Literacy at the Library

Today I visited a beautiful public library here in Saint Augustine, the St. Johns County Main Branch. I visited with the intent to review the facilities and operation with regard to literacy, and I was pleased to find that they have many activities that support literacy, both in reading and technology. I also left with a new library card and some books to call my own, since I happened to show up on a sale day. But before I describe what I learned in person and from the Saint Johns County library website, here are some Main Branch statistics from the February 2018 Library Advisory Board meeting packet:

As of February, the Main Branch circulation includes 32,438 books and 14,577 e-books shared between branches. These e-books are provided to patrons through four services --  OneClick, OverDrive, Zinio and Hoopla. Compared to numbers from last year, the book circulation is slightly down while the e-book numbers are up, a trend we'd expect as more people move digital. The main branch has 27,440 registered patrons, plus me and whoever else signed up recently. Membership is free, and the meeting notes express that, and as to charging patrons up-front, the "board made it known they strongly disapprove of charging new fees for library services in an attempt to generate more revenue for St. Johns County." Good to hear. St. Johns County also has a Bookmobile, a travelling library, with 3,558 books in circulation.

The Main Branch numbers for January show that 21,030 people walked through the doors, 806 children took part in 24 child-oriented events, and 564 adults took part in 31 adult programs. These numbers are higher than I expected, but match the activity I saw this afternoon. Thirty adults and five teens volunteered last month.

Many signs advertising the book sale lined the parking lot, and the library was abuzz (a hushed buzz) when I walked in the door. Inside, past the electronic sensors, an area to the right held tables of books for sale with perhaps 10-15 people browsing. I joined them and laughed when I saw two big hard-cover editions of Tom Wolfe's A Man in Full, a book I struggled through out of devotion to the author but was not surprised to see left unwanted. His non-fiction is so good, how could his fiction be so bad? Maybe I just didn't get it. Farther in, past a row of desks with helpful volunteers, I asked for statistics and Amy, librarian on duty, was called to my aid. While waiting, I noticed the computer area -- three computers limited to 15-minute use, empty, and 22 other computers ranged in a horseshoe. Of these, seven were occupied. Beyond the computers and to the right were the stacks, looming and sparsely populated. Scattered about were tables, and I noticed tutoring taking place in one quiet corner. Most of the tables were occupied, and the vast majority of patrons were over 40 years of age. A few teens worked quietly here and there. The volunteers were almost all senior, the staff a bit younger. All the people on the computers were of a mature age also.

Amy arrived and kindly showed me where to access the statistics provided above. I asked if they gave technology training, and she said that they had not done any tech training events in some time due to funding constraints, but they did help many people one-on-one as needed. So if someone comes in needing to make a resume, for instance, a staff member or volunteer would sit with them and coach them through Microsoft Word or whatever program fit their need. Amy also gave me their calendar of events for February and March, and, after thinking that I might be talking too loudly, I sat for a while to observe the scene and check the calendars to see what had happened recently, and what was coming up.

I noticed many educational events: for young adults and students -- a weekly robotics lab, an introduction to the SAT test, and book clubs; for children -- a number of story-times (including one oriented to babies, one for toddlers and a crafting story-time for families), a video and tabletop gaming event, and a Japanese anime drawing class, which I suppose might appeal to all ages; for adults, there seems to be even more events -- various book clubs, a science lecture on the structure of the Milky Way, and the AARP even offered free tax assistance. Language classes for Italian and French might also appeal to all ages. I was also surprised to see many health-oriented events, such as meditation, stretching, low-impact Zumba, and a class on reducing stress. There is an event of some kind almost every day, and some days have a full roster of activities.

While I studied the calendar. a number of people came and went, some browsing the sale tables, some coming to sit and study quietly, and a few more people sat down at the computers. The hushed buzz of the library reminded me of my childhood years, as I confess I haven't spent much time at the public library since. But I was struck with the feeling of community and knowledge. There's a kind of dark-ages monastery feel to the library, as if this were a place where things are preserved and protected from the tumult of the secular world. I love books, so for me it's a holy feeling. I can understand why so many people are involved here, and why so many senior citizens find a refuge here. But I digress.

All the events and information about the library's catalog are also available on the St. Johns County Library website, located here. But there's a contrast -- while the library itself feels somewhat like a familiar local relic, the website is quite modern. The web design is clear, user-friendly and tastefully colored. Everything here can also be accessed in the library's computers, but the site extends the services to people's homes and other devices. It's very easy to use -- whether you want to access a database, reserve a book, check out an e-book, or browse the event schedule. There's even a place where you can suggest books you'd like the library to purchase. Below are a couple screenshots showing examples of what the website offers.

I haven't mentioned literacy once since my lead paragraph, have I? But if you read between the lines, there's literacy throughout. Every activity, every book, provides patrons with expanded knowledge and skills, a greater access to the world near and far.