Library officials in Northbrook and Glenview have noticed that when the economy is shaky, their business goes up. Both libraries have experienced increases in circulation and attendance at events since 2001.
“When times are lean, people let their own personal newspaper and magazine subscriptions lapse,” said Vickie L. Novak, Glenview’s executive librarian. “We have more than 500 subscriptions, and readership is very high for the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers.”
Circulation figures at the Glenview Public Library, 1930 Glenview Rd., rose to 763,685 in 2002 from 755,089 the previous year.
At the Northbrook Public Library, 1201 Cedar Lane, general circulation figures rose to 748,859 in fiscal year 2002-03 from 704,408 the previous fiscal year.
“Why buy the book when you’ve already paid for it through your taxes?” said Chadwick Raymond, the Northbrook library’s executive director.
The Northbrook library, housed in an 85,341-square-foot glass-front building completed in 1999, has added to its collection of large-print books as the population ages and offers wireless Internet access for patrons working on laptops. Raymond calls the library “a beacon for lifelong learning.”
Circulation in the library’s multimedia department increased by 18 percent in 2002, said department head Steve Gianni. The department’s collection includes DVDs, videos, audio books, CD-ROMS and LP records.
Weekly film showings include classic movies and second-run movies not yet available on video. Children’s movies are shown monthly.
Mystery concerts
The library hosts Parisian Salon Concerts the first Friday of each month, with performances by musicians in various genres, including jazz, bistro songs and classical piano. The concerts, whose performers are not announced in advance, were created and are organized by former Orchestre de Paris violinist Didier Lepauw, a Northbrook resident and real estate agent.
The library’s youth programming includes a Teen Advisory Board created in fall 2002 by Karen Cruze, youth services librarian and teen specialist. The board, which consists of about 25 youths in 6th through 10th grades, meets every other month during the school year and has helped select magazines for the young adult collection. Members also used a $1,000 Illinois State Library grant to acquire more than 100 books for the library in the spring.
Before their buying trip, Cruze and her young participants discussed the concept of appropriate books. Once the books were entered into the library’s collection, Cruze held a party where they signed bookplates and attached them inside the books they had selected. Among the chosen titles were “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” by Ann Brashares, and “Bigmouth & Ugly Girl,” by Joyce Carol Oates.
On July 4 the library unveiled the Northbrook Community Portal at www.northbrook.info. Funded by a federal grant administered by the Illinois State Library, this customizable site allows visitors to find information about Northbrook, national and international news, and view weather reports and financial information. The site also contains a mapping feature to find businesses and a homeland security section, which the library created in conjunction with the Northbrook Fire Department.
The site will be given a national unveiling in the fall. Raymond has invited First Lady Laura Bush to attend; the date will be determined by her schedule.
At the Glenview library, space is the most crucial issue, Novak said. The building, dedicated Dec. 4, 1955, lacks enough space to accommodate the growing demand for public meeting rooms, youth services, children’s programs and technology, she said.
“Our staff office spaces are absolutely deplorable,” she said. “The adult services department offices were designed for five people and are now housing 14. People are literally on top of each other. Parking is another pressing need. A lot of our patrons go to other libraries simply because they are more accessible.”
A growing population has increased the pressure for more space. Development of The Glen, formerly the Glenview Naval Air Station, is expected to add nearly 1,900 homes and about 4,000 residents to the village population of 41,847, said Amy Ahner, Glenview’s assistant director of economic redevelopment.
The building was expanded in 1968 and 1986, bringing it to 47,500 square feet, Novak said. The site has no room for further expansion, and the Library and Village Boards have been negotiating for seven years on a site for a new building, she said.
Search on for potential sites
The library has hired consultants to identify potential sites for a new building, Novak said. She declined to discuss specific sites, but said the talks have focused on sites in The Glen and downtown.
“New candidates have been elected to the Village and Library Boards, and we’re giving them a bit of time to get up to speed on what’s been taking place,” Novak said. “We hope to sit down soon to come to a mutually agreeable solution.”
Until a new building becomes a reality, the staff continues to face challenges related to space. Anne Dierbeck, head of youth services, said her department is running out of shelf space and stores some of its collection on carts. She would like to have a program room dedicated to youth services. Her department shares the library’s one program room with adult services, which sometimes leads to scheduling conflicts.
Programming in Dierbeck’s department often draws crowds. In 2002, a total of 2,002 children registered for summer reading activities, and Dierbeck said she expects the number for 2003 to be higher. Games and prizes encourage young readers to complete books. Children can discuss the books they read one-on-one with members of the department’s 132-member volunteer corps.
Moving into cyberspace has been one way for the library to combat the constraints of its brick-and-mortar facility. For five years Roleeta Nandan, electronic reference librarian, has been expanding the library’s online presence. Most patrons know they can search the library catalog online, but she is promoting the value of research databases available online from home computers. The databases allow cardholders to find specific articles at no charge.
Another electronic service, www.myweblibrarian.com, allows users to chat with a librarian. It was launched as a pilot project in 2001 by the North Suburban Library System. Its use is growing “in leaps and bounds,” and it is popular with young people and students, Nandan said.
In another outreach effort, Jane Berry, assistant director and head of adult services, is hoping to schedule presentations in the fall to Glenview business groups such as the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club. The talks, to be given by reference librarians, would aim to increase awareness of the library’s business-related services and resources.
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Library facts
NORTHBROOK PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 1201 Cedar Lane, Northbrook, IL 60062.
Phone: 847-272-6224.
Fax: 847-498-0440.
TDD: 847-272-6229.
Web site: www.northbrook.info/lib(underscore)index.php.
Executive director: Chadwick Raymond.
Staff: 29 full-time and 79 part-time employees.
Size: 85,341 square feet.
Size of collection: 168,457 books; 306 periodical subscriptions; 11,122 videos and DVDs; 2,719 audiobooks; and 13,418 other audio recordings, including CDs, tapes and LPs.
Computers available for public use: 11 for Internet use, eight for word processing, six for database access, 12 in interactive classroom.
Cardholders: 26,545.
Circulation for fiscal year 2002-03: 748,859.
GLENVIEW PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 1930 Glenview Rd., Glenview, IL 60025.
Phone: 847-729-7500.
Fax: 847-729-7682.
TDD: 847-729-7529.
Web site: www.glenview.lib.il.us.
Executive librarian: Vickie L. Novak.
Staff: 37 full-time and 105 part-time employees.
Size: 47,500 square feet.
Collection: 266,090 books; 934 periodical subscriptions; 11,536 videos and DVDs; and 23,479 audio recordings, including CDs, tapes and audiobooks.
Computers available for public use: 20.
Cardholders: 33,500.
Circulation for 2002: 763,685.
