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Cramped quarters
SPRINGFIELD, Nov 23, 2009 (The Register-Guard - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Things you may not know you can do at the public library: play Guitar Hero, download audio books to your iPod or MP3 player for free, and read stories published in magazines and academic journals that you can't get on Google.
Two out of those three can even be done from your home computer, if you have a library card.
The Springfield Public Library, tucked inside City Hall at 225 Fifth St., finds itself in more demand in a soured economy as people seek out free services and entertainment.
In fiscal year 2009, which ended last June, total circulation was up almost 13 percent over the previous year, with young adult circulation seeing a 24 percent increase and children's attendance at story hours growing by almost 26 percent.
It's good news for a library that in the past has been underused by its community.
But the fact is that if a majority of Springfield's 57,000 residents suddenly decided to make the library a regular destination, the 24,910-square-foot space would be overwhelmed.
"We're more than a little constrained," said library director Rob Everett.
And that's why the city is taking a closer look at how the library is being used and what community members want from it.
For the past few weeks residents have been invited to take a survey describing how often and when they visit the library, what services they use, and whether they'd support a new downtown library and/or the creation of branch libraries in other parts of town.
It's the beginning of a public conversation about the library's future, Everett said.
The library already is on the small side for the community it serves.
According to the Oregon Public Library Association, which sets state standards, a city the size of Springfield should have a library open at least 50 hours a week, with at least two items per resident, and 38,750 square feet of space.
Springfield exceeds the threshold for number of materials that can be checked out, but has just 24,000 square feet of space and is only open 42 hours a week.
With the city forecast to grow by 22 percent in the next 20 years, meeting community needs will become even more challenging, Everett said.
People use the library for a whole range of reasons, he said. Besides the traditional books and magazines available, there are thousands of video and music discs.
There are story hours for toddlers, art contests for children, writing contests for teens, as well as author and music programs for patrons of all ages.
Banks of computers, recently updated thanks to a Gates Foundation grant, provide Internet access.
That service has proved particularly valuable in the past year, Everett said.
There have been days when the library has seen a steady stream of people coming in to use the computers to file for unemployment, look for jobs and even apply for them online.
Contrary to popular belief, not everyone has a computer at home with high-speed Internet access, Everett said, leaving whole swaths of the community without the resources others take for granted.
"Or, you may have a computer but you've lost the ability to pay for that bundle of services," that the cable and phone companies provide, he said.
But the library also offers something that's a little harder to quantify.
As a place where people come together, it helps create a sense of community, Everett said.
"People come to the library to kind of touch their past, to understand their present, and it's also a place to change their lives for the better," he said.
To continue to meet those needs, Springfield might need to build a new library, but it's not a decision city officials will rush toward. City Manager Gino Grimaldi described the timeline as five to 10 years.
Funding for the library comes from the city's general fund. This fiscal year, it will cost $1.27 million to operate, about half what similar-sized communities such as Albany and Klamath Falls spend, according to Oregon Public Library Association data.
For now, Everett just wants people to take the survey so the city can get a better sense of how people feel about it.
He knows the community dialogue could go on for years. Before taking over as head of the Springfield Public Library, Everett worked for almost two decades at the Eugene Public Library, watching as the community outgrew its small space and waiting through three failed bond measures before the city got the public go-ahead for a new building.
While they may have balked at the outset, once the new building was completed, people came in droves to Eugene's new library, finished seven years ago, Everett said. From the 1.5 million visits a year, attendance jumped to 3 million.
"It was unbelievable," he said.
LIBRARY'S FUTURE
--Online: www.ci.springfield.or.us/library
--In person: 225 Fifth St.
--Hours: Monday-Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday: noon to 6 p.m.; Friday-Saturday: noon to 5 p.m.; closed on Sunday
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