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July 12, 2009

SUNDAY CONVERSATION: Lynne Olver, Morris County Library director

Daily Record

July 12, 2009

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is another one of our "Sunday Conversations," an interview with a prominent Morris County individual. Today, we feature Lynne Olver, who became director of the Morris County Library on July 1. Olver, 51, is a native of Long Island. She now lives in Randolph with her husband and two children. She joined the library in the reference department in 1991 and moved up through the ranks.

Q: It's 2009 and we have all sorts of digital and technological advances. How does that impact what libraries are about these days?

A: Libraries have always been more than books and material. In the coming of the digital age, libraries play a more important role connecting people with information. My specialty and background has always been reference. I've been a reference librarian for 28 years, so I've seen the difference in our job as going from looking up information in books to helping people find things and information on the Internet by using the data bases. It really has changed how we do business, but the overall need for people to connect with information hasn't changed. We're just using different tools.

Q: Was it more fun to help someone find something in a dusty old book than it is pushing buttons on a computer?

A: Absolutely. We have a fabulous reference collection with a lot of old, old books that people are getting rid of. Yes, when we can find something in an old fashion book, we are delighted.

Q: Roughly how many people use the library every year?
A: We have about 285,000 library users. The old fashion term, patrons, still exists, as does customers, but we use library users.

Q: How does that compare with previous years?
A: Our numbers are increasing. And in large part, that has something to do with the economy.

Q: Explain that please?
A: Libraries are your tax dollars at work. When the economy tanks and you do not have that much disposable income, you have a number of people who are rediscovering the library for the first time. They used libraries 10 years ago, or they used libraries when they were little kids. And now, they are pleasantly surprised and delighted to ... begin again borrowing books.

Q: When the library was expanded 10 years ago, some said at the time, why do we need to expand it, considering the fact many of the towns have their own libraries. Your answer to that would be?
A: That's a fair question. Our libraries all work together. We're all serving; we all share a common mission. But the county library doesn't have to compete with the local libraries; we complement what they have.

Q: How so?
A: In any library, there will be a certain amount of overlap. But some of the unique services that we offer that are not offered by the local libraries are books by mail. We service homebound patrons; we are also a deaf resource center. We offer computer classes that are not available at a lot of the local libraries. We have a state of the art computer lab, and we are training people on Microsoft products. The great thing about coming to the library is that there is no qualifying standard; there is no income qualification. We're able to serve people who are looking for jobs, and senior citizens. Anyone who is interested in updating their computer skills.

Q: What's the size of your staff; and your annual budget?
A: The staff is 79 people. That is full-time and part-time. The budget is about $4 million. We go with the flow (of the county) and our budget has not been increased. We're learning to do more with less and to streamline and become more efficient. It's a good thing actually.

Q: No it's not. Come on, you want more money.
A: Well, money's good, but we also understand. We're realists. Our library is taking a cut and that is true across the board with municipal libraries and state libraries.

Q: Do you have people who ignore all the digital offerings and just come in and take out a book — like they did 50 years ago?

A: Absolutely. We have a number of people who have made the library part of their regular schedule. We have people who come in mornings to read the newspaper. They come to us to read the Daily Record.

Q: Well, that's a problem; they ought to pay for it.
A: The library is more than materials; They come for socialization, things like that.

Q: Socialization? But you aren't allowed to talk in a library?
A: Absolutely, they're allowed to talk in libraries. We no longer "shhh"' people. You're allowed to talk and bring in your coffee. You're allowed to eat. Libraries have come a long way. But we discouarge random cell phone conversations in the middle of the room.

Q: From time to time, there is discussion on what type of content should be available on library computers. This gets into filtering out so-called pornography. There's always a debate about that.
A: There really isn't. I will tell you why. Certainly, in the children's library, there are filters in place, but the rules of our library are the same as anywhere else. As long as you're not breaking the law, accessing anything on the Internet is protected by your First Amendment rights. Just like reading whatever you want. So, pornography, while it may be distasteful to some people, it is not against the law. Child pornography is. If that is reported, we call the cops. We also have recessed computers. People have to be standing right behind you to see what you are looking at.

Q: What do you do for fun?
A: There's something called the Food Timeline. I have been working on that as an independent research project. All of my spare time is devoted to that. It's food history. I'm a fan of food history. I kind of think of it as the genealogy of food.

Q: So, was the typical breakfast in the 1850s similar to what it is today?
A: Here's where the reference librarian kicks in; there is no such thing as typical. Are you talking about an Iowa farmhouse, or the wealthy Astors in New York City?

Q: People living in New Jersey.
A: Most likely, it would have been breads. That time, 1850, would predate your cereal. You might have eggs, you might have an omelet. I want to make clear, this is independent research. Some people garden; some people golf. I research food history.

Posted by tumulty at July 12, 2009 7:12 AM

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