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March 19, 2009

Libraries' free resources draw residents in hard times

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

BY RICHARD COWEN
NorthJersey.com
STAFF WRITER
When the going gets tough, the tough go to the library.

The economic slowdown has led to a surge in library use as throngs of jobless people seek free help finding work, while budget-conscious families look for cheap entertainment.

"We're seeing a lot more people who are coming for help finding jobs," said Jody Treadway, director of the Wayne Public Library. "I'm also seeing more families coming in to rent DVDs and watch movies."

Visiting a library has become Square One for many job seekers, who can tap into a wide array of books and online databases — all free. And libraries have also become ad hoc job- training centers as people come in to learn new computer skills.

The Ridgewood Public Library offers classes on popular computer programs such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Other libraries — among them Clifton, Fort Lee, Paramus, Woodland Park and Ringwood — offer one-on-one computer training, usually by appointment only.

"They're turning to us for job assistance and business creation," said Patricia Tumulty, the director of the New Jersey Library Association. "We're helping them fill out unemployment forms online. The public sees us as a central service."

Although demand for services is up, libraries are also being dragged down by the economic crisis. Governor Corzine's proposed budget reduces state funding to libraries by 14 percent, from $16 million to $13.6 million.

"That's not good news, given how much the public has turned to us," Tumulty said.

A recent survey of 88 libraries by the NJLA estimated that circulation was up about 12 percent in 2008; Bergen County's consortium of 75 libraries (www.bccls.org) reported an increase in borrowing of 8 percent in 2008.

Less obvious — but perhaps more telling about the overall state of the economy — is the huge surge in demand at reference desks and for online services.

Most libraries offer online free access to a variety of business databases to their cardholders. Cardholders can link up to these databases through the library's Web site.

The Wayne Public Library received 17.8 million hits in 2008, an astounding 56 percent increase over the previous year. Among the most popular of these databases is ReferenceUSA, a digital Yellow Pages that contains information about businesses and products across the nation.

ReferenceUSA is considered a valuable tool for job seekers and people who are looking to expand their businesses. The NJLA has previously made Reference USA available to local libraries through state funding, but that is now threatened by the proposed cuts.

Also on the increase is the number of technical questions that reference librarians are answering — many of them from people who are running businesses from their homes or laptop computers.

"Ten years ago, the calls to the reference desk were a lot simpler," Treadway said. "People would call and ask, 'What is the capital of Idaho?' Now, they want to know questions about product liability laws and how to obtain certain licenses to run their businesses."

Christine Zembicki, director of the Clifton Memorial Library, says there's an ever-increasing demand for English as a Second Language courses, as well as advice on how to build résumés. The Clifton library added 27,000 new cardholders last year, she said.

Although hard times have dampened retail sales of books, music and movies, they haven't lessened the public's desire to be entertained. They can get the same books, music and movies at the library for free. And sometimes live entertainment, too.

"The other day, we had a juggler and some clowns from the Ringling Brothers circus perform here," said Len Lopinto, director of the Paramus Public Library. "The place was packed."

When the going gets tough, the tough go to the library.

"We're seeing a lot more people who are coming for help finding jobs," said Jody Treadway, director of the Wayne Public Library. "I'm also seeing more families coming in to rent DVDs and watch movies."

Visiting a library has become Square One for many job seekers, who can tap into a wide array of books and online databases — all free. And libraries have also become ad hoc job- training centers as people come in to learn new computer skills.

The Ridgewood Public Library offers classes on popular computer programs such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Other libraries — among them Clifton, Fort Lee, Paramus, Woodland Park and Ringwood — offer one-on-one computer training, usually by appointment only.

Local libraries have seen circulation rise, but they are also serving as makeshift job centers as people come in for access to online databases and to learn new computer skills. "They're turning to us for job assistance and business creation," said Patricia Tumulty, the director of the New Jersey Library Association. "We're helping them fill out unemployment forms online. The public sees us as a central service."

Although demand for services is up, libraries are also being dragged down by the economic crisis. Governor Corzine's proposed budget reduces state funding to libraries by 14 percent, from $16 million to $13.6 million.

"That's not good news, given how much the public has turned to us," Tumulty said.

A recent survey of 88 libraries by the NJLA estimated that circulation was up about 12 percent in 2008; Bergen County's consortium of 75 libraries (www.bccls.org) reported an increase in borrowing of 8 percent in 2008.

Less obvious — but perhaps more telling about the overall state of the economy — is the huge surge in demand at reference desks and for online services.

Most libraries offer online free access to a variety of business databases to their cardholders. Cardholders can link up to these databases through the library's Web site.

The Wayne Public Library received 17.8 million hits in 2008, an astounding 56 percent increase over the previous year. Among the most popular of these databases is ReferenceUSA, a digital Yellow Pages that contains information about businesses and products across the nation.

ReferenceUSA is considered a valuable tool for job seekers and people who are looking to expand their businesses. The NJLA has previously made Reference USA available to local libraries through state funding, but that is now threatened by the proposed cuts.

Also on the increase is the number of technical questions that reference librarians are answering — many of them from people who are running businesses from their homes or laptop computers.

"Ten years ago, the calls to the reference desk were a lot simpler," Treadway said. "People would call and ask, 'What is the capital of Idaho?' Now, they want to know questions about product liability laws and how to obtain certain licenses to run their businesses."

Christine Zembicki, director of the Clifton Memorial Library, says there's an ever-increasing demand for English as a Second Language courses, as well as advice on how to build résumés. The Clifton library added 27,000 new cardholders last year, she said.

Although hard times have dampened retail sales of books, music and movies, they haven't lessened the public's desire to be entertained. They can get the same books, music and movies at the library for free. And sometimes live entertainment, too.

"The other day, we had a juggler and some clowns from the Ringling Brothers circus perform here," said Len Lopinto, director of the Paramus Public Library. "The place was packed."

E-mail: cowen@northjersey.com

Posted by tumulty at March 19, 2009 6:54 AM

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