SALS would like to introduce a new feature on our blog, a Let’s Talk series of blog articles contributed by librarians, library staff, and trustees. Join in the conversation by sending us your articles and commenting on those that spark your interest. We hope you all enjoy!
The first article in the series was contributed by SALS board member John Plantier.
Let’s Talk: Redefining Library “Circulation” — by John Plantier
Let’s redefine circulation by circulating better in our communities; telling people what their library is up to is a form of circulation. We need to include people who decide budgets for sure, but we can surprise ourselves by reaching out to people who never dreamt of coming through the door.
Let’s pretend there isn’t a door for awhile. We can enlist people to read books aloud in public places. It sounds odd, but putting some thought into what to read, who the audience is and where they congregate can make the printed word come alive. Do a lot of people hunt in your community? Jack London wrote about hunting; try reading Jack London at a Rod and Gun Club meeting. With the proper publicity, it could be magical. We could also find fiction and non-fiction stories about fire fighting, and read them to volunteer firemen in the firehouse. It’s like performing arts in unlikely places; it can capture the imagination of a community. People used to have dances in their home on a Saturday night. Why not literature parties? The point is we don’t have to be passive in tough times. We really can’t be. We have to “re-imagine”.
Everybody in the world has a story to tell and wants to tell it in some form or other. Therefore, an oral history project at the library, or sponsored by the library and held elsewhere, can make people think about the library in a different way. It’s a matter of circulation. I cringe when I think about the elderly people in my town whose stories haven’t been recorded. So, we talk to patrons of all ages who use the library; we invest in a video camera, and we record conversations. Libraries could record histories in nursing homes and wherever people are comfortable talking. It’s probably ideal when the interviewee knows the interviewer, and that’s where enlisting patrons comes in. And, along the way, we’re not only performing a valuable service, we’re also creating programs that don’t cost a lot of money and will bring people to the library.
So, letting people know what we’re doing is critical. Printing a monthly report in the Pennysaver, sending a mailing to the Town Board, and scheduling time at its monthly meeting to promote events are just a few ways to do this. The point is to put ourselves where we presently aren’t. Casey Stengal said “baseball is a matter of hitting it where they ain’t”. These days, libraries have to be about bringing it where they are.