Libraries Today -
Community Centers for the 21st Century
...or SSSSH! I hear the library growing!
By Mary Lou Carolan
In the summer of 2007, I was faced with a dilemma. At the time, I was the children’s coordinator for the Wallkill Public Library, and had received a 2’ by 3’ cardboard standup display of “Ike the detective dog”- the mascot for the summer reading program - to use as a promotional item. As I looked around our very small library I couldn’t imagine where I would place “Ike” where he would be enjoyed but not be tripped over! Necessity is the mother of invention and it was at that moment that I thought of an idea. This attention-getting display would be much more effectively used out in the community rather than sitting stationary in our children’s room.
Our library sits in the heart of the hamlet of Wallkill, a small community with a downtown business area of mom and pop stores struggling to survive. Traffic to our businesses suffered greatly when the local grocery store closed and now families rarely visit downtown. How could the library help to bring families back downtown? I decided to ask 8 businesses (one for each week of the summer program) if they would be interested in hosting “Ike” in their business for a week and be part of a local scavenger hunt. All the businesses were enthusiastic. Each week, participating kids (234 in all) came to the library to pick up a clue which described the business in a playful rhyme. The kids and their families then had to explore downtown to find where “Ike” was hidden. Businesses were encouraged to hide the display away from their windows so the kids would have to come inside to find him and to have their clue slip signed by the store owner.
Our goal was to connect families with business owners and encourage people to support their local merchants. It worked. Each business welcomed between 25 and 38 new visitors a week. One business owner remarked: “We had so many new customers that week that I asked Mary Lou if I could adopt Ike for the summer! Here we were thinking we were just helping out the library but it turned out the library was actually helping us!” That was the beauty of the program – it seemed to bring a lot of strangers together to become more of a community. Libraries have a unique capability of taking a leadership role in helping to build and strengthen downtown communities – they can become places that anchor community life and bring people together.
Generally, libraries are located in downtown neighborhoods or business districts and offer programming and services that encourage repeat visitation – a signature trait of successful downtown “anchors.” Arts and cultural institutions are key to downtown revitalization projects around the country for this reason. Additionally, libraries attract families with young children and create a lively public gathering place by offering an eclectic mix of programming and services designed to reach audiences of all ages and interests.
By offering a variety of amenities, libraries become a multi-purpose destination. A great library reflects the needs of its community. Determining those needs develops and strengthens the relationship and communication between patrons, community members and library staff. Amenities vary widely from Wi-Fi service to public art venues, to countless opportunities for social interaction, educational children’s programming and access to extensive print and media collections.
During challenging economic times like these, library usage soars. Offering daily opportunities to save money through usage of our ongoing collections, libraries can be a great relief on your pocketbook. Libraries offer free access to the internet, magazines, newspapers, DVD’s, audio books, best-sellers and story hours for young ones. Libraries also connect people to their communities by serving as civic information centers. Information on community events, entertainment, workshops, youth sports and arts programs, the best businesses to patronize and other noteworthy destinations, can welcome visitors and help locals to understand and better appreciate their community.
“When you put all the ingredients of a great library together, you end up with a public institution whose influence extends far beyond its physical location. The best libraries anchor communities. Because they are highly visible centers of civic life, these libraries instill public confidence in their neighborhoods and catalyze further investment from both the public and private sectors.” (from Project for Public Spaces, How to Make Your Library Great, April 2007.)
Mary Lou Carolan is the director of the Wallkill Public Library in the Town of Shawangunk, Ulster County. Her program, “Where’s Ike? – the detective scavenger hunt”, won the RCLS 2008 “Children’s Program of the Year Award”, as well as the “Pride of Ulster County Award” for creative and innovative community programming. Mary Lou may be contacted at mcarolan@rcls.org.
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