Public libraries in the Great Depression suffered along with everyone else, but at least two federal programs actually expanded the reach of libraries. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) began operation in May 1933. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) superseded it in 1935. WPA continued in operation until 1943.
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Librarians do more than sit around and talk about books. They often have to do more than they ever learned in library school. In recent years, they have had to respond personally to crises such as homelessness and opiate overdose. Librarians have become de facto first responders. It’s either that or taking steps to keep “those people” out of the library. Of course, libraries can’t t do that. Libraries exist to serve the entire community, and especially people who have nowhere else to turn. Few library schools offer any classes on mental health or other social issues. That doesn’t keep such problems from intruding on librarians’ work. Librarians at the New York Public Library and other urban libraries receive training in non-library problems. Many have had to administer naloxone (Narcan™) to save the lives of people experiencing drug overdoses. They learn CPR, conflict resolution, and responding to mental health crises. It’s not enough. We’re beginning to see social workers in libraries. A growing number of libraries have hired one to serve on their staff.
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Years ago, a newspaper comic had a series of strips devoted to a high school graduation. In one, the principal introduced the school librarian. She announced that at her orders, the doors to the auditorium were locked. No one could leave the room until everyone had taken care of unpaid library fines. Libraries have traditionally imposed fines to make sure library materials are available for people who want them. It’s not fair for someone to hold on to a book or something after the due date when someone else wants to use it. But does the strategy work? Librarians have been debating that question lately.
Continue reading →Most library programming, it seems, is geared to children and youth. But more and more libraries are adopting innovative programs for older adults. In many cases, the impetus comes from librarians frustrated with the lack of programs suitable for their aging parents. Baby boomers, people born between 1946 and 1964, are now between 54 and 72 years of age. They comprise about a quarter of the US population. People of earlier generations who reached their middle 60s were, by reputation anyway, often retired, sedentary, or even homebound. Libraries have long served this population with large-print books, delivery of library materials to the homebound, outreaches to senior centers, and regularly scheduled movies at the library. Those programs are still necessary, but not enough.
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For the past three years, the Greensboro (North Carolina) Public Library, in partnership with the Eastern Music Festival, have presented a series of concerts called “EMF Encircling the City.” It is a special outreach to introduce children to classical music. Children dearly love any music they hear. This series exemplifies fairly standard library programming. Surely all public libraries in this country provide rich and varied experiences for children, including live music. Most of them present live music to youth and adult audiences. too. Many even have dedicated concert halls so they don’t have to try to fit performances into multi-purpose rooms. “EMF Encircling the City” is a three-year-old partnership that began as part of the Eastern Music Festival’s 50th-anniversary celebrations. Diane Phoenix-Neal, a Greensboro violist and EMF faculty member initiated the series. (For whatever it’s worth, she’s black and first participated in EMF as a young student.)
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