. He was best known for his services during World War I and his dedication to helping the poor in Canada. Moreover, over these past few years, the school has prospered beautifully and has had many renovations and changes. For example, two years ago, the school’s library had a huge makeover. The library was given new furniture to allow to have students a better working space. Similarly, the library moved shelves around in order to make it more convenient for everyone to access books. Ultimately, Dr. Norman Bethune C.I. has it in their best interest to provide students with the tools they need to succeed in education. In other words, the school displays good citizenship by assisting their students.
My work with the Freehold Public Library has been a huge part of my life, as I have volunteered there since I was 12 years old. I have grown up with the library, and my experiences with the library, whether it as a volunteer or a customer, are very important to me. I started volunteering for summer programs at the library. I then joined the Teen Library Committee and did service projects for the community as a part of it throughout the year. I also encouraged my brother and a friend to join the Teen Library Committee with me. As a part of this group, I have been able to do service projects for a wide variety of causes, such as making food for a local soup kitchen, making dog treats to donate, and making cards for those stationed overseas or in the hospital. In 8th grade, as a part of National Junior Honor Society, I wrote a grant for the library to expand their young adult collection. I spent months talking to Mrs. Kathy about the public library system and the issues that this library faces
“The Library Card,” by Richard Wright is a strong essay on how books can affect and influence readers. Richard Wright writes that his first experience of the real world is accomplished through novels. He read an article criticizing H.L. Mencken and it tempted him to read some of his books. The article labeled Mencken as “a fool.” Wright wanted to know what this man had done to cause such hatred against him. “I wondered what on earth this Mencken had done to call down upon him the scorn of the South. The only people I had ever heard denounced in the South were Negroes, and this man was not a Negro,” (pg.319) Wright writes that tells us that the South was filled with racism and hatred among the whites and blacks. Mencken must have had ideas
As new technologies are rapidly introduced, people are able to find any information with the access of internet. This leads to people questioning the relevance of libraries and its true purpose. Public libraries cultivate the value of increased education and a social unity to advancing as a society.
The Long Branch Free Public Library was established 100 years ago with a mission to enrich the lives of Long Branch residents by providing resources and opportunities for life-long learning (Long Branch Free Public Library, n.d.). Currently, the library provides a wide range of services such as a computer lab, employment center, after school youth programs, notary services, faxing, and much more. These features make this library more than just a place to get a book, and the library has been nationally recognized for its innovative services, marking a shift in the idea of what a library can be (Kelly, 2014).
Chula Vista became the third site in the San Diego County Library system to have an automated “Library To Go” book machine. The “Library To Go” book machine will hold up to 348 items, and the majority of the “Library To Go” book machine’s emphasis is on the newest and most highly demanded titles. The device is stock with books on parenting, healthy lifestyles, and early childhood development as well as youth and teen books. The machine is equipped to allow users to return books, download electronic material, reserve books, and pay fines. Users need only a San Diego County Library card, and the machine is free to use. Due to the demographics of the area, the device will offer a significant number of Spanish-language materials. The kiosk will be touchscreen and simple enough for kids to use. This kiosk extends the library system’s mission to inform, educate, and entertain. Patrons with busy schedules that do not regularly permit library visits will be able to visit the kiosk any time. Chula Vista kiosk is an investment in library services and an effort to remove barriers to information and knowledge.
Our class had a tour of the Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago Public Library’s main library, located in the South Loop. You can visit the library any day: Monday-Thursday from 9 A.M. to 9 P.M., Friday-Saturday from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. and Sunday 1 P.M. - 5 P.M. Ms. Barbara was our tour guide as she noted that Harold Washington was Chicago’s mayor. She tried to give us an overall information about the library: what you can do and what you can find in the library. The library was created in 1991. The Harold Washington library is very big and rich and has 9 floors where on each you can find books on different topics( from children’s books to business, science, technology, government, history, literature, art and music). There in the library,
According to Takaki, America has a new-emerging demographic diversity. This is because of immigration of different cultures forming the new part of society. The dramatic change in America’s ethnicity influences the way Americans think about
Need Thesis: The worth of public libraries in America extends far beyond the books they offer. Despite the value of these resources to struggling communities, libraries have seen a decline in both public usage and federal funding in recent years.
The novel “The Body in the Library" is an English characterized as crime novel, written by Agatha Christie and published by Dodd, Mead, and Company. The early version of this novel was published in February 1942 in the United Kingdom. The novel is telling a story about a young woman's body that was found in the Colonel and Mrs. Bantry's library by their maid. When Mrs. Bantry sees the body, she calls her old friend, Miss Marple, to investigate this crime. By the time, the body had been identified and that the body refers to a dancer called Ruby Keene, who had been working at a nearby hotel, Majestic hotel. Afterward, they found that she was in somehow has a relation with Mrs. Bantry, whose library she had been murdered. Moreover, they found