It is five minutes before 10 a.m., and a small group had gathered outside the doors of the Brandywine Hundred Library, waiting for it to open. Once inside, many headed up the stairs to the second level, where the computers sat waiting. By 10:45 a.m., all the computers were in use. A man with a wide-brimmed hat surfed the Web for jobs, while two missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints emailed family and friends.
The three patrons demonstrate how library use has changed with technology. It also demonstrates how Delaware libraries are adapting to the demand.
“We’ve tried very hard…to ramp up our services as they relate to the Delaware libraries—not just here in New Castle County, but throughout the state,” said Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock. “And we’ve done so under some very, very difficult circumstances. Despite the budget cuts, we have been able to make some significant investments in Delaware libraries.”
The investments across the state are varied. As of Dec. 19, all Delaware public libraries began beta-testing downloadable e-books. Delawareans can now enjoy free wireless Internet access in the libraries. There is also one statewide catalog, and users only need one card to check out books at any public libraries. A new downtown Dover library is on track for a September 2012 opening. There are plans for a new Claymont library, and the Bear facility is reconfiguring its space.
Like Barnes & Noble, which recognized the e-reader’s potential with the Nook, and camera companies that went digital, libraries are realizing that to stay relevant they must adapt. And more often than not, that means going high tech.
“Just like the media, we have to evolve, and we have to evolve quickly,” said Annie Norman, Delaware’s state librarian.
A Collaborative Approach
Norman and her team studied how businesses achieve excellence. They learned that a successful enterprise’s units share the same platform. Since the libraries in Delaware are under different governances—county or city, for instance—sharing data on a timely basis was a challenge.
“Now we’re all on the same database, and we can all see everything,” Norman said. “My staff said, ‘We can look at data every 15 minutes if we want to.’” She fought hard to deploy a comprehensive platform that included both the front end, which the customer sees, and the back end, which is accessed by administrators. “We can implement new technologies and maximize our resources.”
As a result, there’s one statewide online catalog. Current participants include Delaware’s 32 public libraries, as well as such institutions as Wilmington University, Wesley College, Delaware Public Archives and the Delaware Academy of Medicine Library.
“The infrastructure now allows for lots of collaboration, among libraries, among government agencies, educational and nonprofit institutions, local businesses—all very seamlessly,” said Gov. Jack Markell.
Not Your Grandfather’s Library
Delaware libraries are evolving to meet the demands of an increasingly digital world
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Beyond Books
The library’s technology infrastructure in part has been funded by a $1.9 million Broadband Technologies Opportunity Program grant from the U.S. National Technology Information Administration.
The grant helped launch four Job Center@Delaware Libraries centers, which offer job-related resources and computer-use instruction. The centers—located in Dover, Georgetown, Seaford and Wilmington libraries—each have 10 laptops. A computer lab is in the works for Garfield Park Lending Library.
The demand for library computers, however, can exceed the supply. A Delaware Division of Libraries’ survey, released in November, found that 79 percent of respondents used library computers to access library resources. In fiscal year 2011, there were nearly 700,000 computer-users in Delaware public libraries, an 86 percent increase over the prior year.
Hence, the recent debut of Wi-Fi. People with laptops or smart phones can bring their device to the library to access the catalog, check email or surf the Web while they do research. “Library patrons now have their choice,” Markell said.
Digital Borrowing
The introduction of library e-books, now in its testing phase, is another technology-driven step toward improving services for the 21st century. “You don’t even have to go to the library to check out the book,” Markell said. “You go online, you download it, you start reading and, best of all, it’s free.”
To borrow an e-book, patrons visit www.lib.de.us or the main page, delaware.lib.overdrive.com, peruse the selection and click on a book that interests them. A short description pops up, along with the available formats—Kindle or Adobe EPUB, for instance. To check it out, users enter their public library card number and begin downloading to their selected program.
The default borrowing period is 14 days, but users can choose a 21-day or a seven-day period. They may only have two e-books at a time. When the books are due, the file becomes inaccessible. Users can also “return” it early. “You will never be overdue, and you’ll never have any fines,” said Diann Colose, administrative librarian, who gave demonstrations during a press conference.
The lending model is the same as the traditional model: There are only so many copies available at any given time. You can put a hold on a selection. The policy was created by OverDrive, the distributor that the division selected.
A few people have expressed concern that real books will “go away,” Norman said. “We are now sharing 2.5 million physical items throughout the state,” she said. “By comparison, we have 5,000 e-books. It will be a long time before the physical items will go away. Not everything is available yet on e-books. We’re still in the Wild West of e-book development.”
Delaware libraries are determined to be the good guys.